General Mills / Controls Technician

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General Mills

Position: Controls Technician

Dates: Oct. 2022 – Aug. 2024

General Mills is well known for producing edible consumer packaged goods (e.g., flour, Bisquick, cereal, etc.). I worked at their flour mill in Kansas City, MO. This facility was responsible for the milling and packaging of wheat flour, as well as the production and packaging of Bisquick.

My position as General Mills was Controls Technician. My primary responsibility was to ensure continuous manufacturing operations through the preventative and reactive maintenance of electro-mechanical systems throughout the facility. This involved automated systems controlled by PLCs (i.e., Allen Bradley PLC 5, SLC 500, MicroLogix, and ControlLogix), microprocessors, and mechanical controls. Not only were the controls techs responsible for the automation control systems, we were responsible for all electrical systems up to 600 volts, repairing mechanical problems, troubleshooting IT issues, tracking and documenting workorders, and much more.

This was a rewarding position; it involved working with my hands and brain, it consistently challenged me, and it provided constant learning opportunities. I appreciated working for a company which touches so many peoples lives on a daily basis.

Responsibilities

  • Perform preventative and corrective maintenance on electro-mechanical systems (e.g., flour milling equipment, batch processing systems, conveyors, etc.)
    • Asses needed maintenance
    • Create a plan to complete maintenance
    • Gather needed tools and safety equipment
    • Work with stakeholders to prepare for the potential downtime
    • Complete needed work
    • Verify proper operation of equipment
    • Return equipment to manufacturing
  • Maintain, troubleshoot, and update PLCs and their logic
    • Hardware
      • Replace faulty cards (e.g., I/O, communication, etc.)
      • Annual replacement of backup batteries
      • Run wiring and connecting new I/O devices
    • Logic
      • Troubleshoot manufacturing system issues by observing and manipulating PLC logic
      • Write new routines and/or adjust existing routines to add / remove/ change functionality to PLC controlled systems
  • Industrial electrical – up to 600 volts
    • Troubleshoot and correct issues with the plants electrical systems
    • Routine inspections of electrical systems (e.g., transformers, switchgears, etc.)
    • Add / remove circuits as needed
    • Troubleshoot and repair or replace motors
  • Adaministration
    • Create and maintain documented workorders for tracking completed, in-progress, and future work in the IBM Maximo software
    • General admin (e.g., emails, asset tracking, etc.)
  • Training
    • Engage in ongoing training to maintain and increase my relevant knowledge base
    • Provide training to fellow maintenance staff, where able, to increase staff capabilities
    • Train equipment operators on basic maintenance / operation of their specific equipment

Skills / Tools

  • Hand Tools
  • Power Tools
  • Manufacturing Systems (e.g., flour milling, packaging, palletizers, etc.)
  • Manufacturing Support Systems (e.g., air compressors, elevators, etc.)
  • Conveyors
  • Electrical / Mechanical Troubleshooting
    • Electrical Drawings
    • Mechanical Drawings
  • Electrical Troubleshooting Tools
    • Digital Multimeters
    • Megohmmeter
    • Analog Ground Detector
    • Cable Tester
  • Electrical Systems
    • Switchgears
    • Transformers
    • Motor Control Centers
    • Conduit
    • Breaker Boxes
  • Controls Components
    • Proximity Sensors
    • Photoeyes
    • Through-beam Sensors
    • Temperature Sensors
    • Actuators
    • Variable Frequency Drives
    • Servo Motor Controllers
  • Motors
    • AC
    • DC
    • Servo
  • PLCs
    • PLC 5
    • SLC 500
    • MicroLogix
    • ControlLogix
  • Controls System Software
    • RSLogix 5
    • RSLogix 500
    • Studio 5000
    • RSLinx
    • FactoryTalk
      • Historian
      • AssetCentre
    • Wonderware
  • Maximo Enterprise Asset Management
  • Microsoft Office
    • Word
    • Excel
    • Outlook
    • OneNote
  • Problem Solving
  • Analytical Reasoning
  • Multitasking
  • Time Management
  • Effective Communication