Industrial Automation - Best Way To Educate Yourself | Elite Automation

Summary

In this video, Malachi Greb, CEO and engineer of Elite Automation, advises on the best educational paths for those interested in automation, particularly for high school or college students. He suggests focusing on specific software for PLC programming, such as Allen Bradley's Studio 5000 or Siemens, and for robot programming, recommends Fanuc's RoboGuide. Greb also touches on mechanical engineering software like Inventor and SolidWorks, and electrical engineering tools like AutoCAD Electrical and E-Plan. He emphasizes the value of hands-on learning with software over formal education and encourages viewers to explore and comment on other useful industrial automation software.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Focus on learning a specific piece of software relevant to your field of study.
• 💼 For PLC programming, consider Allen Bradley's Studio 5000 if in the US, or Siemens if outside the US.
• 🔍 Look for the most popular PLC brands in your region to guide your software choice.
• 🤖 In the US, Fanuc robots are prevalent, and their RoboGuide software is recommended for learning.
• 💻 Consider using multiple computers to extend free trials of expensive software like RoboGuide.
• 📚 Prioritize investing in high-quality software over generic college courses for practical skills.
• 📈 For mechanical engineering, prioritize learning software like Inventor and SolidWorks.
• 🆓 Check if your college offers free software subscriptions or education packages.
• 🔌 In electrical engineering, software like AutoCAD Electrical, SolidWorks Electrical, and E-Plan are popular.
• 📊 HMI development is an accessible entry point into industrial automation, consider learning relevant software.
• 🌐 The speaker's background is in controls engineering, which influences the software recommendations.

Q & A

What is the best way to get educated in automation according to Malachi Greb?

Focusing on a specific piece of software relevant to your field of interest, such as PLC programming with Allen Bradley's software for those in the United States.

What PLC software does Malachi Greb recommend for someone in the United States?

Allen Bradley's Studio 5000 software, which is the number one brand in the United States.

What is the suggested approach if someone cannot afford the expensive PLC software?

Using free PLC softwares or taking advantage of trial versions, and considering buying cheaper computers to extend the trial period for learning purposes.

What robot brand does Malachi Greb recommend for robot programming in the United States?

Fanuc robots, as they are the number one robot brand in the United States, and their software, RoboGuide, can be accessed through a 30-day trial.

What is the alternative for someone outside of the United States looking to learn PLC programming?

Focusing on the most popular PLC brands in their region, such as Siemens.

What are some collaborative robot brands mentioned in the script?

Universal Robots (UR), KUKA, Yaskawa, and Kawasaki are mentioned as popular collaborative robot brands.

Which software does Malachi Greb recommend for mechanical engineering?

Inventor and SolidWorks are recommended as they are popular in the industry and offer subscription services or educational packages.

What is the suggestion for electrical engineering software?

AutoCAD Electrical, SolidWorks Electrical, and E-Plan are suggested as they are popular in the industry.

Why does Malachi Greb suggest getting a college email ID for software access?

Some software companies offer free or discounted access to their products for students with a college email ID, which can be beneficial for learning and practicing.

What is the advice for someone interested in HMI development?

HMI development is suggested as an easier entry point into the field, with software like Wonderware or other HMI development tools being good to learn.

What is Malachi Greb's background, and how does it influence the software recommendations?

Malachi Greb is a controls engineer, which influences his recommendations to focus on software relevant to controls engineering, electrical, and mechanical engineering.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Education in Automation

Malachi Greb, CEO and Engineer of Elite Automation, discusses the best approach for education in automation for high school students or college freshmen. He advises focusing on specific software for PLC programming, recommending Allen Bradley's Studio 5000 for the US and Siemens for international students. He also suggests exploring other free PLC software and emphasizes the importance of hands-on practice with popular PLC brands. For robot programming, he recommends using FANUC robots in the US and downloading RoboGuide software for practice. He humorously suggests using multiple computers for extended trials of the software. He also encourages learning from YouTube tutorials and engaging with the community for more learning resources. He mentions the importance of focusing on popular robot brands like FANUC, KUKA, Yaskawa, and Kawasaki for robot programming. Additionally, he advises on software for mechanical engineering, such as Inventor and SolidWorks, and for electrical engineering, including AutoCAD Electrical and SolidWorks Electrical. He also touches on the value of HMI development and the potential for free software access through college courses.

05:01

📢 Engage and Learn

The second paragraph serves as a call to action for viewers to engage with the content by leaving comments, asking questions, or requesting information on specific software. Malachi encourages viewers to subscribe to stay updated with new content related to industrial automation. He also invites feedback on the software discussed and expresses openness to covering additional topics in future videos. The paragraph concludes with a friendly sign-off, wishing viewers a great day.

Keywords

💡Automation

Automation refers to the use of control systems and information technologies to reduce the need for human intervention in the production of goods and services. In the context of the video, automation is the central theme, with the speaker discussing educational pathways and software tools relevant to the field. The video aims to guide viewers, particularly those in high school or college, on how to get educated in this area.

💡PLC (Programmable Logic Controller)

A PLC is an industrial digital computer used for automation of electromechanical processes, such as control of machinery on factory assembly lines. In the script, the speaker suggests focusing on specific PLC software like Allen Bradley's Studio 5000 for those interested in PLC programming, highlighting its prevalence in the United States.

💡Software Trials

Software trials, or demos, are limited-time versions of software that allow users to evaluate the software's features before purchasing. The video mentions the importance of utilizing trials for expensive automation software, such as Studio 5000, to gain hands-on experience within the trial period.

💡Fanuc Robots

Fanuc is a leading manufacturer of industrial robots and automation. The speaker recommends using Fanuc robots for learning robot programming, suggesting the use of their software, RoboGuide, which is available for a 30-day trial. This recommendation is based on Fanuc's dominance in the U.S. market for industrial robots.

💡RoboGuide

RoboGuide is a 3D simulation software for offline programming of Fanuc robots. It is mentioned in the script as a tool that can be trialed for 30 days, with a humorous suggestion to reset trials by purchasing additional computers, emphasizing the high cost of full licenses for such software.

💡Mechanical Engineering Software

Mechanical engineering software encompasses a range of tools used for designing, modeling, and analyzing mechanical systems. The video mentions specific software like Autodesk Inventor and SolidWorks, which are popular in the industry for their capabilities in 3D CAD modeling and simulation.

💡Electrical Engineering Software

Electrical engineering software is used for designing and analyzing electrical systems and circuits. The speaker lists AutoCAD Electrical, SolidWorks Electrical, and E-Plan as examples of such software, noting their importance in the field of electrical engineering and automation.

💡HMI (Human-Machine Interface)

HMI refers to the interface between a human and a machine, often in the context of industrial automation. The video suggests focusing on HMI development as an entry point into the field, highlighting its relative ease of learning compared to other areas like PLCs. Examples include software used for creating interfaces for machine operation and monitoring.

💡Education Packages

Education packages are special offers or discounts provided by software companies for students and educational institutions. The script mentions that these packages can provide free or discounted access to software like Inventor and SolidWorks, suggesting that enrolling in a college course could be a strategy to gain access to such software.

💡Collaborative Robots

Collaborative robots, or 'cobots', are designed to work alongside humans, unlike traditional industrial robots. The video points out the growing popularity of collaborative robots like those from Universal Robots and suggests that learning to program these could be beneficial due to their increasing use in the industry.

Highlights

The best way to get educated in automation is by focusing on specific software.

For PLC programming, Studio 5000 from Allen Bradley is recommended.

Allen Bradley's software is expensive and typically available for a 7-day trial.

Siemens is suggested for those outside the United States.

Fanuc robots are the top choice in the United States for robot programming.

RoboGuide software by Fanuc can be downloaded for a 30-day trial.

A strategy to access software for longer is by using multiple computers for trials.

Investing in expensive software is preferred over taking college courses for some.

YouTube tutorials are a valuable resource for learning software.

Other popular robot brands include KUKA, Yaskawa, and Kawasaki.

UR robots are gaining popularity in the collaborative robot market.

For mechanical engineering, Autodesk Inventor and SolidWorks are highly recommended.

Education packages or subscription services can make professional software more affordable.

AutoCAD Electrical and SolidWorks Electrical are popular for electrical engineering.

e-Plan is another software used in electrical engineering.

HMI development is an easier entry point than PLCs or robots.

The speaker's background is in controls engineering, which influences the focus of the content.

Project management software is also mentioned as part of the industrial automation space.

Encouragement for viewers to comment on software they find useful or would like to learn about.

Transcripts

hi how's it going i'm malachi greb ceo

and engineer of elite automation

[Music]

today i want to talk to you guys about

the best way to get educated in

automation and this will be specifically

for somebody who may be still in high

school or is just now getting into

college and that is target on a specific

piece of software so if you're doing plc

i would suggest you do studio 5000 allen

bradley's

software which is going to be expensive

this will be hard to get your hands on

it uh you can do a trial but that's only

going to give you like seven days there

are other free plc softwares out there

uh but alan bradley's the number one

brand here in the united states if

you're outside of the united states i

would suggest siemens

and and just look into the most popular

plc brands and that will tell you uh

what plcs to uh practice with then the

next thing you can do is robot

programming so if you're in the united

states i would highly suggest that you

uh use fanuc robots they're the number

one robot here in the united states uh

you can download a software called robo

guide i believe they'll give it to you

and let you try it out on a 30-day trial

uh don't tell fanuc i said this but you

can

buy another computer and download that

30-day trial again so you can have like

a bunch of just cheap computers uh and

it's a lot cheaper than the software

because the software i think is like two

thousand dollars a year per seat unless

you're willing to make that type of

investment it's it's definitely worth it

i would rather you buy a two thousand

dollar seat of

fanuc robo guide or

uh allen bradley software any of these

expensive softwares i'd rather you do

that than honestly take a college course

and then just take to watch tutorials

subscribe to youtube channels like this

one that'll teach you how to use some of

those softwares ask comments down in the

comments below so we can make more

videos like that to help you guys out

but outside of that look up most popular

uh robot brands fanuc kuka

uh let's say yaskawa

kawasaki you are robots are becoming

really popular collaborative robot

um

so just take a look in that and some of

these other uh you might be able to find

another robot programming software

that's actually free i think

you can actually get you are robots for

free i've definitely used a simulated

version of robe of uh you are robot uh

so you might be able to get that one

which would be a really good one to

learn since it's popularity in the

market

then whenever it comes to mechanical

engineering i would definitely be

focusing on inventor i'd be focusing on

uh

solidworks uh both of them are very very

uh popular in the industry there's

definitely some other ones like nx

trying to think i'm not a mechanical

engineer myself but i work the tia uh

but i work with a lot of engineers and

working with different softwares and

things like that but some of those

softwares are extremely expensive and

unless you're looking to get a cracked

version and do some illegal stuff which

i don't suggest those those softwares

are some of them are extremely expensive

but uh inventor and solidworks are

fairly doable you can do like a

subscription service and and also if you

go to college you can get like an

education package and some of them even

offer for free if you're going to

college so it might be worth signing up

for like a college course getting the

college email id and then getting that

free software to go along with it even

if you only take one course i think you

can get a

like a college email id which would give

you a free access to those softwares for

a couple years

and uh maybe some of the other softwares

will start doing that over time as well

let's see electrical engineering would

be maybe autocad electrical solidworks

electrical

e-plan

um

those are all three softwares that are

very very popular they're definitely

some more out there i'm just not all too

familiar with the different softwares on

the market for

electrical engineering uh even though i

have done electrical engineering i've

primarily done it in

autocad electrical realistically guys i

think that kind of covers at least the

mechanical electrical and software side

of things also hmis is another good one

to

program and develop on you want to do

like some hmi development

that's a big one and it's kind of a

low-hanging fruit it's kind of an easier

entry point

robots also easier than plc so keep that

in mind my background is a controls

engineer so

i you'll hear me talk a lot more on the

controls engineering topics

yeah guys so thank you for viewing our

content let me know if there's any other

softwares that you find super useful put

it down in the comments below let me

know if there's any other topics because

i really just mentioned controls

engineering electrical and mechanical

engineering softwares uh and there's a

ton of other stuff that's out there as

well like if you're gonna do project

management there's project management

softwares or just all kinds of different

things that are out there on the market

um

he said hopefully this content was

useful for you guys put down in the

comments below if you have any questions

if you have any particular softwares

that you like or would like to learn

about just let us know and subscribe so

that way you can see when we post new

content

around the industrial automation space

have a great day

[Music]

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