A full PLC, HMI and robotics lab on every student’s existing laptop or Chromebook, deployed in a day, for a fraction of the cost of one trainer rig. No install, no per-machine licence, no admin rights — auto-graded curriculum, seat-and-cohort rollout, and progress reporting that lets one instructor see a whole class at a glance.
Join 3400+ learners practicing PLC programming
Setting up a cohort? Request institutional pricing, set up your team, or see full pricing.
Empty organisation to invited students, an assigned learning path, an auto-graded run, and the live instructor dashboard.
Who it’s for
Whichever you are, you get the same browser-based PLC + HMI + robotics lab — these pages just frame it for your context, your buyers, and your assessment requirements.
Replace the per-student trainer rig with a browser lab on every device — built for TVET, FET and vocational engineering programmes, with portfolio evidence for practical assessment.
A PLC lab for control-systems and electrical-engineering coursework — browser access for every licensed learner, no VM or admin rights on managed machines.
Deliver PLC training at scale across on-site and remote cohorts — RTOs, CPD providers and bootcamps, multi-vendor dialects, cohort dashboards, no per-trainee hardware.
In-house upskilling for maintenance teams, automation engineers and apprentices — team seats, progress reporting, and the dialects your plant actually runs.
A ready-to-teach, auto-graded PLC programming curriculum for instructors — assign scenarios, the simulator marks every submission, no manual grading at scale.
Training by capability and industry
Choose a practical assessment, operator or commissioning workflow, or open an industry library built around relevant machines and failure modes. These pages show the exact scenarios, boundaries and evidence available for each use case.
PLC fault-finding across motors, drives, sensors, safety, pumps and process utilities.
WorkforcePractical, auto-graded controls tasks for screening, baselining and post-training evidence.
WorkforceRepeatable startup, alarm, trip and recovery practice on dynamic PLC-controlled processes.
WorkflowSequence verification, interface handshakes, abnormal tests and commissioning evidence.
IndustryCIP, batching, fermentation temperature, bottling and packaging control practice.
IndustryDuplex pumps, lift stations, analog levels, dosing, valves and alarm response.
IndustryQualified batch holds, release permissives, deviations, CIP and record completion.
IndustryCrusher protection, conveyor sequencing, VFDs, blocked chutes and vibration trips.
IndustryCompressor startup, ESD, blowdown, burner management and process-utility patterns.
How it compares
The figures below for desktop software and hardware are typical published prices from the vendors’ own materials, not invented numbers. The point of the table is not that the other options are bad — they each have a place — but that only a browser platform deploys to a whole cohort in a day, on the devices they already own.
| This platformbrowser lab | Desktop PLC softwarePLCLogix / Factory I/O | Hardware trainer rigAmatrol / Festo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | From free; Pro seats $199/seat/year, reassignable | ~$159/seat one-time, ~$2,980/site (published) | ~$10,000–$50,000 per lab rig (published) |
| Runs on Chromebooks? | Yes — any modern browser | No — typically Windows-only desktop install | N/A — physical bench, fixed location |
| Install / admin rights | None — nothing to install per machine | Per-machine install, admin rights, licence keys | Bench space, wiring, maintenance contract |
| Auto-graded assignments | Yes — every submission marked instantly | Mostly a programming sandbox; no built-in grading | Manual assessment by an instructor |
| Cohort rollout | Invite a class in minutes; live progress dashboard | Per-machine setup; no cohort reporting | One student per rig; rotation scheduling |
| Multi-domain (PLC + HMI + robot) | Yes — all three in one platform | PLC (and 3D I/O) focused | Usually one domain per (expensive) rig |
Competitor prices shown are typical/published figures and may vary by region, version and bundle. A simulator does not replace hands-on wiring — see the FAQ on what it does and does not replace.
What institutions get
No trainer rigs to buy, maintain or schedule, and no per-machine PLC software to install. The capital request that usually kills the programme disappears.
Chromebooks, locked-down lab PCs, Macs, Linux, students’ own laptops at home — anything with a browser. No admin rights, no VMs, no IT roll-out.
Assign a learning path to a cohort; every submission is marked against test cases instantly, and the admin console shows who is behind before an assessment.
PLC and ladder logic, an HMI builder, and a robot cell — the whole automation stack in one platform, so one tool covers a mechatronics programme.
Students earn certificates and export portfolio PDFs of timestamped, name-attributed completions — verifiable evidence that supports your own accredited assessment.
Set up a team, invite a cohort, assign a path — a full class can be writing graded ladder logic the same afternoon, with no procurement cycle to start a pilot.
The full stack
Every concept below is something your learners build, run and are auto-graded on in the browser — the same IEC 61131-3 logic model and the same HMI and robot-cell workflows they will meet on a real plant floor, no rig and no install.
Evidence for your review
Review the evaluation plan, sample cohort export, curriculum mapping pack and current IT capabilities before you speak to us.
Pricing & rollout
Evaluate the Free-tier workflow with one instructor and up to four learners before involving procurement. When you roll out a managed Pro cohort, seats are $199/seat/year on annual billing, reassignable when a student leaves, with a five-seat minimum and bulk or academic pricing on request. See full pricing →
Send your work email and organisation. Paul will reply with the 14-day evaluation plan and ask only for the curriculum or purchasing details relevant to your setup.
Prefer email? hello@plcsimulationsoftware.com · or set up your team free.
No hardware budget. No install. No admin rights. Create your team account free and invite your first students today — or book a walkthrough and we will scope it with you.