After 11 weeks of intense studies, the 20 participants in the 5th edition of the PLC Course held by ISD have successfully graduated and received diplomas certifying the completion of the program. The closing ceremony took place on December 23d in the events area of the ISD office.
Why PLC?
PLC, or Programmable Logic Controller, is a programmable computing device used in several industries for the automation of processes and systems. The demand of PLC Engineers is growing together with the number of companies willing to implement automation solutions. Just in 2023, more than 30% of the European enterprises are going to implement, at least, one type of automation.
What was the course about?
The PLC Course was dedicated to all the enthusiasts passioned about Automation & Electrical Engineering and willing to start a career as PLC Engineers. It started on October 6th and was held twice a week until December 21st.
The course integrated theoretical and practical parts lectured at ISD’s office and at the PLC laboratory from the Faculty of Computers, Informatics and Microelectronics of the Technical University of Moldova (TUM).
The theory-related sessions introduced the participants to the fundamental concepts of PLC, including:
- PLC programming, ladder logic, and the inner workings of a standard Human Machine Interface (HMI);
- Introduction to HMI development and general understanding of how HMI program works;
- Differences between digital and analog signals and how to bring them into a PLC, process them, and send them back out etc.
After the theory lessons, the students created a PLC program from scratch at the PLC laboratory from TUM.
Who were the mentors?
The participants learned PLC best practices from Victor Dropet and Ivan Vilcu, both PLC Engineers at ISD.
Victor has more than 8 years of experience in the field of Automation and PLC Programming. He is also a former PLC academic teacher who contributed to the elaboration of the first PLC program held at TUM.
Ivan, graduate of the 2nd edition of the PLC Course, brought in more than 3 years of expertise in PLC programming and troubleshooting hardware systems, as well as a background in designing, assembling, and testing electrical diagrams. He has a Siemens certification in TIA Portal Programming.
Both Victor and Ivan improve continuously their skills and keep the pace with the latest PLC technologies and trends, including through external exchanges.
What are the participants saying?
“The PLC Course was interesting from the start. I liked the teaching methods and the friendly environment. I am sure that everything I have learned during the course is going to help me grow as a professional and I’m interested in learning PLC programming further.” Oleg, PLC Course Participant
“The PLC Course was very interesting, and it helped me to understand where to apply the knowledge previously acquired during the academic courses. It convinced me, one more time, that I am going to pursue a career in IT, and I think, I am even going to focus on PLC.” Arina, PLC Course Participant
“I liked developing a program using TIA Portal. The course was a useful one, because I managed to learn more about what it is like working as a PLC Engineer and about working on a PLC using TIA Portal.” Cristian, PLC Course Participant
If you are also interested in becoming a PLC Engineer, we encourage you to follow us on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages for the latest news about the PLC course and internship opportunities at ISD.