PLCTrain Hands-on maintenance training

PLC troubleshooting training with conveyor, photoeye, and ladder faults

PLC troubleshooting training.
Follow the signal. Prove the fix.

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.

Find what the stopped conveyor is telling you. PLCTrain provides browser-based PLC troubleshooting training with simulated conveyor faults. Compare the photoeye input, program tag, and ladder rung, then test feeding and stopping conditions.

  • Three conveyor fault investigations
  • Live PLC signals and moving sensors
  • Optional coaching and saved progress
Create my free trial accountSee 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 training, PLC troubleshooting training, Industrial PLC training, Virtual PLC training. Browse the free PLC troubleshooting guides

What is PLCTrain?

A practice floor. Not another video library.

PLCTrain is a browser-based PLC troubleshooting simulator that lets technicians practice diagnosing simulated conveyor faults and proving repairs. Unlike a video lesson, each investigation asks you to choose the checks and test your explanation. Compare a clear and an occupied receiving station before calling a repair complete.

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

A repeatable PLC fault-finding method.

  1. Compare the report with the machine.

    The operator gives you a starting point. Your job is to find the evidence.

  2. Follow the signal to the program.

    Connect the physical sensor, its input value, and the condition on the rung.

  3. Prove the repair.

    Test the line when there is space ahead and when the next station is full.

Inside Conveyor Rescue

The same symptom.
Three different causes.

Your free demo is Conveyor Rescue: three connected belt zones, each with its own photoeye (a light sensor) and ladder rung (one line of PLC logic). Work through three open investigations and test the complete transfer.

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.

Create my free trial account

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

Already have an account? Sign in
Do I need ladder logic experience?

No. Optional coaching connects the photoeye signal, PLC input, program tag, and ladder condition. You can inspect each part of the signal path while investigating the fault.

What equipment do I need?

A modern browser with internet access is enough for this PLC troubleshooting simulator. All conveyor signals and repairs are simulated; no live PLC connection or programming software is required.

Is this real PLC training?

It is PLC troubleshooting practice with authored conveyor faults. You gather evidence, choose a correction, and test the repair under clear and occupied receiving conditions. It does not certify competence on real equipment.

Why do you ask about my background?

After a repair, you can optionally share your experience and interests. Your answers help PLCTrain decide what to build next, and the site owner can see them. You can skip every background question. Creating an account does not sign you up for marketing.

What happens after I sign up?

Confirm your email in the same browser you used to sign up. Your Conveyor Rescue demo unlocks automatically. Other training still needs approval. No payment details are requested.

Does this replace real equipment training?

No. PLCTrain is a simulation, not a qualification or permission to work on live equipment. Follow your site's training and safety procedures for real work.