2 Year Certification Program

Overview: 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.

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

Outcomes / Objectives

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
• 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

Program Outline / Curriculum

First Semester – 90 Hours

Second Semester – 90 Hours

Third Semester – 90 Hours

Fourth Semester – 90 Hours – Following Systems as Related to PLCs

Click Here to download a pdf of the Automation Technology brochure

For more information contact:

Crystal Clemmer at (870) 239 – 0969 ext 5214

crystalc@blackrivertech.edu

or

Dana Bradford at (870) 239 -0969 ext 5210

danab@blackrivertech.edu