George Pickering
Controls • Motion • Robotics • Stage Engineering
Siemens training rig and IO hardware
Training • Scarborough, UK • Worldwide

Training built around the way commissioning really happens.

The point is not to memorise menus. It is to build a repeatable method for safe bring-up, IO proving, motion readiness, diagnostics, recovery and handover. That is what makes someone more useful on a real machine, whether they are brand new to the platform or already supporting live equipment.

Main outcome A repeatable commissioning method people can use on real equipment under time pressure.
Best format Online for fundamentals, in-person for hardware workflow, faults and first movement behaviour.
Group size Up to 4 students per demo case so each person gets meaningful hands-on time.
Best starting brief Send team size, target platform, current skill level and preferred delivery format.

Why this training works

The fastest way to build useful capability is to teach the same sequence engineers actually use on live work: identify the state, prove the signals, understand the permissives, check what is missing before motion, interpret the alarms properly, and leave notes another engineer can follow afterwards.

Siemens demo case IO rack and hardware
Training philosophy

Built around real bring-up behaviour, not just software screenshots.

The most useful training is the kind that still helps when something is not behaving properly. That means proving sensors, checking output intent, understanding enable and inhibit states, seeing what motion still needs, and knowing how to document what was changed and what was tested.

That is why the demo cases matter. They let people see the stack behaving as a real system instead of a list of isolated features.

Workflow-led
Fault-based learning
Hands-on proving
Transferable habits

Formats

Choose the delivery style that matches the team, timeline and how quickly people need to become useful.

On-site

Best when the training needs to align directly with the team’s real equipment, access constraints and operating environment.

  • Good for commissioning and handover support
  • Context tied to the real site
  • Strong where live constraints matter

At my site

Best for concentrated hands-on learning using demo cases in a controlled environment with fewer interruptions.

  • Repeatable faults and recovery practice
  • High hands-on time per student
  • Strongest for rapid capability building

Online

Typically 4–6 hours and best for fundamentals, software-first understanding and preparation before live site work.

  • Architecture and workflow
  • Common failure modes
  • Commissioning mindset and documentation
Training coverage

Start with the fundamentals. Add platform depth where it actually helps.

The training is structured so people leave with a method they can apply, not just a pile of disconnected facts. That means practical sequence, device awareness, software confidence, motion checks, diagnostics discipline and documentation habits that hold up once they are back on a real job.

More advanced motion or robotics content is strongest when that baseline already exists.

Commissioning workflow and motion bring-up

Siemens PLC / HMI / IO

Project structure, diagnostics, IO proving, alarm handling and practical commissioning sequence.

  • Project navigation and software layout
  • Input and output validation
  • Interlocks, permissives and state awareness
  • Testing and documentation habits

Siemens Motion

SINAMICS S120 and related Siemens motion platforms with focus on readiness, enable states and safe first movement.

  • Drive readiness and enable-chain awareness
  • Jog, homing and staged proving
  • Common motion faults and recovery paths
  • Motion-specific diagnostics workflow

FANUC Robotics

FANUC Handling, ARC and RoboGuide workflows, plus cell-level integration thinking.

  • Safe start-up and recovery discipline
  • Basic IO and handshake awareness
  • Cell context rather than isolated robot movement
  • Typical commissioning and fault paths

Additional topics

Extra modules can be centred around broader integration tasks where the team needs them.

  • FANUC EtherCAT Motion
  • Yaskawa Robotics Handling
  • Automation and integration
  • Handover and documentation structure

Typical course structure

Small groups, meaningful hands-on time and outputs that transfer back to live projects.

Fundamentals session

Best for new starters or teams refreshing core commissioning behaviour.

  • Project structure and workflow
  • IO proving and output validation
  • State awareness and alarm interpretation

Hardware session

Best where people need practical exposure to enable chains, motion and recovery behaviour.

  • Hands-on proving with demo cases
  • Fault injection and recovery
  • Checks before first movement

Applied integration session

Best for teams who already know the basics and need the next layer of practical capability.

  • Machine-to-machine handshakes
  • Robot or motion integration context
  • Handover and traceability habits
Programming and robotics training context
Who it suits

Teams that need to ship, support and fault-find, not just sit through a course.

This is strongest for new starters moving into controls, maintenance teams improving diagnostics, and integrators who want a more repeatable approach to bring-up, recovery and documentation.

New starters
Maintenance teams
Integrators
Small groups

New starters

Engineers transitioning into controls or commissioning who need practical confidence and a clear working method.

Maintenance teams

Teams improving fault-finding speed by learning how to prove enable chains, interlocks and recovery paths more calmly.

Integrators

People who want more repeatable approaches to motion bring-up, diagnostics and supportable handover packs.

Logistics

Small groups, meaningful hands-on time, and delivery formats that match the real objective.

Group size

Maximum 4 students per demo case so everyone gets useful time on the hardware.

Typical duration

Online sessions typically run 4–6 hours. In-person sessions are usually 1 full day.

Prerequisites

No formal prerequisites are required for fundamentals. For advanced platform-specific sessions, include the current skill level in the enquiry.

Pricing

Enquiry-only. Quote depends on delivery format, location, travel, access windows and whether demo-case hardware is involved.

Email: [email protected]

Enquiry form →

Where to go next

The best companion pages are the demo cases, services and projects pages, where the same commissioning mindset shows up in different forms.

Next step

Send the team size, target platform and preferred delivery format.

The easiest way to start is with the basics: how many people need training, whether you want online, on-site or at-my-site delivery, and what platform or technology the sessions should centre on.

Training hardware and Siemens demo case