Advanced Diploma of Plant Engineering

WHAT YOU WILL GAIN:

Skills and know-how in the latest technologies in all aspects of Plant Engineering
Guidance from practicing Plant Engineering experts in the field
Knowledge from the extensive experience of instructors, rather than from clinical information gained from books and college
Improved career prospects and income
An EIT Advanced Diploma of Plant Engineering

INTRODUCTION

Embrace a well paid, intensive yet enjoyable career by undertaking this comprehensive and practical course. It is delivered by live distance learning and presented by some of the leading Plant Engineering instructors in the world today. There is now a critical shortage of senior Plant Engineers around the world due to retirement, restructuring and rapid growth in new industries and technologies. Many industrial enterprises throughout the world comment on the difficulty in finding experienced Plant Engineers despite paying outstanding salaries. Often universities and colleges do not teach Plant engineering as a core subject. Much of the vital knowledge (e.g. practical maintenance planning and procedures) you need when commencing work as a qualified Plant Engineer is missing from their curricula. However, there are a few notable exceptions with some highly dedicated practitioners. Many of those universities and colleges that do teach Plant Engineering do so mainly from a theoretical point of view.

Furthermore, lecturers often have insufficient experience in industry due to the difficulty in attracting good engineers from the highly paid private sector. The aim of this 18 month e-learning programme is to provide you with core Plant Engineering skills. The course gives extensive coverage in the various fields of Plant Engineering. Subjects are covered such as Plant O perations, Facility M anagement, Instrument Control Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Safety and Financial M anagement. Practical knowledge is
not neglected; a Plant Engineer should also be well informed about metal forming, joining, heat treatment and protection.

This practical course avoids over emphasis on theory. This is rarely needed in the real industrial world where time is short and immediate results are required. Hard-hitting and useful know-how, are needed as minimum requirements. The instructors presenting this advanced diploma are highly experienced engineers from industry who have many years of real-life experience as Plant Engineers. The format of presentation - live, interactive distance learning with the use of remote labs means that you can hit the ground running and be
of immediate benefit to your company or future employer.

Who Should Attend

Anyone who wants to gain solid knowledge of the key elements of Plant Engineering to improve their work skills and to further their job prospects:

Electrical Engineers who need an overall Plant Engineering appreciation
Electricians
Maintenance Engineers and Supervisors
Persons studying for one of the South African Engineers Certificates of Competency
Automation and Process Engineers
Design Engineers
Project Managers
Consulting Engineers
Production Managers
Chemical and Mechanical Engineers
Instrument and Process Control Technicians

Even those who are highly experienced in Plant Engineering may find it useful to follow some of the topics to gain know-how in a very concentrated but practical format.

Course Structure

The course follows six engineering threads to provide you with maximum practical coverage in the field of Plant Engineering:

Overview and where the Plant Engineer fits into the 21st century production sphere
Engineering technologies in detail
Skills for project, process, environmental and energy management
Maintenance management
Safety management; with corresponding legal knowledge
Other necessary skills to master

The course is composed 19 modules. These modules cover a range of aspects to provide you with maximum practical coverage in the field of Plant Engineering.

The modules are:

Plant Engineering Fundamentals
Plant O perations and Facility M anagement
Electrical Equipment and Technology
Pressure Vessels and Boilers
Mechanical Components
Hydraulics and Pneumatics
Pumps and Seals
Thermodynamics, Compressors, Fans and Blowers
Piping, HVAC and M aterials Handling
Noise and Vibration
Structural and Civil Engineering Concepts
Project Management
Process Management
Energy Management
Instrument and Control Engineering
Maintenance M anagement
Environmental Engineering and concepts
Safety M anagement
Soft skills

Presentation Format

The programme features real-world applications and uses a multi-pronged approach involving interactive on-line webcasts, simulation software and self-study assignments with a mentor on call. The course consists of 72 topics delivered over a period of 18 months. Presentations and group discussions will be conducted using a live, interactive software system. For each topic you will have an initial reading assignment (which will be delivered to you in electronic format in advance of the online presentations). There will be coursework or problems to be submitted and in some cases there will be practical exercises, using simulation software and remote labs that you can easily do from your home or office. You will have ongoing support from the instructors via phone, fax and e-mail.

Live Webcasts

During the programme you will participate in 72 live interactive sessions/webcasts with the instructors and other participants from around the world. Each webcast will be scheduled at 2 varying session times, so that you can select the one which is most convenient to you. Webcast times are only finalised after registrations close, as we need to know which time-zones all participants are based in before we can compile a schedule. Upon registration you will receive a questionnaire regarding your time availability. We guarantee that at least one session time, for each webcast, will fall into your preferred time slot.

Practical Exercises and Remote Laboratories

As part of the groundbreaking new way of teaching, we will be using a series of remote laboratories (labs) and simulation software, to facilitate your learning and to test the knowledge you gain during the course. These involve complete working labs set up at various locations of the world into which you will be able to log and proceed through the various practical sessions. These will be supplemented by simulation software, running either remotely or on your computer, to ensure you gain the requisite handson experience. No one can learn much solely from lectures, the labs and simulation software are designed to increase the absorption of the materials and to give you a practical orientation of the learning experience. All this will give you a solid, practical exposure to the key principles covered in the course and will Practical Exercises and Remote Laboratories ensure that you obtain maximum benefit from the course to succeed in your future career in Industrial Automation.