Machine down
Trace a stopped sequence, missing signal, drive fault, or communication issue. I work with your team to understand the fault and identify the next practical step toward getting equipment running.
Existing Equipment / For manufacturers
Controls support for the machines you already run
Machine down, recurring stops, or a capability your line is missing? I help production and maintenance teams work through controls problems and make practical improvements to the equipment they already have.
PLC logicInput → output
Motion controlAxis positioning
Machine visionPart inspection
01 / Start with the problem
What does your machine need?
You do not need to arrive with a controls specification. Tell me what the machine is doing, what your team has tried, and what you need it to do differently.
Recurring stops
Follow intermittent faults through the PLC, field devices, and HMI. Improve diagnostics so operators and maintenance have more to work with than a reset button and a generic alarm.
Added capabilities
Integrate a vision camera, add a sensor or product check, improve operator screens, or adapt sequences for a new part. Start by checking what the existing hardware can support.
Production visibility
Connect machine states, part counts, and fault information to useful displays or data collection. Agree on what each signal means before using it to measure performance.
Controls upgrades
Plan PLC, HMI, drive, and network changes around the equipment and the available downtime. Review drawings, backups, interfaces, and safety-system implications before making changes.
Startup and service
Check I/O, debug sequences, and support robot, vision, and motion integration. Test the work with your team and leave updated program files and documentation for the agreed scope.
Equipment stopped now? Call 262-366-2763 with the machine, fault, location, and production impact. We can discuss availability and whether remote or on-site support makes sense.
02 / Practical upgrade requests
Start with one useful change
A few examples of equipment changes we can work through together. The right approach depends on your machine, controls, and production requirements.
Vision & inspection
“Can we add a camera to this line?”
Define what a good and bad part look like, review lighting and mounting, and check the PLC interface. Then integrate the inspection result, operator feedback, and the required machine response.
PLC & HMI changes
“It stops, but nobody knows why.”
Review the sequence and signals with maintenance. Identify what information is missing, improve fault messages, and test the diagnostics against the conditions that cause the stop.
Production data
“Where are we losing production time?”
Identify reliable run, idle, fault, and part-count signals. Build a useful view of machine activity, with clear definitions that your team can check against what happens on the floor.
Keep the scope practical. We can start with a diagnostic visit, a defined upgrade, or one item on your maintenance backlog. Plan the work around production access, available information, and the testing the change requires.
Talk through an equipment change03 / Expertise
Hands-on experience across the controls system
PLC and HMI programming, robot programming support, machine vision, motion control, electrical controls design, and hands-on troubleshooting.
A machine fault can start in the logic, a field device, or the network between them. CTS can follow the issue across those layers and use what operators and maintenance are seeing on the floor to guide the diagnosis.
- Logic & operator interfaces
- Machine sequences, operating modes, alarms, and clear operator feedback.
- Robotics, vision & motion
- Programming support, device integration, inspection results, and machine handshakes.
- Electrical controls
- Controls drawings, field I/O, industrial networks, and safety system support within the agreed scope.
- Startup & documentation
- Functional checks, troubleshooting, updated files, and notes for the people supporting the equipment.
04 / Contact
Tell me what the machine is doing
Share the equipment, symptoms or desired change, controls platform, and location. Include any fault messages, recent changes, available drawings or backups, and your production or downtime constraints.
Craig Stuettgen
CTS Engineering LLC
Email me craig@cts.engineer 262-366-2763 CTS Engineering on LinkedIn
Looking for another controls engineer on your project team instead? Explore Project Capacity.