In this increasingly competitive marketplace, companies must improve production output and reduce downtime to remain competitive. This specialized automation training will focus on Programmable Logic Controllers, industrial devices, and sensors used to control manufacturing processes and equipment. The Black River Automation Technology certification program will enable electrical maintenance, PLC technicians, and systems engineers to better understand and utilize their PLC technology, which will help them minimize downtime and reduce waste.  Black River developed this program in response to needs expressed by area industries for in-depth, formal automation technology training to help present employees program devices to full potential. 

The two year certification program will be customized to offer the student with a certificate of competency from Black River Technical College. The semesters will be 15 weeks in length. Both Allen Bradley and Black River training materials will be incorporated.

Personnel involved with the maintenance and troubleshooting of automated systems controlled by a PLC such as electrical maintenance, PLC technicians, and systems engineers.

First Year Outcomes:

	Work safely and competently with PLCs
	Be able to connect a laptop to the PLC and monitor
	Perform PLC maintenance procedures
	Troubleshoot common PLC and field faults
	Understand and follow more complex program code
	Use more powerful program monitor and display tools
	Be able to use enhanced diagnostic tools to quickly identify and resolve abnormal system operation
	Communications and Networking

Second Year Outcomes: Use PLCs in conjunction with:

	Work safely and competently with motors and drives
	Precision Control & Troubleshooting of stepper motors and drives including torque, speed, position, and interfacing servo drives
	Understand and control servo systems including torque, position, velocity, and speed.
	Interface servos: understand feedback, wiring, and troubleshooting
	Power transmissions: gear boxes, speed reducers, sprockets, couplers
	Understand Hydraulics and Pneumatics: symbols and schematic reading, pressure and flow of gases and liquids, control circuits
	Understand Temperature Control: measurement, PID control, thermocouplers and RTDs, discrete temp, tuning temp loops
	AutoCad — project management and documentation features

First Semester—90 hours

	Basic electrical circuits hard wiring	6 hrs
	Number systems and codes	6 hrs
	Fundamentals of Logic	6 hrs
	Basics of PLC Programming	6 hrs
	Developing wiring diagrams	6 hrs
	Developing Ladder Logic diagrams	9 hrs
	PLC Fundamentals	14 hrs
	PLC to Computer Interface	9 hrs
	PLC Programming	28 hrs

Second Semester - 90 hours

	Programming Timers and Counters	6 hrs
	Program control instructions	6 hrs
	PLC install, Editing, Troubleshooting	12 hrs
	Programming Advanced	24 hrs
	Maintenance/Troubleshooting	22 hrs
	Networking Ethernet	20 hrs

Third Semester - 90 hours - Following Systems as related to PLCs

	AC/DC Motors and Drives	20 hrs
	Stepper Motors and Drives – precision control and troubleshooting	25 hrs
	Servo Systems – control, interfacing, and troubleshooting	25 hrs
	Power Transmission – gear boxes, speed reducers, sprockets, etc.	20 hrs

Fourth Semester - 90 hours - Following Systems as related to PLCs

	Hydraulics and Pneumatics	20 hrs
	Temperature Control	20 hrs
	Pressure and Flow control	20 hrs
	Advanced PLC Troubleshooting	20 hrs
	AutoCad 2007 – Knowledge Management Organization	10 hrs