header

Last Updated S012019

ME507

Unit Name Industrial Automation Introduction
Unit Code ME500
Unit Duration 12 weeks
Award

Graduate Diploma of Engineering (Industrial Automation)
Duration: 1 year


Master of Engineering (Industrial Automation)
Duration: 2 years  
Year Level 1st
Unit Creator / Reviewer Fraser Maywood/ Imtiaz Madni
Core/Sub-Discipline: Core
Pre/Co-requisites None
Credit Points


3


Grad Dip total course credit points = 24
(3 credits x 8 (units))


Masters total course credit points = 48
(3 credits x 12 (units) + 12 credits (Thesis))
Mode of Delivery On-Campus or Online
Unit Workload 10 hours per week:
     Lecture - 1 hour
     Tutorial Lecture - 1 hour
     Practical / Lab - 1 hour (where applicable)
     Personal Study recommended - 7 hours (guided and unguided)

Unit Description and General Aims

This introduction subject provides the fundamentals of industrial automation used in a range of industry sectors including manufacturing, resources, utilities and transport. The subject covers a range of introduction topics including: electrical and instrumentation theory; safety systems; codes and standards; planning and management automation projects; technical documentation and communications.

Students will undertake case studies of advanced automation projects to introduce how the various topic areas are integrated and implemented in industry.

This foundation subject will act as an introduction to the overall course and the other course units.

Students will be able to elaborate on the design and implementation of industrial automation in projects or operations.

Student assessment

Assessment Type
(e.g. Assignment - 2000 word essay (specify topic)
Examination (specify length and format))

When assessed

(e.g. Week 5)

 Weighting (% of total unit marks) Learning Outcomes Assessed

Assignment 1


Type: Report / Group work / Short answer questions / Case study


(combination of short problems and short essay questions demonstrating understanding of body of knowledge on electrical and instrumentation theory and its application)


Example topics: To be suggested by lecturer

 After Topic 4 25% 1, 2, 3

Assignment 2


Type: Report / Short Problems / Research / Paper / Case Study / Site Visit / Problem analysis / Project / Professional recommendation


Example topics: To be suggested by lecturer

 After Topic 8 25% 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Assignment 3 - Final Project(Typical thesis 4000 words, excluding references, figures and tables)


Example topics: “Factory Automation Plan and Design”

 After Topic 10 30% 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Practical Participation


Example: May be in the form of quizzes, class tests, practical assessments, remote labs, simulation software or case studies

 Final Week 15% 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Attendance / Tutorial Participation

Example: Presentation, discussion, group work, exercises, self-assessment/reflection, case study analysis, application.

 Continuous 5%

Prescribed and Recommended Readings

Required textbook

  • Measurement and Instrumentation - Theory and Application, Author(s) / Editor(s)Morris, Alan S.; Langari, Reza, Publisher Elsevier, Copyright Date2012, ISBN978-0-12-381960-4, Electronic ISBN978-0-12-381962-8
  • Electrical Engineering for Non-Electrical Engineers (2nd Edition), Author(s) / Editor(s)Rauf, S. Bobby, Publisher Fairmont Press, Inc. Copyright Date2017, ISBN978-0-88173-777-6, Electronic ISBN978-1-5231-0582-3


Reference Materials

  1. Boyes (Ed.), Instrumentation Reference Handbook, 4th Edition – Basic Principles of Industrial Automation, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2010. ISBN 978-0750683081
  2. Lamb, Industrial Automation: Hands On, McGraw-Hill Education, 2013. ISBN 978-0071816458
  3. Manesis and G. Nikolakopoulos, Introduction to Industrial Automation, CRC Press, 2018, ISBN 978-1498705400
  4. Gupta, S. K. Arora, and J. R. Westcott, Industrial Automation and Robotics: An Introduction, Mercury Learning & Information, 2016. ISBN 978-1938549304.
  5. L. S. Sharma, Overview of Industrial Process Automation, 2nd Edition, Elsevier, 2011. ISBN 978-0323165389
  6. Mazin-I-Khalil, Learn Industrial Automation, Lynda.com (LinkedIn Learning), 2018. [Online], Available: https://www.lynda.com/Software-Development-tutorials/Welcome/661768/713349-4.html
  7. M. Bartelt, Industrial Automated Systems: Instrumentation and Motion Control, Cengage Learning, 2010. ISBN 978-1435488885
  8. Döbler, Mario Großmann, Tim. (2019). Data Visualization with Python. Packt Publishing. Retrieved from: https://app.knovel.com/hotlink/toc/id:kpDVP00001/data-visualization-with/data-visualization-with

Number of peer-reviewed journals and websites (advised during lectures). Some examples are listed below.

  • IDC notes and Reference texts as advised by the lecturer.
  • Other material advised during the lectures
  • Cheng, Y., Zhang, Y., Ji, P., Xu, W., Zhou, Z. and Tao, F., 2018. Cyber-physical integration for moving digital factories forward towards smart manufacturing: a survey. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 97(1-4), pp.1209-1221.
  • Issaoui, Y., Khiat, A., Bahnasse, A. and Ouajji, H., 2020. Toward Smart Logistics: Engineering Insights and Emerging Trends. Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering, pp.1-28.
  • Li, X., Li, D., Wan, J., Vasilakos, A.V., Lai, C.F. and Wang, S., 2017. A review of industrial wireless networks in the context of industry 4.0. Wireless networks, 23(1), pp.23-41

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject/unit, students are expected to be able to:

  1. Discriminate between the various related engineering disciplines and specialisms, how they function and integrate in order to design, specify, implement and operate industrial automation assets.
    Bloom’s Level 6
  2. Demonstrate understanding of electrical theory as it applies to industrial automation
    Bloom’s Level 5
  3. Demonstrate understanding of programming, instrumentation and control systems theory as it applies to industrial automation
    Bloom’s Level 6
  4. Demonstrate understanding of safety systems as they apply to industrial automation
    Bloom’s Level 5
  5. Demonstrate understanding of regulatory frameworks, codes and standards as they apply to industrial automation including the application of new technology where codes of practices and standards may not exist
    Bloom’s Level 5
  6. Demonstrate understanding of the various industrial data communication techniques and their application in industrial automation
    Bloom’s Level 5
  7. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of planning, documenting, implementing and project managing industrial automation projects in a business context
    Bloom’s Level 6

Unit Content

One topic is delivered per contact week, with the exception of part-time 24-week units, where one topic is delivered every two weeks.

Topics 1

Introduction

  1. What is Industry Automation (OT vs IT, Industrial Internet of Things, network topologies)
  2. Industry sectors (eg Oil & Gas, Mining & Mineral Processing, Utilities, Pulp & Paper, Manufacturing, Transport, Agriculture, Construction) and associated major process and utility equipment
  3. Typical Automation Applications (examples across the sectors including robotics, autonomous vehicles, factory automation, materials handling etc)
  4. Measurement and control theory introduction
  5. Sensors
  6. Signal transmission
  7. Control systems (PLC, DCS, SCADA), Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS)
  8. Control elements (eg valves, drives, actuators, positioners)
  9. Communications (Ethernet, cable, fibre, Mobile-NextG, UHF/VHF radio, VSAT / BGAN) and examples for process control system and SCADA applications

Topics 2

Electrical Engineering for Industrial Automation

  1. What is electricity
  2. Units of measurement
  3. Current flow (AC, DC)
  4. Ohm's law
  5. Simple circuits
  6. Kirchoff’s voltage law
  7. Kirchoff’s current law
  8. Power
  9. Cable volt drop
  10. Electrical system overview (generation, transmission, distribution)
  11. Drives and drive control (fixed, stepped and fully variable speed, interlocks)

Topics 3

Python Programming for Industrial Automation

  1. Overview of Engineering Programming in Industrial Automation
  2. Python Basics (Basic Operation, Syntax, setting up environment, variables, nesting)
  3. Datatypes (integers, strings, lists)
  4. Numpy Arrays and mathematics
  5. Conditionals, Errors and Looping
  6. Data Analysis with pandas
  7. Visualization with Matplotlib
  8. Functions and Modules
  9. Object Oriented Programming
  10. Take home exercises: Industrial Automation

Topics 4 and 5

Instrument Engineering for Industrial Automation

  1. Measurement (temperature, pressure, level, flow, product quality, position, count)
  2. Simple instrument loop (sensor, conditioning / amplification, transmission, display, recording)
  3. Pneumatic instruments
  4. Electrical / electronic instruments
  5. Digital / smart instruments
  6. Calibration, range, span, accuracy, linearization
  7. Signal transmission (conventional, Fieldbus, Wireless)

Topics 6

Safety Overview

  1. Code of Hammurabi
  2. Safety acts, regulations, standards, codes of practices
  3. What goes wrong and why
  4. OHS vs process safety
  5. Hazard identification
  6. Risk assessment
  7. Hierarchy of safety studies

Topics 7

Regulations, Acts, Codes and Standards

  1. Professional ethics
  2. Laws and regulations
  3. Codes and standards
  4. Industry practice
  5. Engineering discipline, skills and competency, continuous professional development
  6. Managing new technology

Topics 8

Automation Planning and Project Management

  1. Capital stewardship process and activities, front end loading
  2. Project management overview, project planning (activities and key deliverables linked to capital stewardship and FEL process)
  3. Framing and benchmarking
  4. Automation lifecycle: Design; Build; Test; Install; Commission and Operate
  5. Scope of work, WBS, schedule and budget
  6. Quality management

Topics 9 and 10

Project and Asset Documentation

  1. Document hierarchy and development
  2. User requirements
  3. Functional and technical specifications
  4. Scope of work
  5. Installation, test and commissioning documentation
  6. Documentation for operations
  7. High level drawings - eg PFD, mass balance and P&IDs for process sector
  8. Plant layouts
  9. Single line diagrams
  10. Control system topology drawings
  11. Functional logic diagrams (eg motor control circuit)
  12. Sequence flow charts
  13. Electrical schematics for motor control circuit
  14. Instrument loop drawings
  15. Database tools

Topics 11

Data Communications

  1. Overview of Communication technologies
  2. Design and selection considerations

Topics 12

Advanced Study Case Studies – drawn from examples in

  1. Large scale industrial automation
  2. Industry 4.0 concepts (Smart Manufacturing, Smart Logistics and supply chain management, Smart Sensor Nodes, Deployment of Robotics)
  3. Autonomous Vehicles
  4. Machine Learning

 

Engineers Australia


The Australian Engineering Stage 1 Competency Standards for the Professional Engineer, approved as of 2013. This table is referenced in the mapping of graduate attributes to learning outcomes and via the learning outcomes to student assessment.

 

Stage 1 Competencies and Elements of Competency

1.

Knowledge and Skill Base

1.1

Comprehensive, theory based understanding of the underpinning natural and physical sciences and the engineering fundamentals applicable to the engineering discipline.

1.2

Conceptual understanding of the mathematics, numerical analysis, statistics, and computer and information sciences which underpin the engineering discipline.

1.3

In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline.

1.4

 Discernment of knowledge development and research directions within the engineering discipline.

1.5

 Knowledge of engineering design practice and contextual factors impacting the engineering discipline.

1.6

Understanding of the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities and bounds of sustainable engineering practice in the specific discipline.

2.

Engineering Application Ability

2.1

Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving.

2.2

Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources.

2.3

Application of systematic engineering synthesis and design processes.

2.4

Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects.

3.

Professional and Personal Attributes

3.1

Ethical conduct and professional accountability.

3.2

Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains.

3.3

Creative, innovative and pro-active demeanour.

3.4

Professional use and management of information.

3.5

Orderly management of self, and professional conduct.

3.6

Effective team membership and team leadership.

Software/Hardware Used

Software

  • VPLabs
  • v12
  • Instruction update 11/09/2019 - v2.4

 

Hardware

  • N/A

Unit Changes Based on Student Feedback

 

1. Multiple Assessment questions reviewed and length of the assessment updated to ensure students are not overworked.

2. Assessment due dates reviewed and updated to provide more space between assessments and avoid bottlenecks/congestions with other unit's assessment due dates

footer