Control Systems Engineer or Software Developer?

[knji]

Folks,

I need some help with the following questions:

1. What are the role of a Control Systems Engineer in a Utility or Manufacturing company?

2. Do Utilities or Manufacturing plants have Control System Engineers as permant staff or do they outsource to System Integrators?

3. What is the employment prospect for Control System Engineers?

4. Any comments on starting a Systems Integration firm? Travel time, experience required, upfront cost, etc?

5. Is an Advanced degree in EE/Controls considered more of an asset in the Control community or in Software Development?

4. Assuming you had the qualifications to pursue a career as a Control Systems Engineer or Software Developer, which would you chose, considering today's market place? And why?

Thanks in advance,

Klaus

 

[controlnovice]

1. What are the role of a Control Systems Engineer in a Utility or Manufacturing company?

I need to preface my answers by indicating I am an Electrical Engineer who studied Power Systems and am now a Process Controls Engineer. I would say a Process Controls Engineer is different from Control Systems Engineer. This is just for me now....A Control Systems Engineer is one who is actually writing the code with direction from a scope document. They may also get more involved with networking and a higher level achitecture such as connecting to a MES. A Process Controls Engineer is one who writes the scope document and may have a better understanding of the process and HOW it is to be controlled. Many times they overlap.

So many possibilities. For both utility and manufacturing, if it is in the plant, you will do a lot of troubleshooting of the control system code (or single loop controllers, on/off valves). You might even get involved in instrumentation selection and some electrical controls (motors, vfd). You will also be the one to determine what control your company wants when installing new projects. You would be responsible for writing the scope of work for the integrator (control scope), write the process description (how the process is suppose to work), Hardware specification (control system PCs, controllers, type of I/O, cabinet layout), and which DCS or PLC you want to use.

If it is at the engineering department level at the head office, you will pretty much be doing the same, but less troubleshooting


2. Do Utilities or Manufacturing plants have Control System Engineers as permant staff or do they outsource to System Integrators?

Well, both. One can't really say because every company is different. The companies I've worked for have all downsized their engineering, but have kept the process engineers because it is more difficult to outsource that knowledge and sometimes it is proprietary knowledge as well. They have also kept the process controls engineers as well for the same reasons. Electrical, mechanical, civil engineering is 'farmed' out for us.

3. What is the employment prospect for Control System Engineers?

For any type of engineer, if you are good, the prospects are high. It also helps that unemployment is low right now...in the USA. In the last three years, we hired three Process Controls Engineers. One lasted about 9 months and was asked to leave due to performance. It took us 6 -9 months to find him. The second one came quickly due to luck on our part. He's a keeper. The third was hired to replace an electrical engineer that was kept so he could retire in 2 months.


4. Any comments on starting a Systems Integration firm? Travel time, experience required, upfront cost, etc?

Sorry, no experience on starting a firm. We do use them extensively and they have to travel extensively for us around the USA. No international. If it is your firm, the decision is yours. On experience, we have had problems in the past with integrators on our projects that did not have experience. I would label them as software engineers, not controls engineers. They could design the desired control, but would not understand it well enough to get it correct. So experience for us is critical. If you are starting a firm, networking with others is critical.

5. Is an Advanced degree in EE/Controls considered more of an asset in the Control community or in Software Development?

Again, I see Controls and Software as two separate entities. I am a EE, but 95% of the other Controls Engineers that I know are Chemical. You have to know the process. I would say a degree in Chemical is more of an asset in Controls, a EE degree in Software. I'm sure it's different for everyone.

4. Assuming you had the qualifications to pursue a career as a Control Systems Engineer or Software Developer, which would you chose, considering today's market place? And why?

Ohhhh....that's a tough one. To each his own, I would say. I didn't have the option of Software developer, but I do have a very good friend in the field. He's been in it for 16 years and is considering going back to school for another degree. He's had several jobs and the pay is good, but he's been layed off several times (once for 4 months). He's tired of the same thing. New programming languages, but really doing the same thing....over and over and over again. Come to think about it....so am I!!!

I would say that there is more of a market for Software Developer, but also more competition.



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This is normally the space where people post something insightful.

 

[knji]

Controlnovice, thanks for the informative answers.

I am currently at crossroads and could definitely use some mentoring.