Chambersburg, PA. –
Providing a significant return on investment, with an estimated savings of $40,000 or more per year, Jakob Stropas, Letterkenny Army Depot’s sole co-op student, recently completed reprogramming of the Programmable Logic Controllers governing the thirteen dip tanks at the depot.
The LEAD PLC’s, in a severely degraded operational state, exhibited numerous software defects and lacked user-friendliness for maintenance technicians and dip tank operators.
Stropas, a Franklin County Career and Technology Center graduate under the Mechatronics program, agreed to take on the challenge of fixing the PLC’s after supervision witnessed his potential in other PLC work.
“With Jakob’s expertise in the PLC controls from his work at the depot and what he acquired from FCCTC, we selected him for this project,” said Justin Ile, LEAD Directorate of Strategic Management Test Equipment Maintenance Branch chief. “He took this challenge head on with a never say ‘no’ attitude.”
“I wanted to work on a project where I could apply my knowledge to troubleshoot and problem solve issues,” said Stropas. “Reprogramming the PLC’s sounded like a chance to challenge myself and fix an ongoing issue for the depot.”
Through his work and efforts, Stropas expertly learned the programming for the PLC’s and then successfully reprogrammed them.
According to Ile, the depot is already reaping the benefits of Stropas’ work, which include:
Elimination of Contractor Costs: The depot has avoided the expense of contracting a software engineer to rewrite the PLC controls.
Increased Customization: The depot now possesses the in-house capability to tailor PLC code to specifically meet the depot’s current and future needs. This allows for customized solutions tailored to the evolving needs of LEAD, ensuring optimal performance and adaptability.
Enhanced Operational Readiness: A more reliable and adaptable control system contributes to the overall operational readiness of the depot.
Improved User Experience: The reprogrammed controls are more user-friendly for maintenance technicians and dip tank operators, likely leading to reduced errors and increased efficiency.
Cost Avoidance: A preliminary estimate suggests cost avoidance exceeding $40,000. Estimates show these savings will greatly increase over the next few years.
“Beyond the successful reprogramming of the PLC controllers, Jacob is concurrently managing a variety of other tasks with notable skill and efficiency,” said Ile. “This level of performance is exceptional, particularly for a student recently graduated from high school.
“I am confident that Jakob has a bright future ahead of him, and his potential for continued growth and success is significant.”
A sign of his continual success, Stropas recently received recognition during the LEAD annual intern and co-op students project presentations as the People’s Choice award recipient.
Stropas stated he hopes to stay in the test equipment maintenance branch and continue to learn more about the systems that run the depot.
“I really like how I work on so many different things from circuit cards or cables to PLC’s and test consoles,” said Stropas. “I never get bored as I am always switching between different projects which have me dealing with all sorts of unique problems.”