How do you evaluate automation technology skills?

Automation has several different types but basic functionality is the same. When designing any automated system several device and sensor failure scenarios should be considered in addition to normal operation. If not, any unforseen failure can cause downtime, device replacement or in worst case, injury.

I ask candidates very specific questions. I always inform them it’s ok to say I have not done that or I have no experience with that. I’m looking for honest feedback so I can assess training needs as well as job fit.

When designing an automated system of any kind, the whole process should be taken into account. One part of the system can affect the other. No single system works in a vacuum.

I ask very specific questions regarding troubleshooting situations and use of hardware and software. I design these scenarios so that I can tell if someone has actually used the technology or been in that situation.

Automation has its limitations, there is always a human involved at least in part of the system. What may be clear to the system designer is not so clear to others. Automated process should always be as easily understood as possible the end user.

Moving up from technician to Automation Engineer I find that more often we program for ourselves. Is it quicker to do it this way. Yes...but, the downside is the people who need to read your code might struggle to understand it. Increasing downtime through fault finding on thr code. We often put descriptions in that mean something to us but not to others. Kiss. Keep it simple. Techs or mech that read your code need to quickly see what you are intending in a logical way. They learn to read you as a coder and the program you write become familiar to them.

1 keep your self up to date with latest trends in automation testing 2 study AI and ML concepts and identify where it can be implemented in your automation domain 3. Attend seminars and keep your self up to date from official sites 4 learn and improving the process 5.identify new challenges in automation domain and look for resolutions

Some systems benefit greatly from modern technology improvements. On the other hand overdesigning a system causes unnecessary complexity to maybe otherwise simple process. System design should be as simple and robust as possible.

Always remember that someone else is using and maintaining the system. Usually their expertise is not automation. Intuitive design decisions can reduce downtime and make maintenance of the system much easier. For example: -Redundant measurement or hot standby devices so one device failure does not cause downtime. -Easily accessable devices and good descriptions reduce maintenance time. -Safety systems that take into account the system user, if skipping a safety feature feels necessary for the operator to maintain the system, they will try to do it.

Hay que pensar en la parte mecánica. Los sensores pueden moverse o fallar, los actuadores, romperse; los mecanismos pueden fallar. Es bueno monitorear todos los movimientos y advertir si algo no se cumplió como debía.

In my perspective, where the technology is right now , we can achieve many solutions but in my actual area of business, when we talk about proteins and being more specific, when it becomes to the meat industry we still find some challenges on grippers and mainly on the camera system vison being able to detect defects and bad selling. But in general if you get consistency in your product and standard presentation for the robot to pick it and place it , you can achieve the results and RóI much easier .