Colorado Mountain College’s Applied Engineering Technician Program partnered with AutomationDirect to provide their students with real-world experience using state-of-the-art automation technology. Working with AutomationDirect controllers, the CMC students apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real equipment used in process control applications. The following excerpt from the CMC campus newsletter explains the opportunities further…
Applied Engineering Technician Program
Outside of our classroom in sunny Rifle, Colorado, we’re putting students to work on applying state-of-the-art automation concepts on our natural gas simulator, that mimics a natural gas well-head, along with the initial steps in natural gas processing. Partnering with AutomationDirect, we are bringing our students into the 21st century of automation technology and teaching cutting edge methods of process control and automation.
Using AutomationDirect’s Productivity2000 series of high-performance PLC products, we are hooking up our vintage gas processing equipment to an ultra-modern control system with incredible ease. Never before have we seen such an easy-to-use PLC solution for any industrial system.
Automation Productivity
The P2000 Series PLC provides everything and more that we need to automate our natural gas facility.
With our expansion cards, we can utilize up to 16 channels of Digital In/Outs, and Analog In/Outs, to meet any automation design requirement.
Starting with our system’s compressor, we are working our way towards automated control of the entire natural gas processing system.
Automating the Future
After working with a number of other PLC systems and companies, we are very excited to be working with AutomationDirect and their PLCs on a number of new projects. Deciding against using pre-made trainers, we’re using the help of work-study students to help build our own CLICK PLC trainers. Below you can see 2nd year student, Barbara Boe, working to build a new PLC educational trainer with a CLICK PLC from AutomationDirect.
We’re also about to embark on an exciting new project to automate an old, donated robotic arm with a P2000 Series PLC. Check out what else is happening now in the Appled Engineering Technicial Program at Colorado Mountain College.
Originally Published: January 2016