IDC Technologies to run technical lab sessions at ACI Connect 2015

As part of the ACI Connect 2015 Conference and Exhibition, IDC Technologies will be running a series of MiniLab sessions for technical personnel over both days of the conference, 12-13 August, at Sydney Olympic Park.

The MiniLabs will be held over six sessions and will be presented by Steve Mackay, technical director at IDC Technologies.

Process Online spoke with Steve to ask him a few questions about the sessions.

What will attendees take away from the Tech MiniLab sessions at ACI Connect 2015?

The Tech MiniLabs at ACI Connect are practical workshops for ACI-focused engineers and management, conducted by leading industry educators from IDC Technologies. The subjects cover a range of technical skills needed in industry.

Lightning and surge protection and earthing for instrumentation and control professionals

The usual myths will be eliminated and attendees will be given some practical techniques to follow. They will be encouraged to use some lateral thinking in undertaking their next project — from a perspective which will surprise, as far as earthing and surge protection is concerned.

Process control loop tuning + fine tuning: theory and best practice

Engineering professionals tend to focus on hard technical issues as these are the most interesting. However, in this thought-provoking session, we will give attendees the tools to drive their teams to a considerably higher level of performance and to keep it there — without getting stressed.

PLC ladder logic workshop: writing and troubleshooting a range of programs

It seems that everyone can write a PLC program these days. Despite this, we will go through the key elements of writing a PLC program and then give attendees an opportunity to troubleshoot a range of PLC ladder logic programs with this useful hands-on session.

Troubleshooting Industrial Ethernet networks: from hardware to TCP/IP utilities to protocol

There are an enormous number of free tools around enabling users to quickly pinpoint problems with Ethernet networks. Coupled with some common sense, we provide a hands-on overview of the techniques to keep networks operating at an optimum level and to fix problems when they occur. Naturally, the focus is on industrial networks.

The nuts and bolts of AS/NZS 3000 wiring standards

Although everyone acknowledges the importance of this standard, a frightening 70% of practitioners (ranging from electricians to engineers) weren’t able to answer some very basic questions relating to this standard in a recent survey. We will go through the key elements of the standard and recent changes, and then show how attendees can easily become familiar with the AS/NZS 3000 wiring rules.

Troubleshooting Modbus protocol messages over Industrial Ethernet

The venerable Modbus protocol should have been scrapped years ago. But unbelievably it survives and prospers as one of the most popular protocols. Attendees will go through the structure of, and best approaches to, troubleshooting a Modbus protocol in this hard-hitting hands-on lab session.

What is the value of ongoing learning and education?

Our professional environment is constantly changing. It adapts to economic strengths and weaknesses, it evolves with technological advances and it seeks technical expertise.

No matter the job title, pursuing professional development and further study goes a long way with any employer. Professional development reflects a commitment to the business and strengthens an engineer’s or technician’s professional profile. Ongoing learning and education will keep skills sharp and knowledge current — two things that are becoming increasingly difficult for employers to find in new recruits in this fast-moving technical climate.

Steering away from the perceived needs of the employer, ongoing learning and education will empower employees to boast confidence in newfound skills and techniques that could lead to career advancement and added job security, and improve their competitive edge when pursuing a promotion. The great thing about ongoing learning and education in the 21st century is that technology allows us to undertake courses and training through varied delivery methods including live online courses, self-paced courses and classroom training/workshops, without sacrificing quality.

By continuing to embrace the institution of learning and education, employees can ensure that they cement themselves as high-value assets in the workplace, remaining at the forefront of advancing technology within their industry and ultimately strengthening their professional profile to reflect employability, expertise and versatility.

Can you provide a short background on IDC Technologies and what your business offers to engineering professionals?

IDC Technologies specialises in practical training courses across many engineering fields, including: instrumentation; process control; industrial data communications and networking; information technology; electronics engineering; electrical engineering; mechanical engineering; finance and project management.

Founded in 1992, IDC Technologies has delivered training courses to over 500,000 engineers and technicians worldwide. Having built a strong global reputation as a provider of practical and technical training, IDC Technologies has evolved its range of training topics and advanced the way online courses are delivered. Harnessing the effectiveness of workshop or classroom training and live, interactive online courses, IDC Technologies provides quality, industry-driven training course options with a practical focus.

Why are you supporting and presenting at ACI Connect?

Our focus is on training and education in industrial automation and improving everyone’s skills and knowledge in this area. ACI Connect presents us with a way to show how quality training can enhance a technical person’s skills and professional profile.

About Steve Mackay Steve Mackay PhD has worked in engineering design, installation and commissioning in infrastructure, mining, and oil and gas projects throughout Australia, Europe, Africa and North America for the past 30 years. He has presented numerous courses worldwide to over 18,000 engineers and technicians, and has a particular interest in practical and leading-edge aspects of marketing, business and engineering practice. He is a Fellow of Engineers Australia, the technical director and founder of IDC Technologies and Dean of Engineering at the Engineering Institute of Technology. He has also acted as the author or editor of over 30 engineering textbooks sold throughout the world. He feels that all engineering businesses need to think globally and keep experimenting with new approaches. Steve also enjoys keeping his weekly blog up to date with useful tips and current industry matters for his fellow colleagues.