Click HERE to view Amatrol + DAC Worldwide Electrical Training Systems: Comprehensive Training for Fundamental Skills as a multimedia presentation.
Whether you’re training the next generation of industrial maintenance technicians or looking to upskill your current production workforce, it’s always a good idea to start with the basics. And when it comes to essential skills for industry, that means making sure your learners have a solid foundation in electrical skills.
Electrical skills form the most fundamental skill set critical throughout the industrial workplace. Whatever you do and wherever you work, electrical skills play an important role. From lighting the workplace to providing precision motor control, electricity powers the modern industrial environment.
Given the importance of electrical skills, it’s important to ensure that learners receive comprehensive electrical training. Amatrol and DAC Worldwide together offer the most complete range of training systems and tools to teach the entire array of critical electrical skills that technicians and production personnel need to thrive in the modern workplace.
Industrial Electrical Applications
Can you imagine a modern factory without electricity? Of course not! Electricity is at the heart of all that happens in modern industrial facilities. In addition to keeping the lights on, electricity also powers machines and allows for precise control of electrical motors and components, such as conveyors, variable frequency drives, relays, starters, and switches.
These common electrical applications can be found in almost any industry, while certain industries have advanced electrical applications specific to their needs. With so many different applications throughout industry, it can be difficult to get a firm grasp on exactly which workers need which electrical skills.
To start, though, it’s always a good bet to focus on safety. Making mistakes around electrical components is not only dangerous, it can often be deadly. Knowing the basics of lock-out/tag-out procedures is a must for all industrial workers.
Once workers know how to handle electrical machines and components safely, training can focus on other topics and skills. For example, most technicians need a solid foundation in the fundamentals of AC/DC electricity.
More advanced topics and skills will depend upon the requirements of specific roles within an industrial facility. However, it’s safe to say that most industrial maintenance technicians will require training in a variety of topics and skills, including electrical motor control, transformers, relays, starters, and switches.
Amatrol’s Electric Motor Control Trainer
The workhorse of any comprehensive electrical training program should be Amatrol’s Electric Motor Control Learning System (85-MT5). This flagship electrical trainer teaches learners how to operate, install, design, and troubleshoot AC electric motor control circuits for a variety of applications.
For example, the training system teaches in-demand electrical skills, such as: manual motor control, overload protection, control transformers, control ladder logic, control relays and switches, manual and magnetic motor starters, reversing motor control, automatic input devices, time-delay relay control, component and system troubleshooting, and electrical safety.
The 85-MT5’s benchtop-mounted control workstation features a real industrial AC induction motor like they’ll encounter on the job. It also includes standard industrial control components, including a control transformer, reversing contactors, manual motor starter, multi-function timer, and control relays, which provide learners with real world experience in installation and control of industrial motors.
In addition to real industrial equipment, the 85-MT5 features Amatrol’s industry-leading eLearning curriculum. Presented in an interactive multimedia format, Amatrol’s eLearning combines text, audio, 3D illustrations, videos, and loads of interaction to fully engage learners.
The eLearning curriculum allows learners to progress at their own pace through the material. Topics begin with fundamentals and build to more advanced topics. Along the way, learners gain practical skills via hands-on skill-building exercises.
An additional feature of the 85-MT5 that will give instructors valuable flexibility is the inclusion of Amatrol’s virtual electric motor control trainer. When learners don’t have access to the physical training equipment, they can simulate the hands-on skills using the virtual trainer instead.
After training with Amatrol’s Electric Motor Control trainer, learners will know how to troubleshoot motor control circuits under realistic conditions. In addition to the manual fault insertion capability that comes standard with the system, electronic faults can also be inserted with the optional Fault Troubleshooting System (890-FTS1) that features Amatrol’s exclusive FaultPro computer-based fault insertion software.
DAC Worldwide’s Single-Topic Electrical Trainers
The perfect complement to Amatrol’s Electric Motor Control trainer is one or more of DAC Worldwide’s single-topic electrical trainers. These systems add to the 85-MT5 to provide focused training on specific topics and skills.
DAC Worldwide’s electrical trainers allow learners to concentrate on the particular topics and skills associated with specific electrical applications common in the industrial workplace. Compact and sturdy, these trainers can easily be moved for use in multiple locations. Let’s take a closer look at a few of these trainers.
Lock-out/Tag-out
DAC Worldwide’s Lock-out/Tag-out Training System (811-000) is the perfect training aid to teach critical electrical safety skills in an educational or industrial setting. The system features a realistic, simulated working process environment that facilitates introductory training with hands-on activities related to the process of identifying and locking out sources of dangerous potential energy.
The system includes a wide array of industrial-quality components, such as two process tanks; a centrifugal pump; a complex, multi-purpose piping network; electrical controls; a variety of lockable system components; and a kit that features commonly-encountered locking and tagging devices.
Single-Phase AC Motor Control
DAC Worldwide offers single-topic trainers for single-phase AC motor control with either a manual starter (420-000) or magnetic starter (421-000). These systems teach learners the operational principles, wiring, fault troubleshooting, and application of industrial single-phase AC motors with either manual or magnetic starters.
All wiring is accomplished through shielded banana-jack connections on the front panel face, rather than directly to individual components. In addition, four instructor fault switches can be used to create common component faults.
Three-Phase AC Motor Control
DAC Worldwide also offers single-topic trainers for three-phase AC motor control with either a manual starter (422-000) or magnetic starter (423-000). These task-specific devices allow for skill-building in the operation, design, wiring, troubleshooting, and application of industrial three-phase AC motors with either a manual or magnetic starter.
Fault switches are programmed to create component faults that not only simulate failure conditions, but also allow learners to build real-time assessment and troubleshooting skills. These durable units stand up to frequent use and include industry-grade safety components, such as a keyed instructor power switch, a circuit breaker with lock-out/tag-out, permanent internal grounding, and a large emergency stop switch.
DC Motor Control
To teach learners the operation, wiring, troubleshooting, and application of industrial three-phase, reversing magnetic starters, DAC Worldwide manufactures the DC Permanent Magnet Motor Control Training System (426-000).
Like DAC Worldwide’s other electrical trainers, this system features instructor fault switches and multiple safety systems. Supplemental components, such as a motor loading device and a piloting switch module, can also be added to this system to expand its capabilities in developing complex control circuits.
AC Variable Frequency Drives
The AC Variable Frequency Drive Training System Plus (429E) allows learners to explore variable frequency AC solid-state control of three-phase electric motors in various automation applications. The system also covers industry-relevant skills, such as AC drive programming, drive system troubleshooting, and control wiring.
To stand up to frequent use while aiding learners in becoming better prepared for the tasks they will encounter on the job, the system uses durable, industry-grade components, including an industrial 3-phase motor, an Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 40 variable frequency drive, and a three-pole circuit breaker with lock out/tag out.
Transformer Connections
For more specialized, advanced training for those involved in power generation, DAC Worldwide’s Transformer Connections Training System (491-000) replicates the conditions and circumstances that workers encounter when making common transformer connections.
Using this trainer, learners will explore the skills they must master in order to confidently operate modern generating equipment, such as the paralleling of generators and connecting to a larger power grid. To do so safely, all these activities can be performed at reduced voltages.
Let Us Help You Take Your Training to the Next Level
The experts at Amatrol and DAC Worldwide are available to consult with you regarding your specific electrical training needs. The products highlighted in this article are just a sample of the many training solutions available.
Whether you’re an instructor preparing the next generation of industrial maintenance technicians or a manager looking to update and improve the skills of your current workforce, DAC Worldwide and Amatrol offer the most comprehensive electrical training solutions to teach fundamental skills.
About Duane Bolin
Duane Bolin is a former curriculum developer and education specialist. He is currently a Marketing Content Developer for Amatrol, Inc. Learn more about Amatrol and its technical training solutions, including eLearning, here and connect with Duane on Amatrol’s Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube pages. You can also interact with DAC Worldwide on the following social channels: YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
