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Where automation technicians work, and why the trade is in demand
If you look around at a modern production facility, a combined heat and power plant, a hospital or a food factory, automation is hidden in almost everything: conveyor belts, pumps, valves, robots and controllers that keep processes running around the clock. That is the world you work in as an automation technician — and it is growing rather than shrinking.
The craft is broad, and that's one of its strengths. You can end up many different places, depending on what interests you.
The need for technicians who can automate and maintain systems is linked to some long-term trends. Companies automate to be able to produce more with fewer hands, systems become more complex, and when they stand still it costs a lot of money per hour. This creates an ongoing need for people who understand both electricity, mechanics and software – and who can find the fault when something stops.
The future is pulling the trade in a more digital direction. More robots and collaborative robots on the floor, more data from sensors monitoring system condition, and controllers talking to each other in networks. At the same time, the green transition sets new requirements: energy-efficient systems, management of heat pumps and supply, and processes that should use less. All of which must be set up, programmed and kept running.
For you as a prospective automation technician it means the trade is not standing still. You should expect to learn new things all the time – new control systems new software new components. It can sound demanding but it is also what makes a skilled automation technician rarely short of tasks. The broader you make yourself the more doors are open.