The search and selection of the electrical maintenance technician

The search and selection of an electrical maintenance technician is a difficult task, especially because the quantity of profiles available is not high and it is generally a very qualified figure, which we describe in the following paragraphs.

The electrical maintenance technician is responsible for keeping the production equipment and machinery in perfect working order, acting on the systems in a preventive manner or repairing malfunctions or possible breakdowns. The definition of this work figure includes different situations, different types of tasks and different levels of qualification and responsibility. All this depends on the complexity of the interventions, the necessary instrumentation that can be more or less sophisticated and the type of automation and therefore the complexity of the plant itself.

Therefore, by evaluating the level of classification and professional content, the electrical maintenance technician has three areas of competence to which correspond as many levels of intervention where each of them is required:

• fault identification that is easy to evaluate based on rather detailed indications. In this case, functional diagrams are used or, if present, the terminal of the “automated control system” to carry out any repairs or replacements on rather simple types of equipment;
• discover faults and possible causes also at the level of components or subassemblies using wiring diagrams, making measurements based on functional knowledge of the machine/plant. The electrical maintainer must therefore be able to repair or replace modules, boards or equipment and carry out the calibration and adjustment of the various devices and put the system into service;
• identification and evaluation of faults, choice of the type of intervention with a high degree of difficulty to repair equipment of difficult plants/machines and with a very high precision even under rather critical operating conditions.

As a result, the job of the electrical maintenance technician is to know how to solve technical problems, even rather complex ones, and to repair or replace components that are malfunctioning or breakdowns, restoring the correct functioning of the entire production plant.

The immediate restoration of the machinery or plant and its return to the set parameters and a careful planned maintenance in order to stop production as soon as possible are determining factors to determine the level of belonging of the electrical maintenance technician.

In order to correctly evaluate the result of the maintenance intervention it is necessary to take into consideration various elements. In fact, in addition to the electrical maintenance technician, it is also necessary to evaluate the work of those responsible for production and quality control given the strong correlation between: production levels, plant functionality and final product quality.

The level of organization and management for this type of figure can vary greatly depending on the level of qualification of the maintenance technician, while the level of autonomy at the technical level must necessarily be high.

Where an electrical maintenance technician works

Every company that uses machinery and plants with electronic technology for its production processes must have an electrical maintainer at its disposal.

Usually in the advertisements for an electrical maintainer it is specified whether it is a small or a large company, as the responsibilities and level of the maintainer change according to that. Within medium and large enterprises, this figure is present both as a central technical service and in production, i.e. in all departments. In small companies, on the other hand, maintenance is often a service provided by external suppliers.

In medium-sized and large companies, the investment in technology is usually such that the use of automated systems is preferred and the most basic maintenance work is delegated to the operator of the machine/plant.

The electrical maintenance technician in the production stages has to intervene on the machinery according to his skills often cooperating with the maintenance team, i.e. electrical and mechanical maintenance technician, and promptly intervening following a call from the operator in case the operator is out of his duties. In this regard, the figure of the “mechatronic” is emerging, a fusion of mechanical, electrical and electronic maintenance.

The electronic maintenance technician is the figure who deals with the most complex and particularly specific interventions, which are difficult to solve by the electrical maintenance technician of the various production departments.

In smaller companies, where the difficulty of the interventions is not very high, the maintenance service is usually requested to external suppliers, or entrusted to polyvalent maintenance workers within the company itself. In larger companies, on the other hand, the figure of the electrical maintenance technician is always present and only for highly specialized interventions an electronic maintenance technician is required from those who supply the technology used.

The electrical maintenance technician works mainly in maintenance, on the systems, only a small part is carried out in the office or in a laboratory, where the various instruments used for the interventions are set up. Usually the work is carried out in a team, especially for scheduled maintenance, but once the fault or anomaly has been identified, he can work autonomously and can find everything necessary to restore the system in the shortest possible time.

For the correct execution of the intervention, the electrical maintenance technician can collaborate with those who run the plant, with colleagues in his own field who work in other fields, mechanical and electronic, with the technical, programming and development department and with the warehouse. Naturally, he must report to his superiors, who are usually: team leader, shift leader or department head.

Electrical maintenance technician research

It is a professional figure whose training often takes place at the company itself, but he must be able to manage the operation of a plant or machinery in the production cycle. When dealing with the search and selection of the electrical maintenance technician it is good to evaluate various elements very carefully. Usually it is always good to make sure that there is a diploma of electronic / electrical engineer, for the most complicated interventions sometimes it is good to have a degree in engineering. However, a period of training is necessary and should be carried out in close contact with experienced personnel. Of course this role is never stopped, in fact the refresher/training courses will be frequent throughout its working phase given the continuous evolution of technology and its use in the production phase.

So it is good to make clear in the job offers for the search for an electrical maintenance technician the various knowledge you are looking for. It is in fact a matter of having knowledge in:

• electrical installations;
• electrical engineering;
• digital and analogue electronics;
• automatic controls;
• electronic and electrical regulations;
• measuring methods and instruments;
• electrical communications;
• reading and interpreting diagrams;
• industrial computing and programmable electronics;
• basic notions of physics, mechanics, chemistry, pneumatics and hydraulics;
• in-depth knowledge of the plants on which the interventions will take place.

In addition to the technical knowledge of the plants, it is necessary that a maintenance technician also has certain requirements at a character/attitude level:

• rapid intervention in emergency situations;
• excellent problem solving;
• aptitude for learning and working in a team;
• ability to decide independently;
• communication/relational skills.

Professional paths

The professional outlets of the maintenance technician are often linked to the professional area of expertise and experience gained. The highest level is that of an expert maintenance technician. The most experienced figures can be hired as clerical technicians, and try to reach the role of area manager or team leader both of a department and of the centralized service. The experienced maintenance technician who has a medium/high level of education and has a good seniority could have access to the role of maintenance manager.

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