Control!

In my most recent class, we talked more about Building Automation, which revolves around "control processes". (That would be turning equipment off and on at particular times, or when otherwise called upon.)

Traditionally, when we think of the work that electricians do, lights & power comes to mind. That is, we install all the parts of an electrical system that allows energy to flow to end devices that utilize it, ie. lights and receptacles, and other miscellaneous equipment in between that either uses power or controls it. (Often we supply power to HVAC components like condenser pumps or Variable Air Volume units for example.)

Originally, large equipment like motors and big industrial machines were controlled the same way that we basically control lights -- manual switches that get flipped on and off. However, industrial switches are rather souped up and reinforced to withstand the higher voltages & currents. As more and more systems go automated vis a vis computerization, we're seeing more "control guys" out in the field. The issue right now is, to whom does this type of work belong?

When I first started in this field, I wondered who these "control guys" really were. What trade actually does this kind of work? Telecom? Inside wireman? Mechanical contractor? It seems currently that the job is up for grabs because there's always new technology reaching us in the field, yet the majority of installers who work on these control systems are in fact Mechanical contractors. I find that very interesting, seeing as most of the control work involves electrical components, varying from transformers & fuses to circuit boards and programmable logic controllers (industrial computers). What's even more interesting is how few electricians are actually comfortable with this type of work.

One of the topics that we covered as 3rd year apprentices was Motor Control. We learned how to interpret and even build a very basic control diagram. The stuff I thought was gobbledeguke at the beginning of the lessons turned out to be very simple (once we learned it of course). Strangely enough, I have yet to come across a Motor Control Schematic per se, on the job. However, I have found that the knowledge I gained in those lessons prepared me to feel comfortable with control diagrams of all sorts. Lighting control, fire alarm and other low-voltage systems aren't so intimidating to me anymore.

My question is, if control work is "big brain" work for electricians, then why are the mechanical guys doing it all? Is it that electrical contractors just don't want to bother with it? I understand that there may be somewhat of a disparity as to how many electricians are qualified to do it, but just like fire alarm systems, electrical contractors must pick and choose which individuals they'd like to train to do the highly specialized work. Shouldn't it be just as important to train a few to work on mechanical controls?