Articles
The History of Automation: From Mechanical Regulators to PLCs and RobotsHistory · 10 minThe automation technician's trade is built on a long development in how we get machines to control themselves. The article follows automation from early mechanical regulators through relay control and electronics to today's PLCs, sensors and industrial robots — and shows how the trade has developed at the intersection of electricity, mechanics and programming.The Automation Technician's Day: Assembly, Programming and TroubleshootingProfessional · 9 minThe automation technician's work ranges from building and assembling systems to programming controllers to troubleshooting when something breaks down. The article follows typical work tasks and explains how the technician thinks systematically to find errors.Components and equipment in automationMaterials and tools · 8 minThe article provides an overview of the main components in an automatic facility — from sensors and PLCs to motors frequency converters pneumatics and hydraulics — and explains the role each part plays in control.Safety and quality in automationSafety and quality · 8 minThe automation technician works with electricity, moving machines and pressure — all with risk of serious injury. The article covers the main safety considerations regarding electricity, machine movements, emergency stop and safe working methods.Specialties and career as an automation technicianCareer · 8 minThe Automation and Process education can be completed at several levels and with different specialties. The article provides an overview of the paths from automation fitter to automation technician, automation technician in the electrical trade, lift technician and automation technician — and the many industries the trade leads to.The education's structure from basic course to journeyman certificate.Education · 10 minAutomation Technician is a specialty in automation and process education. Here you get an overview of basic courses 1 and 2, the alternation between school and apprenticeship in the main course, the total duration, entry requirements and how to get started.Løn og ansættelsesvilkår som elev og færdiguddannetJob and career · 8 minAs an automation technician trainee you are in the main course employed in a company and receive trainee wages while you learn. Here we look at how trainee wages typically increase through the course, what a collective agreement means, what adult trainee wages are and what conditions apply when you have completed your apprenticeship.Rules, authorisation and certificates in the subjectRules and legislation · 9 minAs an automation technician you work with electrical systems, controls and machinery where safety is strictly regulated. Here we look at the journeyman's certificate as your professional key, mandatory courses and certificates and the difference between your trade and the electrically authorised area.Work environment safety and ergonomics in depthSafety · 9 minAutomation technicians work with electricity, moving machines, pressure and height. Here we go deep into the risks you encounter, how you work without tension, secure machines against accidental start-up, and protect your body and hearing long-term.The industry today — workplaces, job opportunities and futureJob and career · 8 minAutomation is found everywhere something needs to be controlled, measured or move precisely. Here we look at the many types of workplaces, what drives demand, and how automation, robots and green transition shape the trade's future.Further and continuing education – what you can build onEducation · 9 minYour journeyman certificate as an automation technician is not a dead end – it's a springboard. Here we look at vocational courses, technical business academy programmes, installer and professional bachelor routes, and how EUX and access courses can open the way for engineer studies.PLC programming in practice: the languages behind automationTechnique · 8 minPLC'en er anlæggets hjerne, men logikken skal skrives i et sprog, styringen forstår. Artiklen gennemgår den internationale standard IEC 61131-3, dens programmeringssprog, og hvornår man vælger hvilket — samt hvorfor standardisering og god dokumentation er afgørende, når et anlæg skal leve i mange år.Robots in production: safety, safety zones and programmingTechnique · 9 minRobots are an increasingly large part of the automation technician's daily work — from operation and programming to troubleshooting and maintenance. The article looks at the difference between traditional and collaborative robots, the standards that govern safety, and how to work safely around machines that move faster and more precisely than a human.Industry 4.0, IIoT and the automation pyramidTechnique · 8 minAutomation systems are becoming increasingly interconnected. The article explains the classic automation pyramid, how Industry 4.0 and Industrial IoT (IIoT) are breaking it down, and what digital twins, artificial intelligence and IT security at the system level mean for the automation technician's future tasks.Machine safety in depth: from CE marking to Performance LevelRules and legislation · 9 minCE marking is about more than a sticker — it is a promise that a system is risk-assessed and built according to common European rules. The article goes in depth with the Machinery Regulation which from 2027 replaces the old Machinery Directive and with EN ISO 13849-1 which is used to establish how reliable a safety function such as an emergency stop must be.Motors, generators and transformers: windings, operation and energy optimizationMaterials and tools · 9 minThe electric motor is the system's muscle but behind the simple description lies a whole discipline: servo and stepper motors frequency converters motor and transformer winding and an increasing need to save energy. The article brings together the technical depth behind motor control and electrical machinery in the craft.Process automation: unit operations, control and instrumentationTechnique · 8 minOn a process facility, automation is not just about starting and stopping, but about keeping temperature, pressure, level, and flow stable hour after hour. The article introduces unit operations, control technology, and instrumentation — the professional foundation behind process industry, which many automation technician systems are part of.Elevator technician: standards, inspection and safety on vertical transport.Career · 8 minElevator technician is one of the automation and process education's specializations with its own set of standards and safety requirements. The article takes a closer look at the DS/EN 81 standards, periodic inspection and why work with elevators, escalators and moving walks requires special care because errors here affect ordinary people not just production.