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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 169
S
Member
As you guys and gals know Im usually pretty quiet I usually just listen. Now after 4200 hours into my apprenticeship I would really like to know how any of you got into the industrial side of wireing. I feel I would like it better than the 1.5 years a a commercial and 7 months as a residential electrician. Any input would be APPRECIATED 111

Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,445
Likes: 2
Cat Servant
Member
Steve, I'm going to use a few words you won't like: MORE SCHOOL.
Your community college is likely to have classes based around "industrial maintenance." As a plant sparky, you will need to hone your troubleshooting skills, work with PLC's, and have some knowledge of pneumatic, hydraulic, and HVAC systems.

While completing an apprenticeship is no mean feat, on thing industrial employers dread is hiring a "journeyman" who has only run romex and toggle switches!

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 169
S
Member
Renosteinke,
Really appreciate your input. Belive it or not I love going to the code classes and even took a few algebra courses at the local community colledge. Thats a great idea. At now almost 47 I really want to do the industrial side and want to become the best electrician I can. Did a lot of hydralic work on the gun mounts in the service and the plc,s were only on the CNC Machines I used to run. No hvac at all. I will look into classes here. Realize how pig headed I was when I was younger. Thanks for your input. A Romex Ranger I do not want to be.

Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 421
Member
steve,
I second what reno says, education is KEY,
I would add that when I was a cub, I was steered toward working in hospitals and steel mills, one for the intricacy and quality of the circuitry and life safety issues,
the other for experience in very large processes operating at all sorts of voltages in less than favorable, sometimes hazardous conditions.while striving to get the equipment back online with minimal downtime.....safely .

and resi work was a very good stepping stone in learning basic circuits and troubleshooting.


Tom
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Member
Steve,
Look, I did my time as an Electrician with the local PoCo.
After that I was sent out into the world to learn something, that to me was working in an Industrial field.
I rang around a lot of places and people were looking to take me on, but I wanted one thing here, the Meat works, these places are a gold mine of technology, PLC's, robotics, you name it and the chance to do ordinary faults work.
I loved the year that I was there, nice guys too.
Any place that is serious about thier tech's Steve, send thier staff on training courses, if you get in somewhere, ask around, when did they last sit a PLC course or so, if it's over 6 months, run mate!. [Linked Image]

Joined: Jul 2002
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Please bear in mind Steve, that Industrial work is totally different to anything you might have learned in your time as a Residential or Commercial Electrician.
As a new boy to it, you will be required to crawl through all sorts of nasty places to install a sensor or what have you.
You will not forget the way that that sensor is installed though. [Linked Image]
I've done it in an air duct under the Sheep gut seperator, the smell nearly killed me, but I got the job done.
I'm not looking to put you off Industrial work, I love it and I'd go back to it tomorrow if there was an opening.
Industrial Electricians have my respect. [Linked Image]

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 169
S
Member
Thanks for all the input guys. Got a lot of good ideas from all of you and a little sense of direction in which to go. Really appreciate the feedback. Be safe today and weekends almost here !!!!!!!!!

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 169
S
Member
The one thing I forgot to say was I did 1.5 years as a commercial and 7 months as a residential electrician. Should have said electrician WANNABE. iM PRETTY GOOD AT SOME THINGS BUT i have a long way to go. Still have a tendencey to bend pipe 180 degrees the wrong way. You guys (and gals) have been great thanks a Million.

Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 25
F
Member
Steve, Industrial electical maintenance is a different world. I have never run a stick of conduit in my life. I have aligned mg sets, 1500 hp with dial indicator and jacks. Scrap relief babbitt bearings on 5000hp dc motor shaft. But the real fun is trouble-shooting, every thing from ampladynes to c-mos, speed controls, fuel and combustion, and process instrumentation. When you start work in industrial (and you will people who want to work are getting scarce)just remember that there is more stuff that can kill than just zoomies BE VERY careful. Chuck

Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 40
F
Member
You are never too old to learn. I started in this trade at 42. I only wish that I had started at 22.

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