When:             Monday, September 8, 2008

              8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Where:            Regional Learning Alliance at Cranberry Woods

                850 Cranberry Woods Drive

                Cranberry Township, PA  16066

The Pittsburgh Section of ISA has always placed a great emphasis on continuing education for our members and our local community. The Board has decided to increase this emphasis in 2008-2009 by holding this event in the fall and a similar, hopefully larger event in the spring as the new focus of the annual Pittsburgh ISA Show. Of course, the success of these events requires at least two major ingredients: for the Section to assemble good course offerings and for the members and community to participate. This Fall Education Event is a warm-up for the Pittsburgh ISA Show in the spring. If you are interested in the ability to have quality continuing education classes in automation, controls and instrumentation available locally at reduced costs, then we need to hear from you – either by your registration for one of the courses, by suggestions for future course topics, or by volunteering to develop a course in your field of specialty.

If you desire to join ISA National prior to registering for  the classes, the application can be printed HERE.

Coffee breaks and lunch are included in the cost of registration.  Parking is ample.  

Classes are limited to 25 people.  Please make your reservation early.  Checks for Pittsburgh sponsored classes should be made out to ISA Pittsburgh and mailed to ISA Pittsburgh, 6949 Sisto Street, Verona,PA  15147.  If you have any questions, please call our office at 412-828-4565 or e-mail us at isapgh@comcast.net.

The course offerings consist of two all day classes from ISA Training; and one full day and several half-day classes on specialized topics sponsored by the Pittsburgh Section. You can register for two half-day classes, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

ISA Training Co-sponsored Courses – All Day

8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

EC50C Safety Instrumented Systems

There are many different ways of designing safety instrumented systems.             Questions such as:

·         Which technology should be used (electric, electronic, or programmable)?

·         What level of redundancy is appropriate (single, dual, or triple)?

·         How often should systems be tested (monthly, quarterly, yearly, or once per shutdown)?

·         What about field devices (technology, level of redundancy & test intervals)?

These questions are being asked by users and engineering firms alike. Debate             continues as to how one even makes these choices (past experience, qualitative             judgment, quantitative analysis, etc.). This seminar will cover the basics of what             needs to be done in the design and selection of safety systems.

You will be able to:

·         Understand the design basis of recent standards, guidelines and recommended practices

·         Understand the difference between process control and safety control

·         Describe the life cycle set of activities that are necessary to design, implement and maintain safety systems 

·         Understand the basics of evaluating process risk levels

·         Understand the basics of determining  Safety Integrity Levels (SILs)

·         Describe the failure modes of safety systems

·         Understand the real impact of redundancy 

·         Describe the pros and cons of various logic system technologies

·         Understand the impact of field devices on system performance 

·         Understand the documentation requirements 

Speaker:  Paul Gruhn is a Safety Product Specialist at ICS Triplex, a control and safety system manufacturer and integrator in Houston, Texas. Gruhn is a member of the ISA84 committee, co-author of the ISA textbook Safety Instrumented Systems: Design, Analysis and Justification, author of many articles, and the developer of a control and safety system modeling software package. He is a registered professional engineer in Texas, a Certified Functional Safety Expert - a TÜV certification - and an ISA Fellow. He started teaching for ISA in 1996.

Cost: $445.00 ISA members, $495.00 Non-members

            Register for this class at www.isa.org.  Under general information, click on to             Calendar.  At the right change the date to September.  Toggle down to the 8^th             and click on to the class.

IC85C Overview of Wireless Technology

Wireless systems and wireless technologies have advanced to the point where stable, robust and secure networks are ready for deployment in industrial settings.  As such, professionals crossing many disciplines (e.g., process, automation, IT, controls) come face to face with understanding the implications and opportunities that such wireless networks may provide to them and their plant.  This course will cover the most relevant details associated with industrial wireless systems with an emphasis towards how the various technological choices coexist, interoperate and interact with each other.  Numerous examples of real-world deployments are covered for facilities such as SCADA systems, petrochemical plants, electrical power generation and transmission systems.  The operational differences posed to the wireless systems’ performance by discrete manufacturing needs, monitoring of devices and even control systems are addressed.  Considerable emphasis is placed specifically on ISA100 (the standard for industrial wireless) including deep dives into some of the standard’s most pertinent details.  Comparison of ISA100 with other protocols and specifications (e.g., Industrial Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wireless HART) are provided.

You will be able to:

·         Describe today's wireless offerings for industrial automation

·         Understand the security needs of the IT department

·         Understand how wireless applications utilizing different wireless technologies may interplay at your plant

·         Identify if a combination of schemes is needed in your plant

·         Identify secure methods for linking multiple plants together

·         Visualize how to apply wireless technology to solve real industrial applications

·         Identify and solve problems in industrial automation applications

·         Examine how return of investment can accurately guide you in prioritizing wireless applications that different plant departments are requesting

·         Answer the question: "Can I remove the wires from my automation system?"

·         Conduct an accurate assessment of wireless systems robustness with a sample application and technology selection

·         Examine the marketplace for relevant wireless technologies and make an informed selection for a particular application

Speaker:  Wayne Manges currently directs the US Department of Energy’s Industrial Wireless Program for UT-Battelle at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), focusing on the needs of hard industries from DOE’s Industrial Technologies Program.  With 30 years at ORNL, Wayne works extensively with steel, paper, and other industries to bring robust, wireless technology to their markets and is committed to the deployment of integrated systems that solve real problems.  He has worked on systems from one-of-a-kind uranium enrichment processes, intelligent robotics, manufacturing, and is currently working on the application of his expertise in systems to the development and deployment of intelligent wireless sensors.

Wayne has been declared a visionary for his early views on wireless applications and has published and presented papers around the world and continues as a contributing editor for Sensors Magazine.  He co-chairs the ISA (standards body for industrial automation) ISA100 committee, establishing a new international standard for industrial wireless automation.  Wayne holds a B.S. in Education and Chemistry from California University of Pennsylvania, a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, an M.S. in Natural Science from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee.

Cost: $445 ISA members, $495 non-members

            Register for this class at www.isa.org.  Under general information, click on to             Calendar.  At the right change the date to September.  Toggle down to the 8^th             and click on to the class.

ISA Pittsburgh All Day Class

8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Process Control Fundamentals

This one-day course will focus on the fundamentals of industrial process control. Designed for people relatively new to process control, those working or interfacing with others in process control, or those who would like to refresh their understanding of the basics, this course will explain basic concepts of this specialty field. The course will clarify basic terminology; explain process measurement instrumentation; discuss the operation of controllers; explore the workings of final control elements; discuss feedback and other forms of control; and include discussion of process control computers and digital signal transmission.  This course will discuss concepts and examples of how various instrumentation works together to perform basic closed loop control in industrial plants.   Attendees will gain an understanding of the basic concepts, terminology and the different technologies involved in measurement and instrumentation and control valves. This is an entry-level course and does not require any prior experience or knowledge in the field.

Speaker: Jim Federlein has been both an instructor in instrumentation and controls and the Education Chairman for the ISA Pittsburgh Section for over 20 years. Jim is an instructor and course editor for ISA, volunteers on ISA standards committees (S5.1), and serves as ISA’s interface to the PROLIST project. Jim also develops custom training courses for manufacturing and engineering companies. Recognized both for his in-depth knowledge of measurement and control and his ability to clearly explain concepts to and share his experience with students, Jim has passed knowledge on to hundreds of students over the years. A licensed professional engineer, Jim is also a member of National Society of Professional Engineers. Jim has been in private practice as a consultant designing industrial automation systems since 1991.

Cost: $345.00 ISA Member    $395.00 Non Member

ISA Pittsburgh Half-day Courses

Morning Courses – 8:00 – 11:30 AM

Combustion Efficiency Using Gas Monitors to Optimize Burner Operation

Proper combustion control is needed to minimize fuel consumption, maximize output and minimize emissions of pollutants such as carbon monoxide and NOx from boilers and process heaters. Accurate measurements of the composition of the exhaust allow the operator to understand and control the combustion process. Oxygen concentration is the fundamental measurement, but measurements of unburned combustibles and other species allow a deeper understanding of the process and more precise control of the burner.

The course will cover the following topics

·         Introduction to combustion chemistry

·         Basic combustion optimization

·         Oxygen measurement techniques

·         Measurements of carbon monoxide and unburned fuel

·         Other chemical species relevant to combustion optimization

·         Applications to boilers and process heaters

·         Calculating combustion efficiency

Speaker: Derek Stuart, BSc(Hons), CPhys, MInstP, CSci

Product Manager, AMETEK Process Instruments

Derek Stuart graduated from Edinburgh University with an honors degree in physics. He has over 20 years’ experience in emissions and air pollution measurements.

He has presented numerous technical papers at international conferences, including conferences organized by SPIE, AWMA and OSA. In addition to these, he has run training courses for Ametek staff, distributors and customers on topics ranging from dust measurement to the operation of a CEM system.

Derek is a Chartered Physicist and Chartered Scientist. He is a member of the Institute of Physics, Air & Waste Management Association and ASTM committee D22 on Air Quality.

Cost: $180.00 ISA Member   $230.00 Non Member

Using High-performance Regulators to Replace High-cost Sophisticated Control Valve Applications

This seminar will focus on adding simplicity and reducing costs in some of your non-crucial applications. Helping you decide whether a self-operated regulator or control valve is right for your application.

The presenter will show several different pressure control applications involving a control loop. With each example there will be an estimated cost of components, installation cost and the annual cost associated with the air supply that is required for the pneumatic valve. The same application will be shown replacing the control loop with a self-operated regulator. The benefits and drawbacks of each installation will be discussed. Along with the deciding factors of when to use one over the other.

Applications will include pressure control loops, back pressure control for re-circulating tanks, pump cavitation, temperature control loops, and special applications such as fuel to air ratio control.

Speakers:

Chris Gilson, BSEE from University of Notre Dame; PE in Controls and Instrumentation; President of Gilson Engineering with 28 years of experience in the instrumentation field.

Lyle Hamilton, BS in Mechanical Engr from University of Houston;

Project Engineer for Jordan & Steriflow Divisions of Richards Industries; Twelve years experience in valve design & manufacture; Top Five in New Product of the Year for 2005 (Mk75).

Kevin Schnelle, BA from Northern Kentucky University; Regional Sales Manager for Richards Industries with three years of experience in valve design and manufacturing.

Cost:  $180.00 ISA Member     $230.00 Non Member

Afternoon Courses – 12:30 – 4:00 PM

Process Moisture Analysis – The Quartz Crystal Microbalance

The Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) moisture analyzer provides the moisture analysis solution for natural gas processing, oil refining, chemical manufacturing, air separation and semiconductor production processes.  Some advantages of QCM moisture measurement are:

·         Wide range of moisture levels from ppt to several thousand ppm

·         High specificity to moisture

·         Fast response to changes in moisture levels, both rising and falling

·         Ability to check instrument span and zero while on line

The course will cover the early history of the technology and major improvements made since.  Analyzer design requirements will be discussed in some detail.  Of particular interest will be the incorporation of the QCM analyzer into the sample system that an instrument needs to become a process analyzer.  A number of popular applications will be discussed detailing the different sample system requirements of each.

Speaker: Colin Blakemore is a process analyzer technical specialist for Ametek. He earned a BS in Chemistry from Virginia Military Institute and is a member of ISA and the ASTM Committee D03 on Gaseous Fuels.

Cost: $180.00 ISA Member     $230.00 Non Member

Plant Asset Management.  A comprehensive approach to improved reliability and improved maintenance efficiency.

This course will focus on how to develop and implement a Plant Asset Management system that will allow a plant to transition from a reactive maintenance approach to a proactive maintenance approach.  We will discuss the economic impact of the transition and the process needed to make the change and sustain the change.

During the course we will discuss the following:

            Definition of Plant Asset Management

            Importance of Plant Asset Management in Today’s Business Climate

            Developing a baseline of performance

            Selecting targeted improvement areas

            Selecting and implementing technology

            Measuring success and continuous improvement

The target audience for the course is maintenance and operation management.

Speaker: Barry Coultas is the Director of Business Development for Asset Optimization at Equipment & Controls Inc. in Lawrence, PA.  Prior to joining Equipment & Controls Inc. Barry spent 13 years at Emerson Process Management.  Barry’s role is to assist industry in understanding the opportunities available by transitioning from a reactive maintenance environment to a proactive maintenance environment.  By combining software, hardware and services, Equipment & Controls Inc. can help a client improve their plant’s availability and improve its maintenance efficiency.  Barry is a graduate of North Central College and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Phoenix,

Cost: $180.00 ISA Member     $230.00 Non-Member