Business Industrial Network

09/18/2026

Free Online PLC Programming Lessons

Want some hands-on PLC programming practice?

BIN95 has a new series of free online lessons that takes you from Getting Started through 7 practical PLC programming exercises.

You’ll work with ladder logic, the PLC scan sequence, data files, timers, bit shift instructions, and complete applications—including a timed car wash and simulated bottling line.

The lessons teach programming using the RSLogix 500 and RSLogix 5000 environments. To complete the hands-on exercises, you need the PLCLogix 500 or PLCLogix 5000 training simulator.

Whether you’re developing your own PLC skills, training maintenance personnel, or teaching industrial automation, the lessons are free to view and no registration is required.

Start here:
https://bin95.com/electrical-training-simulator/plc-programming-lessons.htm

09/09/2026

NEW from BIN95: PLC Troubleshooting Guide

When PLC ladder logic looks correct but the machine, output, or internal bit isn’t behaving as expected, the problem may be somewhere other than the rung you’re looking at.

Our new PLC Troubleshooting Guide examines several instructions and conditions that can create confusing troubleshooting symptoms:

✓ OTL and OTU
✓ JSR and RET
✓ JMP and LBL
✓ MCR zones
✓ PLC forces
✓ Online/controller status

More importantly, the guide explains what to investigate and in what order when PLC logic doesn't appear to make sense.

The guide uses practical Allen-Bradley / RSLogix 5000 examples while teaching troubleshooting concepts applicable across many PLC and PAC platforms.

It also includes a video demonstration and a free 10-question PLC troubleshooting assessment using ladder-logic screenshots and real troubleshooting scenarios.

Read the new guide:
https://bin95.com/articles/automation/plc-troubleshooting-guide.htm

A practical resource for maintenance technicians, PLC programmers, automation technicians, instructors, students, and anyone developing stronger PLC troubleshooting skills.

08/26/2026

Maintenance managers: What has actually worked when you needed management to fund a maintenance initiative?

That question is at the center of a new article I just finished.

Maintenance may see failing components, inadequate PMs, skills gaps, poor equipment condition, and increasing risk. Upper management may see another request for money.

Bridging those two perspectives is part of the maintenance manager's job.

One idea I explore is to stop presenting maintenance primarily as a cost and instead document the business loss that maintenance can prevent.

Another is to look beyond “recurring failures.”

If one vibrating machine has three loose-wire failures, we recognize a recurring problem. But if five other machines each have one loose-wire failure, those events can easily be overlooked.

Plant-wide, that's eight loose-connection failures.

The bigger question may not be why one machine repeatedly had a loose connection. It may be why the plant had eight electrical failures—and whether the systemic root cause is a lack of electrical preventive maintenance.

The article covers that example, True Downtime Cost, MTBF versus firefighting, maintenance ROI, leadership buy-in, and how to build a case your plant manager can take upstairs.

I'd be interested in hearing how other maintenance managers approach this.

Read: How Maintenance Managers Can Get Management to Invest in Maintenance
https://bin95.com/articles/maintenance-management/justify-maintenance-costs.htm

08/06/2026

Industrial maintenance and technical work keeps getting broader.

Today's industrial technician may need to know a little—or sometimes a lot—about PLCs, electrical systems, mechanical equipment, troubleshooting, automation, maintenance, reliability, lean manufacturing, and more.

That's one reason we've organized more than 160 BIN95 industrial training videos into one directory, making it easier to browse videos by subject and jump directly to the areas you're interested in.

Topics include:

• PLC, HMI & Automation
• Electrical Training
• Mechanical & Maintenance
• Troubleshooting
• Reliability & Preventive Maintenance
• Lean Manufacturing & TPM
• Industrial Safety
• Engineering & Technical Topics

You can browse the complete video directory here:

https://bin95.com/industrial-training-videos/bin95-industrial-training-videos.php

No registration is required to browse or watch the videos.

Whether you're an experienced technician looking for a refresher, training someone new to the field, or just trying to expand your own industrial skill set, hopefully you'll find something useful.

We'll also be highlighting some of the individual training categories and videos over the next few weeks.

Browse free BIN95 industrial training videos covering PLCs, electrical troubleshooting, mechanical maintenance, safety, HVAC, automation and manufacturing.

07/23/2026

Last week’s post on JSR and MCR troubleshooting sparked a lot of discussion — especially around rungs that look true but refuse to energize.

A few people asked for a visual breakdown, so we put together a short video that walks through the three instructions most often responsible for “illogical” PLC behavior: OTU, JSR, and MCR.

If you’ve ever chased a rung that should energize but doesn’t, this will look familiar.

🔧 OTU (Unlatch) — hidden unlatches in other routines overriding what you see
🔧 JSR (Jump to Subroutine) — logic not executing because the routine isn’t being scanned
🔧 MCR (Master Control Reset) — rungs evaluating false inside a control zone even when inputs appear true

If your team works with RSLogix or Studio 5000, this is a quick visual refresher worth sharing.

Here’s the video:

07/08/2026

What tripped you up when you first started PLC troubleshooting?

Drop a comment about the snags you ran into using the PLC to diagnose equipment.

For me, it was understanding how JSR/MCR instructions actually behaved.
See the post below to avoid that one.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Ekdp7xVEy/

04/22/2026

If you know someone just getting started in automation controls, here’s something that can genuinely help them.

Breaking into this field isn’t easy — schedules are tight, budgets are tighter, and hands‑on training isn’t always accessible. That’s why self‑paced, simulation‑based learning has become such a practical path for new technicians and career‑changers. It lets people build real skills on their own time, without sacrificing structure or quality.

Our Automation Control Specialist bundle was built for exactly that.
It includes a full set of Windows‑based training courses, each packed with interactive simulators so learners can practice real‑world scenarios rather than just watch videos.

Right now, the bundle is offered at over 30% off, and financing is available, which helps remove two of the biggest barriers people face: cost and scheduling. See details at https://bin95.com/automation-training-bundles/

If you know someone who’s been trying to get their foot in the door — or level up their skills — feel free to pass this along. It might be the resource they’ve been looking for.

Re-shares are appreciated, so more people in our industry can find these accessible training options.

03/22/2026

Honk! Honk! We see you here in Las Vegas, Mike Rowe