Businesses and other organizations depend on complex electronic equipment for a variety of functions. Industrial controls automatically monitor and direct production processes on the factory floor. Transmitters and antennae provide communication links for many organizations. Electric power companies use electronic equipment to operate and control generating plants, substations, and monitoring equipment. The Federal Government uses radar and missile control systems to provide for the national defense and to direct commercial air traffic. These complex pieces of electronic equipment are installed, maintained, and repaired by electrical and electronics installers and repairers.
Installers and repairers, known as field technicians, often travel to factories or other locations to repair equipment. These workers usually have assigned areas in which they perform preventive maintenance on a regular basis. When equipment breaks down, field technicians go to a customer's site to repair the equipment. Bench technicians work in repair shops located in factories and service centers, fixing components that cannot be repaired on the factory floor.
Electrical and electronic equipment are two distinct types of industrial equipment, although much equipment contains both electrical and electronic components. In general, electrical portions provide the power for the equipment, while electronic components control the device, although many types of equipment still are controlled with electrical devices.
Some industrial electronic equipment is self-monitoring and alerts repairers to malfunctions. When equipment breaks down, repairers will first check for common causes of trouble, such as loose connections or obviously defective components. If routine checks do not locate the trouble, repairers may refer to schematics and manufacturers' specifications that show connections and provide instructions on how to locate problems. Automated electronic control systems are becoming increasingly complex, making diagnosis more challenging. With these systems, repairers use software programs and testing equipment to diagnose malfunctions. Among their diagnostic tools are multimeters, which measure voltage, current, and resistance, and advanced multimeters, which measure capacitance, inductance, and current gain of transistors. Repairers also use signal generators, which provide test signals, and oscilloscopes, which display signals graphically. Finally, repairers use handtools such as pliers, screwdrivers, soldering irons, and wrenches to replace faulty parts and adjust equipment.
Because repairing components is a complex activity and factories cannot allow production equipment to stand idle, repairers on the factory floor usually remove and replace defective units, such as circuit boards, instead of fixing them. Defective units are discarded or returned to the manufacturer or a specialized shop for repair. Bench technicians at these locations have the training, tools, and parts needed to thoroughly diagnose and repair circuit boards or other complex components. These workers also locate and repair circuit defects, such as poorly soldered joints, blown fuses, or malfunctioning transistors.
Electrical and electronics installers often fit older manufacturing equipment with new automated control devices. Older manufacturing machines are frequently in good working order but are limited by inefficient control systems for which replacement parts are no longer available. Installers replace old electronic control units with new programming logic controls (PLCs). Setting up and installing a new PLC involves connecting it to different sensors and electrically powered devices (electric motors, switches, and pumps) and writing a computer program to operate the PLC. Electronics installers coordinate their efforts with those of other workers who are installing and maintaining equipment.
Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment install, adjust, or maintain mobile electronic communication equipment, including sound, sonar, security, navigation, and surveillance systems on trains, watercraft, or other vehicles. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay inspect, test, maintain, or repair electrical equipment used in generating stations, substations, and in-service relays. These workers may be known as powerhouse electricians, relay technicians, or power transformer repairers. Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers—such as armature winders, generator mechanics, and electric golf cart repairers—specialize in installing, maintaining, and repairing electric motors, wiring, or switches.
Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles have a significantly different job. They install, diagnose, and repair communication, sound, security, and navigation equipment in motor vehicles. Most installation work involves either new alarm or sound systems. New sound systems vary significantly in cost and complexity of installation. Replacing a head unit (radio) with a new CD player is simple, requiring the removal of a few screws and the connection of a few wires. Installing a new sound system with a subwoofer, amplifier, and fuses is far more complicated. The installer builds a fiberglass or wood box designed to hold the subwoofer and to fit inside the unique dimensions of the automobile. Installing sound-deadening material, which often is necessary with more powerful speakers, requires an installer to remove many parts of a car (for example, seats, carpeting, or interiors of doors), add sound-absorbing material in empty spaces, and reinstall the interior parts. The installer also runs new speaker and electrical cables. The new system may require additional fuses, a new electrical line to be run from the battery through a newly drilled hole in the firewall into the interior of the vehicle, or an additional or more powerful alternator or battery. Motor vehicle installers and repairers work with an increasingly complex range of electronic equipment, including DVD players, satellite navigation equipment, passive security systems, and active security systems.
Work environment. Many electrical and electronics installers and repairers work on factory floors, where they are subject to noise, dirt, vibration, and heat. Bench technicians primarily work in repair shops, where the surroundings are relatively quiet, comfortable, and well lighted.
Installers and repairers may have to do heavy lifting and work in a variety of positions. They must follow safety guidelines and often wear protective goggles and hardhats. When working on ladders or on elevated equipment, repairers must wear harnesses to avoid falls. Before repairing a piece of machinery, these workers must follow procedures to ensure that others cannot start the equipment during the repair process. They also must take precautions against electric shock by locking off power to the unit under repair.
Motor vehicle electronic equipment installers and repairers normally work indoors in well-ventilated and well-lighted repair shops. Minor cuts and bruises are common, but serious accidents usually are avoided when safety practices are observed.
| 1. | Measure velocity, horsepower, revolutions per minute (rpm), amperage, circuitry, and voltage of units or parts to diagnose problems, using ammeters, voltmeters, wattmeters, and other testing devices. |
| 2. | Record repairs required, parts used, and labor time. |
| 3. | Reassemble repaired electric motors to specified requirements and ratings, using hand tools and electrical meters. |
| 4. | Maintain stocks of parts. |
| 5. | Repair and rebuild defective mechanical parts in electric motors, generators, and related equipment, using hand tools and power tools. |
| 6. | Rewire electrical systems, and repair or replace electrical accessories. |
| 7. | Inspect electrical connections, wiring, relays, charging resistance boxes, and storage batteries, following wiring diagrams. |
| 8. | Read service guides to find information needed to perform repairs. |
| 9. | Inspect and test equipment in order to locate damage or worn parts and diagnose malfunctions, or read work orders or schematic drawings to determine required repairs. |
| 10. | Solder, wrap, and coat wires to ensure proper insulation. |
| 11. | Assemble electrical parts such as alternators, generators, starting devices, and switches, following schematic drawings and using hand, machine, and power tools. |
| 12. | Lubricate moving parts. |
| 13. | Remove and replace defective parts such as coil leads, carbon brushes, and wires, using soldering equipment. |
| 14. | Disassemble defective equipment so that repairs can be made, using hand tools. |
| 15. | Lift units or parts such as motors or generators, using cranes or chain hoists, or signal crane operators to lift heavy parts or subassemblies. |
| 16. | Weld, braze, or solder electrical connections. |
| 17. | Reface, ream, and polish commutators and machine parts to specified tolerances, using machine tools. |
| 18. | Adjust working parts, such as fan belts, contacts, and springs, using hand tools and gauges. |
| 19. | Clean cells, cell assemblies, glassware, leads, electrical connections, and battery poles, using scrapers, steam, water, emery cloths, power grinders, or acid. |
| 20. | Scrape and clean units or parts, using cleaning solvents and equipment such as buffing wheels. |
| 21. | Rewind coils on cores in slots, or make replacement coils, using coil-winding machines. |
| 22. | Cut and form insulation, and insert insulation into armature, rotor, or stator slots. |
| 23. | Set machinery for proper performance, using computers. |
| 24. | Drain and filter transformer oil and refill transformers with oil until coils are submerged. |
| 25. | Position and level battery cells, anodes, or cathodes, using hoists or leveling jacks, or signal other workers to perform positioning and leveling. |
| 26. | Verify and adjust alignments and dimensions of parts, using gauges and tracing lathes. |
| 27. | Test equipment for overheating, using speed gauges and thermometers. |
| 28. | Bolt porcelain insulators to wood parts in order to assemble hot stools. |
| 29. | Pour compounds into transformer-case terminal openings in order to seal out moisture. |
| 30. | Test conditions, fluid levels, and specific gravities of electrolyte cells, using voltmeters, hydrometers, and thermometers. |
| 31. | Clean, rinse, and dry transformer cases, using boiling water, scrapers, solvents, hoses, and cloths. |
| 32. | Inspect batteries for structural defects such as dented cans, damaged carbon rods and terminals, and defective seals. |
| 33. | Steam-clean polishing and buffing wheels to remove abrasives and bonding materials, and spray, brush, or recoat surfaces as necessary. |
| 34. | Test battery charges, and replace or recharge batteries as necessary. |
| 35. | Repair and operate battery-charging equipment. |
| 36. | Add water or acid to battery cell solutions to obtain specified concentrations. |
| 37. | Sharpen tools such as saws, picks, shovels, screwdrivers, and scoops, either manually or by using bench grinders and emery wheels. |
| 38. | Seal joints with putty, mortar, and asbestos, using putty extruders and knives. |
| 39. | Hammer out dents and twists in tools and equipment. |
[Back to Top]