Mechanical Engineer to Electrical Engineer Conversion

Aims & Objectives

This industrial electrical maintenance course is designed to enable candidates who have a small amount of electrical knowledge to gain recognised qualifications and the skills to enter an industrial environment and work as an industrial electrician. It includes a large amount of practical work, enabling candidates to install, fault find, design and wire up control panels using a variety of methods.

The aim is to provide solid foundations on which the participant can build and develop, with emphasis on the skills needed to carry out routine electrical tasks. It also makes clear the importance of participants identifying and knowing their own limitations, so that tasks are carried out safely and without giving rise to danger.

Suitability

Candidates with a small amount of electrical knowledge who wish to move into an industrial environment and work as an industrial electrician, including mechanical engineers converting to electrical work.

Requirements

Candidates should have a small amount of existing electrical knowledge. The course is heavily practical and includes workshop sessions throughout.

Syllabus

Safety & Fundamentals

• Electricity at Work Regulations 1989: requirements and implementation
• Working safely, including the importance of isolation procedures and lock-out systems
• Switches and push buttons: types, terminology and electrical symbols, with practical testing
• Relays and contactors: principles of operation, purpose and uses

Circuit Design & Construction

• Circuit design using BS electrical symbols and ladder diagrams, including simple retaining circuits
• Circuit construction and cable termination techniques

Motors & Motor Control

• Three-phase induction motors: synchronous and asynchronous, component parts, rotating magnetic fields and reversal, speed, slip, poles and frame sizes
• Overload protection principles
• Design, construction, inspection and testing of DOL (direct on line) starters
• Reversing starters and star delta starters: design, construction and verification

Components & Devices

• Solenoids and actuators: operation and maintenance
• Transformers: sizing, applications and uses
• Heaters: applications, uses and safety precautions
• Temperature controllers and thermal sensors: types, operation and uses
• Proximity devices, limit switches and proximity switches: types, operation and uses

Protection, Earthing & Termination

• Protection against overcurrent, and protective devices
• Earthing, including protection against indirect shock, and undervoltage protection
• Cable and core termination, including crimping and soldering, and terminating YY, SY, SWA and MICC cable

Testing & Fault Finding

• Basic circuit protective conductor and insulation resistance testing, instruments and expected values
• Practical testing of terminated cables and cables with faults on a test rig
• Fault finding: safety precautions, principles and practical work on fault rigs
• Root cause analysis, planned preventative maintenance and maximising uptime

Level 3 Certification

• Level 3 National Certification is included, covering the principles, processes and components used in the construction of electrical panels for engineering applications, and the techniques used in inspection, testing and commissioning
• Understanding relevant statutory and non-statutory legislation for the design, construction and application of electrotechnical panels
• Understanding safe systems of working on electrotechnical panels
• Interpreting drawings, diagrams, specifications and manufacturers' data to install, connect, refurbish, maintain and repair wiring systems and panels
• Selecting appropriate tools, equipment and instruments for panel building, testing and commissioning

Notes

Comprehensive notes will be given to all students who attend the course. Level 3 National Certification is included within the course.

Certification

Level 3 National Certification is included. On completion, candidates will be assessed against the principles, processes and components used in the construction, inspection, testing and commissioning of electrical panels for engineering applications.