36 - Why Structure Matters: Transforming PLC Programming with Hans Schrynemakers
Unplugged: An IIoT PodcastShow Notes
Hans Schrynemakers joins hosts Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes to discuss his journey from frustrated nights on the factory floor to becoming an advocate for structured, modular PLC programming. Hans brings over 20 years of automation experience, sharing hard-earned knowledge on building scalable, maintainable industrial applications. The conversation spans practical strategies for naming conventions, documentation, and the role of comments, as well as his approach to training engineers worldwide. The episode also covers modernization projects, motion control, and the future of PLC programming in an AI-driven world.
About Hans: Hans Schrynemakers has helped thousands of PLC programmers transform the way they build applications in TIA Portal. Twenty-three years ago, he was a rookie struggling with messy, unstructured PLC code. After a rough night on the factory floor, he discovered structured programming—a turning point that completely changed his perspective and revealed the difference between average logic and modular, scalable applications. Today, with over two decades of experience, Hans is dedicated to helping others skip the struggles he once faced and start programming with confidence.
Connect with Phil on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-seboa/ Connect with Ed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-fuentes-2046121a/ Connect with Hans: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-schrynemakers
Other ways to connect with Hans:
Free TIA Portal guide: https://www.plcskilltree.com/free-guide-optin YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@plcskilltree Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plcskilltree?igsh=MWlxN2piNnA0djBxcw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
————— About Industry Sage Media: Industry Sage Media is your backstage pass to industry experts and the conversations that are shaping the future of the manufacturing industry. Learn more at: http://www.industrysagemedia.com
More from Unplugged: An IIoT Podcast
This episode is brought to you by Canary Labs, and Cirrus Link Solutions.
This episode is brought to you by Cirrus Link Solutions and Canary Labs. Cirrus Link: https://unpluggediiot.com/go/cirrus-link Canary Labs: https://unpluggediiot.com/go/canary-labs
Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes sit down with David Ariens (Analytics For Industry / AVEVA) and Willem van Lammeren (Syensqo) to explore why IT/OT convergence fails — and what organisations actually get right when convergence works.
What changes when the assets you operate stop being centralised and predictable, and start being distributed, intermittent and weather-dependent? The old operations playbook breaks — and most digital programmes are still designed for the old one. Dr Hema Wadhwa, Associate, Data & Analytics | Asset Management and Performance at Aurecon, joins Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes to talk about building digital asset intelligence for the energy transition. Hema's career is a live map of that transition: she started as a Floating Systems Engineer in global oil and gas, moved through subsea engineering and power generation operations, and now leads digital strategy and analytics for mixed energy asset fleets. Key topics in this episode: - The unplanned career arc — floating production systems and subsea engineering into renewable operations - "Are you here to take my job?" — what digital transformation actually feels like from inside the control room - Why the solution providers have to evolve, not the operators - One gas turbine versus a hundred wind turbines: why renewable fleets break the old operations model - No standard across vendor SCADA screens and UIs, and what that inconsistency costs - Why there is no AI magic without the data groundwork first — and why selling it that way isn't ethical - Cognitive load: lean frontline teams, PDF report fatigue, and tools that land as a burden - OT/IT convergence and the cybersecurity questions that come with opening it up - OEM warranties and whether asset owners really have access to their own asset data - Recording data when it changes, not on a fixed scan rate - One source of truth, different views per role — data presented so it guides a decision - Predicting failures months ahead: cranes, spares, and turning downtime into planned work - BESS as a trading platform, not just another renewable asset - Why the real cost driver is people, and why it only stacks up if it scales across assets