Update on
February 27, 2010
A Systems Integrator is a person or company that specializes in bringing together component subsystems into a whole, and ensuring that those subsystems function together, a practice known as System Integration. Systems Integrators may work in many fields but the term is generally used in just about any industry.
In the hydraulic industry, the system integrator may work with the hydraulic designer, mechanical designer and the electrical and or (PLC) programmer. Western Dynamics, Inc. not only designs the hydraulic systems but also acts as the overall System Integrator as well on many projects. By far the most problems we encounter are with the PLC type programmers, it seems there is nothing they do not know about in any subject, including hydraulics. We find they know little about the operation or application they are to program; simple little things like swinging loads, moving large loads up and down requiring safety systems seem to escapes them.
They always want to drive the big yellow bus, until it heads into the ditch, then profess they know nothing about overall operation. That is after many arguments with them regarding programming sequences and expected operations. I do not think I have ever met a programmer that did not want or try and drive the big yellow bus. As Western Dynamics, Inc. does many electro / hydraulic systems, it is my sad grief that we use PLC programmers and it is my hope that someday we will find a programmer that can follow simple instructions and leave the big yellow bus alone.
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