Date/Time
Date(s) - April 7, 2026
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Location
Economic Development Corporation of Elkhart County
This five-day workshop provides the basic skills and knowledge you need to work with the programmable logic controllers (PLCs) found in a typical manufacturing plant. The course begins with a review of relay logic, and then you’ll learn PLC programming, including general logic, timers, counters, and math functions, followed by human-machine interface (HMI) programming.
The workshop includes hands-on labs where you will practice implementing what you have learned on a self-contained PLC system.
PLCs used in this workshop are from Automation Direct, but the basic PLC knowledge and skills you will learn are easily transferable between PLC systems.
Objectives:
- Explain the hazards that exist when working with electrical systems and guidelines for preventing injuries.
- Explain what NFPA 79 is and how it relates to PLC system design and programming.
- Interpret, create, and construct relay ladder logic diagrams and circuits.
- Explain the components of a typical PLC system and the functionality of each.
- Distinguish between input and output signals and analog and discrete signals.
- Interpret, create, construct, and troubleshoot PLC ladder logic diagrams and circuits using basic functions, timers, counters, and math functions.
- Create HMI screens that function as part of a PLC program.
- Explain basic steps for troubleshooting PLC systems.
Intended audience: Engineering and maintenance personnel, technicians, and others who need an introduction to or a refresher of PLCs and PLC programming.
Prerequisites: Attendees should have general technical competence and be familiar with Windows operating systems. Previous PLC and electrical experience is helpful but not essential.
Workshop length: 5 days – 8:30AM – 4:30PM – 40 hours
Cost: $2,000 per attendee (register by 3/24 to avoid the rush registration fee)
Location: Economic Development Corporation of Elkhart County, 300 NIBCO Parkway, Suite 201, Elkhart, IN
Click here to register: https://mep.purdue.edu/workshops-and-events/workshop-catalog-detail/?id=a3d0L000000uS1mQAE&eventid=a3QRd000002R8MvMAK
Registration closes on Tuesday, March 31.
