PLCTrain Hands-on maintenance training

PLC troubleshooting simulator for conveyor fault finding

PLC troubleshooting simulator.
Test the cause. Prove the repair.

Actual Conveyor Rescue gameplay24-second preview
Watch without an account. Male AI coach narration with captions. Use full-screen to read the PLC tags. Open the video walkthrough.
Read what happens in the video
  1. The box won't move. Where would you look first?
  2. Compare the sensor signal with the ladder logic.
  3. Adjust the virtual sensor. Stopped does not mean safe.
  4. Should it run or stop?
  5. Now test your fix. Watch the conveyor and logic respond together. Finish every check in the free trial.

This is an excerpt from the real simulation, recorded with a local test account. It does not show a completed assessment. Full verification continues in the trial. Practice maintenance is not real LOTO.

A stopped conveyor is only the starting point. PLCTrain is a browser-based PLC troubleshooting simulator for investigating simulated conveyor faults. Compare sensor inputs, program tags, and ladder logic, choose what to inspect, and test whether your correction proves the repair.

  • Three conveyor fault investigations
  • Live PLC signals and moving sensors
  • Optional coaching and saved progress
Start the free Conveyor Rescue demoSee an example skills report

No card. No equipment. Confirm your email and sign in to play. Watching this recording does not open the trial.

3 connected conveyor zones

3 fault investigations

Your pace hints, replay, and saved progress

For maintenance managers and trainers

More useful than
a completion badge.

Could they follow the evidence? Did they need help? Did they prove the repair? Those are the questions that make a practice session useful for coaching.

ILLUSTRATIVE SAMPLE / NOT LIVE LEARNER DATA

Troubleshooting practice review

Example learner A Conveyor Rescue

Example data only.
Not a qualification or work authorization.

Example evidence and coaching decisions
SkillWhat the practice record showsCoaching decision
Gather evidenceCompared the receiving station, photoeye input, and motor command before adjusting the sensor.Demonstrated in practice
Trace the PLC signalNeeded a coaching prompt to distinguish the physical input from the tag used by the program.Practice next
Manage temporary forcesRemoved the temporary force and disabled forcing before attempting final verification.Demonstrated in practice
Verify the repairChecked clear and occupied receiving conditions and completed the box transfer.Demonstrated in practice

The next useful conversation

Can you trace the input without a hint?

Ask the learner to explain which physical sensor drives the PLC tag, then repeat an input-mapping exercise with a different fault. A correct repair with help is a starting point for coaching, not proof of independent skill.

Coaching prompts
1 example
Unnecessary component changes
1 example
What is available today? The trial includes individual practice records. This is a sample manager-report layout with made-up data, not an available live team dashboard or a result from the video above.

Try the investigation yourself. See which decisions you would want your team to explain.

Try it as a manager

Free guides / No account needed to read

Make the signals make sense.

The belt is clear. Why does the photoeye say blocked?Understand a blocked photoeye input on a clear conveyor. Compare the sensor, physical input, PLC tag, and ladder logic using PLCTrain simulation examples.XIC vs XIO. Read the bit, not the name.Learn when XIC and XIO instructions are true, why green does not mean a sensor is healthy, and how a blocked photoeye affects a conveyor rung.Run command: ON. Conveyor: STOPPED. Both can be true.Understand the difference between a PLC run command, output command, and actual conveyor motion. Learn to explain why a requested start may not move a belt.

Explore PLC troubleshooting training, Virtual PLC training, Industrial PLC training. Browse the free PLC troubleshooting guides

What is PLCTrain?

What can you investigate in this simulator?

Conveyor Rescue models three connected belt zones with photoeyes and a ladder rung for each belt. The same complaint can involve sensor alignment, input mapping, or a logic condition. Follow the signal across these layers instead of treating the first stopped belt as the diagnosis. You can inspect and temporarily force simulated signals, then remove the forces before verification. This is an authored troubleshooting environment, not an emulator for uploading a vendor PLC program.

Inside the free trial / Sign-in required

"The box will not feed."

Your callout
Operator report
"There is a box waiting on belt 1. The section ahead looks empty, but it will not move on. Can you take a look?"

Where would you look first?

The space ahead. The photoeye. The PLC input and rung. The motor output.

Choose your own starting point. Compare the machine with the signals, try a likely cause, and test what changed. A wrong lead is recoverable.

Moving once is not enough. Prove that the line feeds when clear and stops when the receiving station is full.

One complete investigation. Coach off until you ask.Training simulation only
01 / 03

Use a PLC simulator to test an explanation.

  1. Establish the expected response.

    Compare the operator report with the receiving zone. State whether the belt should feed or wait before looking for a component to replace. An occupied station can correctly prevent movement.

  2. Find the first signal mismatch.

    Compare the photoeye's physical input, the tag used by the program, and the rung condition. A tag name alone does not prove that the program reads the intended input.

  3. Verify without temporary overrides.

    Remove temporary forces, disable forcing, and repeat the modeled clear and occupied receiving conditions. Complete the transfer; a single movement does not demonstrate both required responses.

Inside Conveyor Rescue

One simulator.
Several possible explanations.

The free Conveyor Rescue demo gives you three investigations on the same connected conveyor. Evaluate whether this PLC fault simulator helps you explain a cause, test a correction, and demonstrate the expected response. Its scope is conveyor signals and basic logic, not every industrial failure mode.

01

The box will not feed: call 1

Same initial complaint. Ask what changed, inspect the evidence, and explain the repair.

You practiceObserve. Diagnose. Prove.

02

The box will not feed: call 2

Same initial complaint. Ask what changed, inspect the evidence, and explain the repair.

You practiceObserve. Diagnose. Prove.

03

The box will not feed: call 3

Same initial complaint. Ask what changed, inspect the evidence, and explain the repair.

You practiceObserve. Diagnose. Prove.

You control the pace. Jump to a tool, ask the coach, or pause and step through the test.

Your demo progress is saved to your account.

Who is it for?

New to maintenance?
Already on the tools?
Start here.

Future technicians & students

See what troubleshooting involves. Connect unfamiliar PLC terms to a machine you can watch and control.

Working maintenance technicians

Practice checking the evidence before changing parts or code. Repeat a fault and see how your decisions affect the line.

Maintenance managers & trainers

Try the demo yourself and decide whether this approach fits your team. Use a scenario to talk through what a technician would check and why.

A clear starting point

Try the demo.
Tell us what comes next.

Available in the free demo: conveyor troubleshooting, photoeye alignment, input mapping, and basic ladder logic.

Our focus: realistic decisions, visible signals, proof of repair and repeat practice. The next lessons will be tested with technicians before we expand the library.

After trying a repair, you can optionally share your experience and interests to help shape the next lessons.

Your first callout is waiting

Try fixing it yourself.

Start with your email and a password. Confirm your email, then try a repair with optional step-by-step guidance. Background questions come later and are optional.

Start the free Conveyor Rescue demo

Create an account, confirm your email in the same browser, and start the demo. No approval needed.

Already have an account? Sign in
What does this PLC troubleshooting simulator include?

It includes a three-zone conveyor, photoeyes, live simulated PLC signals, ladder views, and three fault investigations. You can inspect evidence, make modeled corrections, request coaching, and verify a repair.

Can I upload my own PLC program?

No. Conveyor Rescue uses authored logic and fault scenarios. It is not a vendor PLC emulator or a tool for testing a production program, and it does not connect to real equipment.

Can I force inputs while troubleshooting?

The simulator includes temporary forcing for investigation. Final verification requires removing temporary forces and turning forcing off so the repair is demonstrated with the normal simulated signals.

How does the simulator decide whether a repair works?

The investigation includes repeatable verification checks, including a clear receiving zone, an occupied receiving zone, and the full transfer. Making the conveyor move once is not enough to complete the repair.

Is the PLC troubleshooting simulator free?

The Conveyor Rescue demo is free after account signup, email confirmation, and sign-in. No card, physical PLC, or separate simulator installation is needed.

What should I read before trying the simulator?

The free guides explain photoeye inputs, XIC and XIO instructions, and the difference between a run command and actual conveyor motion. You can read them without an account, then try the investigation.