Program Overview

Industrial Maintenance Program

The Industrial Maintenance Program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the field of industrial maintenance. The program includes a series of courses that cover topics such as industrial math, electricity, motor controls, and programmable logic controllers (PLCs).

Program Details

• The program begins on August 19, 2025, and ends in April 2026.
• Classes meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Participants must be fluent in English.
• The program cost is $7,100, which includes all instruction, instructional materials, administrative support, and travel.
• The academic content of the training module is approved through the University College of Penn State University.
• All participants earn a certificate indicating their accumulated Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for their attendance at this training program.

Course Schedule

• Industrial Math: August 19, 2025 - August 28, 2025
• Electricity I: September 2, 2025 - September 25, 2025
• Electricity II: October 7, 2025 - October 30, 2025
• Motor Controls I: November 11, 2025 - December 15, 2025 (no class Thanksgiving week)
• Motor Controls II: January 13, 2026 - February 21, 2026
• PLC I: March 3, 2026 - March 19, 2026
• PLC II: March 24, 2026 - April 9, 2026
• PLC III: April 14, 2026 - April 30, 2026

Course Descriptions

Industrial Math and Electricity I & II

• Dates: August 19, 2025, through October 30, 2025
• Times: 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• These courses will introduce the students to the basic principles of electricity, including OHMS law, conductors, insulators, DC circuits, series and parallel circuits, voltage dividers, basic AC circuits, AC sine wave analysis, capacitors, and inductors.
• Courses will cover AC theory and circuitry, time constant, AC complex numbers, reactance and impedance, LRC circuits, transformers, relays, polyphase AC circuits, and power factor.
• An additional focus will be 16 hours of industrial math relating to electrical circuitry and the use of electrical measurement devices.

Motor Controls

• Dates: November 11, 2025, to February 21, 2026
• Times: 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Module I - Motor Controls
  • Students in this course will learn advanced motor control circuitry through the use of ladder diagrams.
  • Detailed analysis of motor controls circuits included forward/reverse stations and multiples start/stop stations.
  • Students will be required to build a forward/reverse motor control station utilizing conduit and combination motor starters.
  • Conduit bending will also be covered to the extent of its use in motor controls.
  • Also covered will be motor controls trouble shooting.
• Module II - Advanced Motor Controls/Variable Frequency Drives/Machine Controls
  • Students enrolled in this course will receive the next stage of training in motor controls, i.e., Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs).
  • Students will learn to use and program the AB1305 VFD for various operations and scenarios.
  • Emphasis will be placed on installation and troubleshooting of a motor control system using the VFD as the motor's prime control device.
  • Various problems will be inserted into a basic system for the student to locate and repair.

Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)

• Dates: March 3, 2026, to April 30, 2026
• Times: 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Module I
  • Students will learn PLC fundamentals involved with PLC programming, hardware, and setup.
  • Students will receive both theory and hands-on instruction with an emphasis on hands-on programming and device interface and communication.
  • Additional topics include PLC architecture and set up, how to set up communication to RSLinx, proper addressing and bit information, how to design and develop ladder logic in SLC 500, learn proper addressing and bit function for basic programming, counters and timers, greater than/less than bits, file moves and subroutines.
  • Theory and hands-on experience will be provided using the Allen Bradley SLC 5/03 Programmable Logic Controllers.
• Module II
  • This course is intended for an industrial maintenance person who has experience with PLC systems or has taken PLC Basics and has knowledge of basic computer skills.
  • An emphasis will be placed on trouble shooting PLC subsystems from “outside” of the program.
  • System overview of Studio 5000, comparison to SLC 500, I/O cards and function and wiring, CPU differences and functions, how to set up Studio 5000 in RSLinx, configure communication path, set up new controller and I/O to start a program, basic instruction bits, proper tag naming and tag data base.
  • Theory and hands-on experience will be provided using the Allen Bradley Studio 5000 and 1769-L36ERM Compact logic Programmable Logic Controllers.
• Module III
  • Students will learn PLC fundamentals involved with PLC programming, hardware, and setup.
  • Students will receive both theory and hands-on instruction with an emphasis on hands-on wiring, power supplies, and how to understand and trouble-shoot PLCs from the “outside” with a computer.
  • The module will also cover PLC types, I/O types, and programming/device interface and communication.
  • Additionally, how to design and develop a starter program, build tag data base for the program, counter/timers, internal tags, move/message bits, greater than/less then, AOI structure, AOI build and program, JSR routines.
  • Final PLC Development class will utilize VFD for motor control with multiple devices.

Refund Policy

• Due to demand for courses, advance payment for registration is required no later than one week prior to the first class.
• Space cannot be held without payment.
• Cancellations must be received at least three working days prior to the first day of class, or the student will be responsible for the fee.
• The University reserves the right to cancel or postpone any course due to insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances.