EAL Award in Programmable Logic Controllers Level 3 (ELC Approved)

Qualification Code
Earn a nationally recognised qualification at Level 3 in PLCs on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), 601/5326/X - View Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF)

Course Information
By learning with Scantime, you are learning from Engineers who are actively working in the Automation industry today. We've helped provide EAL Recognised and City & Guilds Assured PLC, HMI and Networking training to engineers worldwide from Amazon, EDF Energy, Jaguar Land Rover, Unipres, Arrival and more.

To ensure you gain the most out of your PLC training, we believe it's best to focus on one PLC manufacturer rather than several especially for those who are new to PLCs which is why during your course, we will be providing training on the Siemens S7 PLCs and HMIs using TIA Portal and STEP7 Professional software packages.

PLC training courses focussing on Allen Bradley, Omron, Mitsubishi, Schneider or other PLCs and HMIs can be made available upon request.

Our EAL Award in Programmable Logic Controllers Level 3 enables you to acquire the essential knowledge needed to understand the hardware and software concepts of programmable logic controllers (PLCs), their applications in the control of manufacturing and other processes and how PLCs may be programmed.

This PLC training course involves the internal architecture of PLCs, their applications, and knowledge of the number systems they use, the typical input and output devices used with PLCs, their Selection, and how they are interfaced to the PLC, the basic programming techniques used with PLCs. This unit also involves developing a program for a PLC to control a specified process, and document the completed program to a satisfactory standard and monitoring PLC operation, force devices, and troubleshoot PLC controlled processes.

1-Year eLearning Access
We understand that once you leave a training course, it may be difficult to follow-up and continuously develop your new skill-set, which is why we are happy to help refresh your training in your own time, whenever you want.

Once you have completed our EAL Level 3 Award in PLCs, you will receive access to our Siemens TIA Portal and Siemens STEP7 Professional eLearning training courses (Available for up to 1 year), this will allow you to practice what you have been taught on our training course from home or work ensuring your training investment isn't wasted.

What Topics are Covered?
Background to the PLC
PLCs in Industry and where they are used
Understanding what PACs are and the differences between a PAC and a PLC
Understanding PLC Numbering Systems and converting between them (Binary, Decimal, Hexadecimal)
Understanding the Siemens PLC Range
Understanding the differences between Modular, Compact and Rack-based PLCs
How to select a model of PLC for a control system
How to use the Siemens website and locate important areas
Understanding what a Siemens PSU is
Understanding the Siemens CPU and its features
Understanding the Siemens CPU LED indication and error displays
Understanding how to use the CPU Mode Selector
What is a PLC Battery and why is it important
Understanding the Siemens Digital Input and Output Cards
The importance of the Siemens Part Numbers
Understanding the Siemens SD Memory Cards
Types of Input Sensors
How to wire the Siemens PSU, CPU and Input/Output Cards
Understanding the differences between NPN and PNP wiring
Understanding how Modular PLCs are constructed and expanded
Increasing process control via Networking
Understanding basic PLC components
Understanding the differences between Steps, Rungs and Networks
Understanding Logic terminology (AND, OR, ANDN, ORN, EOR)
Understanding the Siemens PLC hardware addressing
Program documentation
Interfacing Safety to a PLC
PLC architecture
The importance of the PLC Scan and how it can be increased
Calculating PLC Scan Times
Understanding interrupts and background routines
How the PLC works with negative values and 2's complement
Understanding Analogue values and how they are inputted to the PLC
How to convert Analogue signalling from Raw to Engineering and Engineering to Raw
Understanding MRES and the dangers
Understanding the unique Siemens Memory Area and how to manage it correctly
IO Module Response Time
Understanding the Siemens PLC internal addressing
Understanding what PC/Laptop Operating System you should use for STEP7 Professional/TIA Portal
Understanding the STEP7 Professional/TIA Portal environment
Creating your first project
Setting up communications between your Laptop and PC
Setting up Hardware Configuration and why its important
How to download safely to the PLC without accidentally shutting down production
Using STEP7 Professional/TIA Portal to create your first programming routines
Labelling your project with Symbols and Comments and the benefits of doing so
Understanding Online Editing and the dangers
Understanding the differences between Control Latches and Alarm Latches and their important signals
Understanding the dangers of duplication
Using STEP7 Professional/TIA Portal to create Timer delay routines using the variations of Siemens Timers available
Understanding the differences between PLC programming languages and the positives and negatives of each
Understanding the IEC 61131-3 Programming Standards and why we adhere to these standards
Undertaking an Upload and how to do so correctly
How to Archive and Retrieve a project
Drafting program operations
Understanding Siemens Counters and what we can use them for
How to use programming instructions to monitor system equipment for maintenance
How to select a sensor for a project
Understanding the PLC electrical schematics and IO schedules and why we use these when commissioning and installing programs
PLC addressing between different manufacturers and how it works with the IEC 61131-3 Standard
Understanding data handling with the Move instruction
Understanding the common Bit Logic instructions in the Siemens catalog
How to use the One Shot Pulse (Rising and Falling) instructions correctly inside of the Siemens PLC
Using Comparators to monitor process safety limits
Using Set and Reset inside of the PLC and why it can be dangerous when used incorrectly
Understanding SIL levels when working with a control system
Understanding how to work with E-Stops and Safety Circuits and implement these inside of your program
Understanding the differences between standard PLCs and safety PLCs
Understanding the use of clock memory of the Siemens PLC
Understanding how programs are developed
Using Siemens Cross-References to navigate through your program when fault finding
Using the Siemens Assignment List to locate free addressing inside of the Siemens PLC
Using verification to ensure accurate backups are available
Understanding the affects that Modifying and Forcing I/O has on the PLC
Understanding the dangers of Forcing Inputs and Outputs in your program
Using VAT Tables/Watch Tables to monitor your programs more effectively
How to create Alarms inside of the PLC and how to manage these within your program
Using Safety Interlocking to help increase the integrity of your programs
How programs are structured into Blocks
Understanding the differences between Functions and Function Blocks
An in-depth look at Statement List
HMI Programming and Modifications
HMI Hardware and Communications
HMI Setup and Configuration
Backing-up and Restoring HMIs
Creating an HMI Project
Working with HMI Templates
Making Modifications to an Existing HMI Project
Using HMI Tags
HMI Tag Poling
Screens, Navigation and Object Programming
IO Fields and Bar Graphs
Creating and Modifying Trends
Alarms, Classes and Buffers
Adding Alarms into a PLC Project to Display on an HMI
Setting-up HMI Security