ISA Interchange

Welcome to the official blog of the International Society of Automation (ISA).

This blog covers numerous topics on industrial automation such as operations & management, continuous & batch processing, connectivity, manufacturing & machine control, and Industry 4.0.

The material and information contained on this website is for general information purposes only. ISA blog posts may be authored by ISA staff and guest authors from the automation community. Views and opinions expressed by a guest author are solely their own, and do not necessarily represent those of ISA. Posts made by guest authors have been subject to peer review.

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ISA Training and Education Programs for March

This education & training roundup was compiled by Joel Don, ISA's social media community manager.

There's still time to sign up for ISA's training and education program in March.  Following is a listing of automation and control class offerings, plus exam preparation and online webinars.Dollarphotoclub_77703956

Onsite Training

In addition to taking ISA classroom training at ISA headquarters, regional locations and industry events, you can also receive customized ISA training at your facility through ISA Onsite Training.  This option can bring any ISA course or combination of courses – along with ISA’s world-class instructors, training materials and portable laboratories – directly to you.  Simply pick the time and place.  Contact ISA at +1 919-549-8411 or info@isa.org.

Note: If a class date is not showing in the course offerings page or registration appears closed, contact ISA at info@isa.org or call customer service at +1 919-549-8411 to get a registration update or waiting list status.

Instrument Calibration and Documentation for FDA-Regulated Industries (TI24)
Do you want an untrained technician working on equipment that directly affects the quality and integrity of the product being manufactured at your facility? This course offers a combination of practical information and hands-on experience, covering fundamental principles of electronic process control instrumentation used in pharmaceutical and other life science industries. Proper calibration will be covered in hands-on lab exercises using common electronic instrumentation including analyzers. You will examine characteristics of electronic control systems and procedures for configuring transmitters, transducers, and controllers. A good portion of time is spent working hands-on with typical industry equipment. The 4.5-day class starts March 9 at ISA headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

ISA Automation Engineering Survival Training (AEST)
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, technical library, and networking events, to maximize your learning experience. The five-day class starts March 9 in Denver Colo.

Process Safety Fundamentals (EC50CT)
This one-day course is a quick reference for technicians and operators to understanding the principles governing the use of safety instrumented systems (SIS). Students will learn basic definitions and concepts, the different types of standards, and the role of personnel in the safety life cycle of such systems. It also serves as an introductory preparation for the more comprehensive ISA EC50 multi-day course covering design, analysis and justification of SIS and its related certificate programs. The one-day class will be held March 9 in King of Prussia, Penn.

Advanced Industrial Networking and Cyber Security (TS20)
In this course you will learn about the latest developments in Industrial Control System (ICS) networking and cybersecurity. The course provides a review of basic networking and cybersecurity technology and expands your understanding of industrial network concepts by reviewing basic networking principals including TCP/UDP, IPv4/IPv6, ICS protocols, addressing and troubleshooting. You will explore network security architectures and learn how to use layering and segmentation to improve security, as well as how web technology works and how web server capability is used in industry and the security problems engendered by such use. Practical application use of cybersecurity technologies such as firewalls, vpn, virtualization, virus scanning and intrusion detection tools will be covered, including how to industrially harden and secure your networks and perform "red team" testing of your systems using penetration testing software. Special focus is placed on the assessment of security risks and hazards in the industrial setting using ANSI/ISA-62443, NIST and ICS cybersecurity frameworks and standards. Laboratory exercises performed in class are designed to re-enforce learning objectives and allow for active participation using a classroom network setup leveraging virtual environments. The 4.5-day course starts March 9 at ISA headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

Fire and Gas System Engineering – Performance-Based Methods for Process Facilities (EC56P)
Fire and gas detection and suppression system design techniques that are currently in use are often considered to be unsatisfactory due to their nature of being rule of thumb and experience-oriented without any real ability to quantify risk. This has resulted in systems that are either over-designed or under-designed. Only after the ISA TR 84.00.07 was a comprehensive framework for performance-based fire and gas design established. This three-day course describes the techniques recommended in the technical report, along with hands-on use of the techniques and associated software tools. It will be held in Houston, Tex. starting on March 10.

Safety Instrumented Systems − Design, Analysis and Justification (EC50)
This course focuses on the engineering requirements for the specification, design, analysis, and justification of safety instrumented systems for the process industries. Students will learn how to determine safety integrity levels and evaluate whether proposed or existing systems meet the performance and documentation requirements defined in the ISA 84 (IEC61511) standard. The four-day class starts March 10 in King of Prussia, Penn.

Webinar_80x80System Identification for Control (EC60W2)
In this webinar the participants will learn about system identification for process control. Using the techniques learned, the participants can build models of their processes and use them for either advanced process control or for tuning a PID loop. The webinar will be held March 11.

IT Survival Basics for I&C Personnel (TS04)
Ethernet networking, switches, routers, servers, PCs and firewalls, as well as wireless Ethernet networks and TCP/IP communications. The student will learn how to configure them and how cyber security is applied to protect them. Upon completion of this course, individuals will have a familiarity with basic IT concepts and technology which will enable them to effectively collaborate and communicate with IT personnel and perform basic IT functions essential in a modern plant and with modern control systems technology. The 5-day class starts March 16 at ISA headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

Process Safety Fundamentals (EC50CT)
This one-day course is a quick reference for technicians and operators to understanding the principles governing the use of safety instrumented systems (SIS). Students will learn basic definitions and concepts, the different types of standards, and the role of personnel in the safety life cycle of such systems. It also serves as an introductory preparation for the more comprehensive ISA EC50 multi-day course covering design, analysis and justification of SIS and its related certificate programs. The one-day class will be held March 16 in Westminster, Colo.

Industrial Pressure, Level, and Density Measurement Engineering (EI05)
This two-day course presents the principles and applications of modern pressure, level and density measurement systems. Emphasis is placed on instrument design technologies; system performance and design; and specification, selection, installation and maintenance requirements. The class will be held starting March 16 at ISA headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

ExamPrepChecklist_80x80Certified Control Systems Technician® (CCST®) Level III Exam Review Course (TS03)
This course reviews the knowledge and skills areas included on the Certified Control Systems Technician® (CCST®) Level III examination. The intent is to prepare an automation professional who meets the exam criteria to take the exam. The content is based on the job analysis domains, tasks, knowledge areas, and skill areas developed as the basis for the CCST certification exam. The 4.5-day course starts March 16 in Cerritos, Calif.

Safety Instrumented Systems − Design, Analysis and Justification (EC50)
This course focuses on the engineering requirements for the specification, design, analysis, and justification of safety instrumented systems for the process industries. Students will learn how to determine safety integrity levels and evaluate whether proposed or existing systems meet the performance and documentation requirements defined in the ISA 84 (IEC61511) standard. The four-day class starts March 17 in Westminster, Colo.

Industrial Flow Measurement Engineering (EI10)
This three-day course presents the principles and applications of modern flow measurement systems. Emphasis is on flowmeter accuracy, performance, system design, sizing, specification, installation and maintenance requirements. The class starts March 18 at ISA headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

Webinar_80x80Cybersecurity Risk Assessment for Automation Systems (IC32CW1)
Risk analysis is an important step in creating a cybersecurity plan for your automation system. Risk analysis not only identifies security vulnerabilities but also provides the business case for the countermeasures that reduce risk. This course introduces control engineers to the concepts of risk analysis and how they are applied to industrial manufacturing and control systems based on the ANSI/ISA99 standards. This course is also valuable for IT professionals who wish to learn the special considerations of automation systems in performing risk analysis. The webinar will be held March 18.

Introduction to Industrial Automation and Control (FG07)
This course combines lecture and hands-on labs to provide an overview of industrial measurement and control. Technicians, engineers, and managers are provided with a foundation for communication with other control system professionals. The class serves as a solid fundamental course for introduction to other ISA courses. The 4.5-day class starts March 23 at ISA headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

PLC Fundamentals for the Technical Professional (TC40)
This course will focus on the role the programmable logic controller plays in the design of a control system and how proper selection, installation and maintenance can reduce operating costs and improve performance. It will provide the technical expertise necessary to install, perform routine programming and maintenance and apply proper troubleshooting and configuration techniques. The 4.5-day course starts March 23 at ISA headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

Sizing, Selecting, and Applying Process Control Valves (EI30)
You will gain a practical understanding of control valves, actuators, and positioner designs and their applications. This course also provides methods that can be used to identify specific valve problems and to arrive at acceptable solutions within engineering tolerance. The three-day class starts March 23 in Columbia, Ill.

Boiler Control Systems Engineering (ES15)
This three-day course covers boiler components and their purpose. Additionally, the course explains the ISA symbols used in boiler control, how to identify the engineering and control of boilers using these symbols, and a method of presenting the engineering. This course covers topics including defining the control and ratio control fundamentals, feed forward control, feed forward plus feedback control, cascade control, ratio control, and how they are implemented in boiler control. Flame detection methods, including the advantages of each method, are also covered. The class will start on March 23 in Houston, Tex.

Advanced Safety Integrity Level Selection (EC52)
This course focuses on further hands-on examples of safety integrity level (SIL) selection using a variety of different techniques. Students will be better able to save their companies time and money through the optimization of system performance requirements. This course is a follow-on to EC50 (Safety Instrumented Systems − Design, Analysis, and Justification). The course is required for the ISA84 Safety Instrumented Systems Certificate Program 2. You can register for the course only or for the certificate program which includes course and exam. The two-day course starts on March 23 in Westminster, Colo.

Advanced Design and SIL Verification (EC54)
This two-day course focuses on more detailed design issues and further hands-on examples of system analysis/modeling. Students will be better able to perform system design and analysis thus saving their companies time and money in optimizing system designs. This course will enable you to analyze any system technology and configuration to see if it will meet the required SIL (safety integrity level) and determine if existing systems are safe enough, if they need to be upgraded, and whether proposed systems will meet the performance requirements. The class will start March 25 in Westminster, Colo.

Webinar_80x80Using Firewalls and Security Zones on the Plant Floor (IC32CW2)
The network firewall is one of the most important tools in any cyber security designer’s tool box. This seminar introduces the industrial controls engineer to the world of firewall system design, focusing on how these devices can be effectively deployed on the typical plant floor to help meet the ANSI/ISA99 security standards. The webinar will be held March 25.

Burner Management Systems Engineering Using NFPA Code 85 and ANSI/ISA77 Standards (ES16)
This two-day course covers the safe startup, monitoring and shutdown of multiple burner boiler furnaces. It also discusses causes of furnace explosions and the relationship between burner management systems and boiler control systems. Prior attendance at ISA ES15: Boiler Control Systems Engineering course or an understanding of boilers and boiler control is assumed. The class starts March 26 in Houston, Tex.

Using the ANSI/ISA99 (IEC 62443) Standards to Secure Your Industrial Control System (IC32)
The move to using open standards such as Ethernet, TCP/IP, and Web technologies in supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and process control networks has begun to expose these systems to the same cyberattacks that have wreaked so much havoc on corporate information systems. This course provides a detailed look at how the ANSI/ISA99 standards can be used to protect critical control systems. It also explores the procedural and technical differences between the security for traditional IT environments and those solutions appropriate for SCADA or plant floor environments. The two-day course starts March 30 in Westminster, Colo.

When you become an ISA member, you’ll join thousands of automation and control professionals who collaborate to share ideas and insights, and solve technical challenges. And, you’ll receive up to 20 percent off on ISA products, including training courses. To review the complete array of ISA member benefits, click the link below or contact ISA customer service at +1 919-549-8411 or info@isa.org.

Click here to join ISA ... learn, advance, succeed!

Joel Don
Joel Don
Joel Don is an independent content marketing, social media and public relations consultant. Prior to his work in marketing and PR, Joel served as an editor for regional newspapers and national magazines throughout the U.S. He earned a master's degree from the Medill School at Northwestern University with a focus on science, engineering and biomedical marketing communications, and a bachelor of science degree from UC San Diego.

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