Controls Technician
Posted Sep 25, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about the hardest electrical problem you've solved. How did you find it?
What they are checking: Whether their electrical experience is deep enough to handle problems no one else can solve on nights.
You'll work 12-hour nights. How do you keep learning and sharp on that schedule?
What they are checking: Whether they care about building skills, which the posting stresses for this role.
What would you do
Production asks you to bypass a safety interlock to keep a machine running. What do you do?
What they are checking: Whether they refuse to defeat safety systems and find another way to solve the real problem.
About the work
Tell me about your experience with RSLogix 500 and 5000. What kind of programs have you worked in?
What they are checking: Whether they can work in both Allen Bradley platforms the plant uses, not just one.
A conveyor stops and the HMI shows no fault. How do you troubleshoot it?
What they are checking: Whether they go online with the PLC and trace inputs and logic instead of guessing.
How would you troubleshoot a network problem between a PLC and a remote I/O rack?
What they are checking: Whether they understand industrial networking enough to find communication failures quickly.
A vision system starts rejecting good bottles. What do you look at?
What they are checking: Whether they consider lighting, lens, part position and settings before changing reject limits.
What does MTBF mean, and how have you improved it on a piece of equipment?
What they are checking: Whether they look for repeat failures and fix causes, which the posting calls engineering MTBF improvements.
Before you make a change to a PLC program, what steps do you take?
What they are checking: Whether they back up programs, document changes and test safely so a quick fix does not create a bigger problem.
How do you troubleshoot a pneumatic system on a production machine?
What they are checking: Whether they understand air supply, valves and sensors well enough to find mechanical and control causes.
Practice this interview out loud.
Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Plastipak from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.
Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Plastipak.