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Diagnostic Trends

Aug 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Beck Ireland, Staff Writer

Sidebar: Practice Makes Perfect

One of the most popular classes at Englewood, Colo.-based American Trainco is electrical troubleshooting. “The electricians already know how to do basic troubleshooting, but we see cross-training for maintenance people who do not have a strong electrical background,” says Randy Barnett, director of curriculum development for the seminar-based training company. “There is still a need to teach the basics. That's not going away. But to the electrician in the field, the guy who already has the basics, he moves up to the next rung on the ladder.”

However, like any skill, troubleshooting requires practice, and without the added pressure of the costs of downtime. Yet, troubleshooting practice can be especially hard to come by. Planned downtime is only an absolute necessity for maintenance operations, and your employer may not want you experimenting on its expensive equipment anyway. One way to gain the skills you need could be to purchase separate equipment for troubleshooting. It can even be designed with built-in defects, but this can be expensive.

Another option gaining in popularity is computer-simulated troubleshooting. These simulations can be fairly realistic, and they allow maintenance workers to troubleshoot in a controlled environment. They can be much less expensive than shelling out money for dummy equipment that takes up space, and they can be used at any workstation. Some programs offer a grading system for the troubleshooter's skill level and provide feedback and a printable record.

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