Automation Engineering Survival Training (AEST)

ISA Automation Engineering Survival Training (AEST)

Do you have what it takes to survive in the world of process automation?

Sharpen your process automation know-how with this intensive week of expert-led lecture and hands-on exercises covering practical, real-world automation survival skills.

Automation Engineering Survival Training is a unique process automation engineering experience designed to hone your process automation knowledge and skills. This intensive technical training boot camp for automation engineers combines lecture and hands-on labs with bonus features, including a plant tour to maximize your learning experience.

ISA’s seasoned “Survival Expert” will guide you through a fast-paced and rigorous course of topics from process measurement fundamentals through advanced automation, and everything in between! This course also serves as a solid introduction to other ISA engineering courses that can assist in the advancement of your process engineering career.

Who Should Attend?

• New automation, control system, or process control engineers
• Recent process engineering and other engineering graduates
• Seasoned engineers looking to refresh their process automation knowledge and skills
• Individuals wanting to learn more about process automation

Intensive Hands-On Training Curriculum

Days: 4.5

CEUs: 3.6

PDHs: 36

DAY 1: Measurement Basics & Documentation

You Will Cover:

• Concepts of Process Control: Typical Industries | Definitions | Continuous vs. Batch | Feedback Loop
• Documentation: Instrument Line Symbols | Function Symbols | Identification Letters | Piping and Instrumentation Drawing (P&ID) | Loop Diagram
• Industrial Measurement Systems: Process Measurement | Standard Signals | Instrument Performance Terminology | Repeatability and Accuracy | Zero, Span, and Linearity Errors | Calibration Chart
• Control System Hardware: Pneumatic Controller | Electronic Controller | Single Loop Controller | Distributed Control System (DCS) | Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) | Personal Computers (PC) for Control
• Temperature Measurement: Temperature Scales | Liquid-in-Glass, Filled Bulb, and Bimetallic Thermometers | Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTDs) | Reference Junction Compensation | Thermocouplers
• Pressure Transducers: Pressure Elements | Signal Generation | Pressure/Force Relationships | Selection
• Flowmeters: DP | Magnetic | Mass | Other

Classroom/Laboratory Exercises:

• Develop diagrams for flow, level, temperature, and pressure loops
• Interpret simple P&IDs
• Evaluate level instrument performance and accuracy
• Determine upstream and downstream piping considerations
• Select flowmeters for a variety of specific applications and specify installation and calibration requirements

You Will Be Able To:

• Discuss the role of measurement and control in industrial processes
• Differentiate between continuous, batch, and discrete control
• Discuss the fundamentals of process control
• Apply specific ISA Standards to interpret symbols and drawings associated with process control documentation
• Discuss and apply the most common methods and devices used in temperature, pressure, level, and flow measurement

DAY 2: Control Valves & Strategies

You Will Cover:

• Introduction: Valve in Loop | Valve | Actuator | Positioner
• Basic Valve Types: Globe | Ball | Plug | Butterfly
• Installation: Performance | Safety | Other
• Valve Sizing: Manual | Computer
• Review of Feedback Control Concepts and Components: History of Control Operation | Concepts
• Control Modes: Proportional | Integral | Derivative
• Dynamic and Steady State Considerations: Gain | Dead Time | Time Constant
• Tuning Control Systems: Closed Loop Tuning Using Ziegler Nichols Method | Evaluation and Control Criteria
• Advanced Regulatory Control: Feedback Penalty | Challenges in Feedback Control | Real-World Control

Classroom/Laboratory Exercises:

• Size valves manually and with software
• Specify valves, actuators, and auxiliaries for specific applications
• Tune feedback control loops via a number of different methods
• Tune using PC-based simulation software

You Will Be Able To:

• Compare various types of final control elements
• Size valves for any flow condition likely to be found in a process plant
• Define the concepts of PID control
• Explain the operation of the components in a closed loop control system including static and dynamic functions
• Use three methods to tune a control system for stated quality control
• Apply the operation and function of ratio control systems
• Identify real-world control problems as the basis of need for advanced control

DAY 3: Safety & Operator Effectiveness

You Will Cover:

• Graphics and Controls: HMI Hierarchy Design | Classes of Displays | Navigation
• Human Engineering: Human Factors in Console Design
• The Common Problems in Alarm Systems
• The Alarm Management Lifecycle
• Location Classification Standards
• Protection Techniques Standards
• Explosion Proof Enclosures
• Intrinsic Safety
• General SIS Design Considerations: Design Life Cycle | Separation of Control and Safety
• Failure Rates and Modes: Safe vs. Dangerous | Failure Mode vs. Technology | Failure Rates | Test Intervals
• System Technologies: Pneumatic | Relays | Microprocessors
• Operations and Maintenance: Installation | Bypassing | Testing

Classroom/Laboratory Exercises:

• Alarm prioritization
• Area classification
• Calculate device failure rates

You Will Be Able To:

• Design a graphical hierarchy for navigation
• Explain best practices in HMI
• Develop an Alarm Management Philosophy
• Discuss rationalization, classification, and prioritization of alarms
• Describe and use procedures for electrical classification
• Describe the basic principles of protection
• Select explosion proof apparatus for specific applications
• Select the appropriate protective techniques for different hazards
• Differentiate between process control and safety control
• Analyze the performance of different logic system technologies
• Specify and select safety instrumented systems (SIS)

DAY 4: Industrial Security & Project Management

 You Will Cover:

• What is Data Communications?: ISO/OSI Reference Model | Terminology Basics
• TCP/IP Basics: Is Ethernet Ready for the Plant Floor? | Industrial Ethernet Design Techniques
• Data Exchange: Using OPC for Inter-System Data Exchanges
• How Cyberattacks Happen: Understanding the Threat Sources | The Steps to Successful Cyberattacks
• Standards and Models: ANSI/ISA95 Standards | MESA International Model | WBF B2MML XML Schemas
• Information Model: Production Resources | Process Segments | Product Definition and Capability | Production Schedules | Production Performance
• Types of Projects: Facility Update | Addition to Existing Process | Technology Replacement | New Facility
• Fundamentals: Activity/Phase Concept | Best Practices | Phase Interaction | What to Do/How to Do it | Do it
• Project Development: Schedule Preparation | PERT | CPM | GANT | Cost

Classroom/Laboratory Exercises:

• Conduct security threat analysis
• Identify key business processes and objects
• Identify process segment definitions
• Practice project scheduling techniques

You Will Be Able To:

• Identify Local Area Network (LAN) topologies and protocols
• Define the different Ethernet varieties and which are best for industry
• Discuss the principles behind creating an effective long-term security program
• Define the basics of risk and vulnerability analysis methodologies
• Specify the requirements for an enterprise-control integration solution
• Explain the business drivers involved in integration
• Identify project types and overall goals and objectives
• Explain the four important objectives critical to automation projects vs. the three objectives typical of other projects

 

DAY 5: Advanced Process Automation

You Will Cover:

• Physical Model: Process Cells | Units | Equipment Modules | Control Modules
• Recipe Information Categories: Header | Procedure | Formula | Equipment Requirements
• Procedural Control Model: Procedure | Unit | Operation | Phase
• Modes and States: Exception Handling | Allocation and Arbitration
• Control Activity Model: Recipe Management | Production Planning and Scheduling | Production Information Management | Process Management | Unit Supervision | Process Control | Personnel and Environmental Protection
• Integration: Communications | Manufacturing Execution System (MES) | Network Security
• Workflow and Project Leadership: Opportunity Identification and Project Justification | Communications and Team Processes

 

Classroom/Laboratory Exercises:

Develop procedural elements using the ANSI/ISA88 procedural control model and test those procedural elements against the equipment entities

You Will Be Able To:

• Specify the requirements for a batch control system
• Effectively structure and subdivide equipment entities
• Describe modes and states and how they are applied at the equipment level
• Describe the interfaces that are needed between batch control and other systems within an enterprise
• Apply the critical areas of automation opportunity identification and project justification
• Interpret the best practice methodology for automation project execution