# SkillsUSA



## Rickybrewster (Feb 27, 2014)

I am going to SkillsUSA state competition for Industrial Motor Contorls and I was wondering if anyone had any advice? Your help will be greatly appreciated


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

Study up on industrial motor controls


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## Rickybrewster (Feb 27, 2014)

I've been studying everything I can find but I have no idea what to expect


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## Vintage Sounds (Oct 23, 2009)

Have you done any motor control work before?


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Rickybrewster said:


> I am going to SkillsUSA state competition for Industrial Motor Contorls and I was wondering if anyone had any advice? Your help will be greatly appreciated


My daughter went through this. It is a great competition. I don't remember what was all involved, I remember start/stop stations and motor starters. I thought they were bending conduit too, but I might be mixing up the different parts.


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## Rickybrewster (Feb 27, 2014)

backstay said:


> My daughter went through this. It is a great competition. I don't remember what was all involved, I remember start/stop stations and motor starters. I thought they were bending conduit too, but I might be mixing up the different parts.


No you're right there is conduit bending too


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## Rickybrewster (Feb 27, 2014)

Vintage Sounds said:


> Have you done any motor control work before?


I have been working 2 months on it and I have the regulation control board. I've looked at some schematics from past national competitions and what it shows verses what the control board has is way different. Regulations say there hast to be the following list mounted to a 24" by 24" board

1-start/stop
2-control relays
2-time relays
2-limit switches
5-indicator lights
1-HOA switch
2-cams to activate the limit switches
2-motor contacts 
1-main power switch w/ 4 amp fuse 
And a series of panduit to conceal the wires

But in some contests they have resistors, solenoids, or more start/stops. It's nerve racking not knowing what exactly your getting into until the timer starts


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## ScooterMcGavin (Jan 24, 2011)

Rickybrewster said:


> It's nerve racking not knowing what exactly your getting into until the timer starts


That's just like real life except you aren't losing thousands of $$ an hour while operations keeps asking "how long till its fixed" at 2:00 in the morning.

The best thing to do is is figure out what its supposes to do and then based on what's its doing or not doing figure what could cause that symptom. Try not to get hung up on all the little details right out of the gate.


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## Jabberwoky (Sep 2, 2012)

Rickybrewster said:


> I have been working 2 months on it and I have the regulation control board. I've looked at some schematics from past national competitions and what it shows verses what the control board has is way different. Regulations say there hast to be the following list mounted to a 24" by 24" board
> 
> 1-start/stop
> 2-control relays
> ...


Takes me back to the good ol' days in high school. Except ours was focused on electronics design / troubleshooting. This was back when the internet was just starting to become mainstream. It was exceptionally rare for competitions at the high school level in this field. Now even the backwoods schools are part of the statewide robotics competitions. Kids these days are covering what I used to call a 2 year degree in electronics in just a couple years of high school.

Just to get a job repairing industrial automation now you need: Electrical/Electronics, Motors, PLCs, Network communications, HMI, Pneumatics, Hydraulics, VFDs, Robotics, Optics, Welding, Machining, and Fabrication.

No wonder the want ads have a mile long list of skills needed.


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