Training Shouldn’t Take Place in a Vacuum…Except in this Case!
What do you think of when you hear the word “vacuum?” For most, the household tool you use to clean the carpets might spring to mind. In the modern industrial workplace, however, vacuum technology plays an essential role in many industries and takes many different forms.
For example, industrial robots programmed to pick and place objects often use vacuum cup grippers combined with pneumatic power to accomplish their tasks. Other high-tech industries, such as those that deal with cryogenic substances, make use of vacuum insulated pipes and containers.
Vacuum pumps can be a critical component of extracting liquids and gases. Of course, vacuum systems that operate much like the common household vacuum cleaner are also important in industries that need them to keep pristine workspaces free of dust and contaminants.
So, what is a vacuum? Many people believe a vacuum means the total absence of air within a sealed container. Scientifically, however, a vacuum exists any time the pressure inside a closed volume is less than the local atmospheric pressure.
It is almost impossible to remove every air molecule from any container, so a so-called “perfect” vacuum can never really be achieved. There are, however, different ranges of vacuum forces that can be obtained as more air is removed and the pressure differential increases.
The range of vacuum forces varies from rough (coarse) to middle (fine) and finally to high. Most industrial vacuum systems need only rough (coarse) vacuum force for basic lifting and workholding applications, since it’s cheaper to increase force by increasing the amount of contact area with a vacuum cup than it is to create a higher vacuum force.
Some applications require higher vacuum forces, though. For example, middle (fine) vacuum force is needed for various process applications, such as coating, degassing, freeze drying, and molecular distillation; and advanced laboratory instruments, like particle accelerators, mass spectrometers, and electron microscopes, use high vacuums.
Many industrial systems utilize vacuum forces, so it’s important to understand how vacuums are created and measured, including how changes in atmospheric pressure can impact vacuum systems. For example, atmospheric pressure variations can greatly impact the boiling temperature of water.
At sea level (normal atmospheric pressure), water boils at 100°C. However, ascend to the top of a mountain where atmospheric pressure is greatly reduced, and water will boil at about 75°C. Inside a vacuum chamber where there is very little pressure, water can boil at near room temperature (20°C).
Bayport Technical’s Vacuum Working Demonstrator (102-VT) is an acrylic model that clearly demonstrates the effect of atmospheric pressure variations on fluids and gases. Learners using the Vacuum Working Demonstrator will gain hands-on experience with a vacuum pump and vacuum gauge to measure the pressure inside a clear acrylic domed vacuum chamber, preparing them to work with a variety of industrial systems that utilize vacuum forces.
Visit Bayport Technical’s website to learn more about the Heat Transfer Trainer, as well as the wide variety of other technical training products available.
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Bayport Technical’s Trainer Provides Hands-On Experience with Four Types of Heat Exchangers
A wide variety of industries use processes that require the transfer of heat from one fluid (liquid or gas) to another, and most of those systems use heat exchangers to accomplish this task. In a heat exchanger, the two fluids do not make direct contact. Instead, heat passes from the hotter fluid to the metal isolating the fluids and then to the cooler fluid.
You can find heat exchangers in all sorts of industrial applications, such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; preheaters or coolers in fluid systems; radiators on internal combustion engines; and boilers, evaporators, and condensers used with fluids like oils, wastewater, hydrocarbons, biogases, etc. in industries such as oil and gas refining and power generation.
Heat exchangers come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and designs. The most common and basic type is the tube and shell heat exchanger, which consists of a set of tubes inside a cylindrical shell. Fluids flow inside the tubes (tube-side fluids) and outside the tubes (shell-side fluids) and remain separated at the ends of the tubes by the tube sheets.
Another common type is the plate heat exchanger, which uses metal plates to transfer heat between the fluids. Plate heat exchangers are popular in applications that require heat transfer to occur as quickly as possible, because fluids get spread out over a larger surface area when they flow over the plates.
Bayport Technical’s Heat Transfer Trainer (110-HTDU) provides valuable hands-on experience with four different types of heat exchangers: brazed plate, brass single pass tube and shell, stainless steel single pass tube and shell, and four pass tube and shell.
The Heat Transfer Trainer features a wide variety of real industrial components, including: two pumps for hot and cold fluid, manifolded with valving; a water heater with storage tank; a refrigerant-type water chiller with storage tank; flow meters and controllers; and digital thermometers.
Visit Bayport Technical’s website to learn more about the Heat Transfer Trainer, as well as the wide variety of other technical training products available.
- Published in News
Four Factors Contributing to the Oil and Gas Industry Skills Gap
Click HERE to view Four Factors Contributing to the Oil and Gas Industry Skills Gap as a multimedia presentation.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its continuing aftereffects have shined a spotlight on the job market in the United States. Unemployment numbers remain high, yet we see “Now Hiring” signs everywhere we look. What’s going on?
In many industries, there exists what is commonly called a “skills gap” that accounts for the number of open, unfilled positions. This gap refers to the difference between the number of highly-skilled workers that employers need and the number of such workers available.
Nowhere is the skills gap more noticeable than in the oil and gas industry. As Vivek Kumar notes in an IndustryWired article, “[m]any industry professionals believe that a growing skills shortage has been the biggest challenge for the industry.”
According to a Rand Corporation study, the industry will require a “projected 1.9 million future oil and natural gas workers.” Because of the skills gap, hundreds of thousands of those positions could remain unfilled.
In this article, we’ll take a look at four factors contributing to the oil and gas industry skills gap, including an aging workforce, advanced technologies, reluctant millennials, and training challenges specific to the oil and gas industry. We’ll also examine the role training plays in bridging the skills gap, as well as how Bayport Technical’s training solutions prepare workers for success in the oil and gas industry.
An Aging Workforce Takes Critical Skills and Experience with Them When They Retire
In an ideal world, aging employees close to retirement would help to train new, younger workers to take their place, passing along valuable knowledge accumulated from their years of experience on the job.
Unfortunately, that is not happening as frequently as it should in today’s oil and gas industry. Too many workers are reaching retirement age in the near future, and not enough new workers are filling open positions to replace them.
As noted by Jake Wengroff in a Synapse article, “[t]he average age of workers in petroleum companies is 50 years old, among the oldest of any industry…Now more than ever: with an increase in the number of experienced individuals retiring, the energy industry is facing a shortage of trainers capable of mentoring the next generation.”
A Grainger article summarizes the effect this is having on the oil and gas industry skills gap: “[m]any oil and gas companies have large segments of their workforce who are able to retire in the next few years. As these experienced workers leave, companies will have to bring in new employees and contractors who are less experienced and unfamiliar with the facility.”
New Technologies Are Transforming the Oil and Gas Industry
Adding to the skills gap problem is the fact that, according to Kumar, “[t]he oil and gas industry is rapidly moving towards digital transformation.” This is not surprising, as new technologies like artificial intelligence, data analytics, and the Internet of Things are transforming industries of all kinds around the world.
The result is that today’s oil and gas workers need more advanced skills than ever before. As Wengroff notes, “[e]xploration, refining, and distribution of oil and gas and alternative energy sources have become complicated processes, as new technologies are introduced to maximize production.”
Workers without the requisite skills must either be replaced or retrained. According to the Rand Corporation study, “[a]s manual skills become less valuable than the technological ones needed to operate the emerging forms of equipment that are characteristic of this sector, many workers with obsolete skills are being displaced.”
The Rand Corporation study concludes:
“The gap between employer needs and employee skills is widest in the near term, when more jobs will open up than the current output of graduates is likely to meet, retirements will increase among the baby-boomer generation, and reliance on technical skills in the workforce will continue to increase.”
The Oil and Gas Industry Is Having Trouble Attracting Millennials
Attracting workers to the skilled trades has always been an uphill battle. Ask anyone in manufacturing and they will tell you it’s a constant struggle fighting misconceptions and negative perceptions of industry jobs.
The oil and gas industry is no different. In fact, it probably faces even greater challenges than other industries, because many young people tend to perceive oil and gas jobs as hot, dirty, difficult, and even dangerous.
Clearly, if the skills gap is to be bridged, more effort must be made to increase the number of new workers choosing the oil and gas industry. As Kumar notes, “[c]reating job opportunities for young professionals can be an effective approach to lessen the shortage of talented workforce in the oil and gas sector.”
However, no one believes this task will be easy. In fact, there are even newer concerns to address when it comes to millennials and the oil and gas industry. According to Kumar, “[m]any reports reveal that millennials are tentative to make a career in the industry. This is significantly because of the concerns around the consistency of the industry in the future, contributing to a workforce shortage in the industry. As millennials are becoming more tech-savvy, they want to work in innovative and evolving green energy industries.”
The Oil and Gas Industry Has Unique Training Challenges
Further compounding the skills gap problem is the fact that the oil and gas industry has unique training challenges. This issue particularly comes into play when thinking about both upskilling incumbent workers and getting new workers up to speed with the skills they need to succeed.
According to Kumar, “[t]he major reason the oil and gas industry faces skills deficiency are numerous training challenges, including regulatory compliance mandates, training costs to an aging workforce and the need to improve production rates while reducing environmental impacts and safety accidents.”
Wengroff points out that, “[a]s the energy industry grows more significant, and new participants enter the value chain, training is vital.” However, the author notes that this doesn’t mean training gets the attention it deserves, because “[s]pending time in instructor-led training sessions takes away from engineering, design, exploration, distribution, or retail marketing activities.”
Wengroff concludes:
“As with other industries, energy companies face a shortage of resources allocated to training. This may seem paradoxical, given the multi-trillion-dollar size of the oil, gas and alternative energy industry. However, with most funds going to exploration or the development of new technologies for extraction, refining, and distribution, training budgets are considered overhead and are often greatly reduced in size.”
Effective Training Can Bridge the Oil and Gas Industry Skills Gap
As we’ve discussed, there are multiple factors contributing to the oil and gas industry skills gap problem. How do you solve a lack of highly-skilled workers? The obvious solution is to ensure that prospective and current workers have the advanced technical skills they need.
Of course, putting that “simple” solution into practice is never as easy as it sounds. For example, many employers fail to invest in proper training because they feel like that responsibility should fall on the shoulders of educators at the secondary and post-secondary level.
However, that attitude won’t get you far in the oil and gas industry. With unique safety and regulatory compliance issues aplenty, the oil and gas industry simply cannot ignore the need for effective on-the-job training.
Consider these figures from the Rand Corporation study:
“About half of employers (52 percent) reported employing high-priority occupations that require moderate-term on-the-job training (including inspectors, welders, and roustabouts) and about one in four employers (28 percent) reported having high-priority occupations that require long-term on-the-job training (including mechanics, machinists, and wellhead plumbers). Thus, for many…oil and gas sector employers…it is essential to invest in and commit to providing on-the-job training to ensure their workers can adequately perform their duties.”
Moreover, it’s clear that prospective and current employees want and value ongoing training opportunities. Wengroff discusses this fact in his article:
“According to research conducted by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, employees place a great emphasis on training opportunities when choosing employers. According to the SPE survey, three-quarters (74.6 percent) of employees state that learning and development programs are important in their choice of role, and over half (53.3 percent) indicate that a lack of opportunities would be enough for them to consider leaving the company.”
In addition to being wanted and valued by current and future workers, ongoing training is simply necessary. As the Rand Corporation study notes, “training requires an investment on the part of the employer, as many elements of jobs and their corresponding duties are not directly taught in the classroom — even in occupationally focused courses/degree programs.”
Rather than viewing ongoing training as a cost to be managed, oil and gas companies would do well to instead think of training as an opportunity to invest in its workers. Using an analogy uniquely appropriate to the oil and gas industry, the Rand Corporation study concludes:
“Focusing on the workforce as a pipeline that supports careers rather than a single hiring transaction at entry is essential for sustaining the oil and natural gas industry over the long term. Put differently, the contours of workers’ careers will evolve over time, requiring additional training, guidance, support, and (in some cases) additional degrees or certifications. Focusing only on the education, knowledge, and skills that workers gain from school and bring with them to their jobs is potentially short-sighted.”
Bayport Technical Can Help You Bridge the Oil and Gas Industry Skills Gap
Starting a new skills training program can be challenging for any company. This is especially true in the oil and gas industry with its specialized equipment and regulatory compliance issues. That’s why it’s essential to get help from a trusted technical training expert.
If you want to take your oil and gas training to the next level, contact the experts at Bayport Technical today. Bayport Technical features a wide variety of oil and gas training solutions, including trainers and working demonstrators.
You’ll find training aids designed specifically for the unique requirements of the oil and gas industry, including solutions providing training with specialized equipment such as flash drum separators, 3-phase separators, storage wells, cooling towers, floating roof tanks, and more.
The experts at Bayport Technical can help you design a training program that addresses the specific needs of your organization. With years of experience providing training solutions to the oil and gas industry, Bayport Technical knows how to help you develop effective training that will provide your workers with the skills they need to succeed.
- Published in News
New Marine Corps Doctrine Promotes Education & Training
Click here to view New Marine Corps Doctrine Promotes Education & Training as a multimedia presentation.
The few. The proud. Who are we talking about? The Marines, of course. That particular recruiting slogan has been permanently etched into our memories over the years.
And it’s a great slogan. The Marines are legendary for a training regimen that weeds out all but the strongest, creating a fighting force to be reckoned with. Indeed, the Marines have been on the front lines of every major U.S. military campaign of the modern era.
To be prepared for the future, however, the Marines know that training the same way they have in the past will not be sufficient. That’s why a recent doctrinal publication puts a new focus on education and continued learning.
Industry, always closely connected to the military, would do well to put a renewed emphasis on education and training, too. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how partnering with a trusted technical training company like DAC Worldwide can prepare your students, workers, soldiers, and sailors for a bright future.
A New Doctrine for a New Era
According to a Marine Corps Times article, “the Marine Corps unveiled the Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication 7 [MCDP 7] in February [2019] as the service aims to promote education, training, and continued learning among Marines so they become students of their profession.”
How significant was this doctrinal development? MCDP 7 was the first new doctrinal publication issued by the Marines since 2001. Its goal: “to motivate Marines to personally assess where they can improve and understand the ‘why’ behind the significance of learning.”
Maj. Gen. William Mullen was quoted as saying “that he’s heard Marines say they joined the service to escape an academic education. But the Corps wants its personnel to understand that the two complement one another and that education prepares Marines to think quickly when faced with challenges.”
According to Mullen, “You need both training and education. Training prepares you for things you know you’re going to have to do…But the education piece comes in when the unknown starts to happen, which it always does.” Mullen specifically referred to the fact that the environments Marines face today present challenges that are only growing more complex.
This new doctrinal change comes as “Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger is working to remake the Corps to better compete with potential high-end adversaries…Berger wants a leaner force to conduct sea denial operations, survive in a contested maritime environment and serve as a larger Naval expeditionary force.”
It’s Not Just the Marines
Speaking of the Navy, the Marine Corps Times article notes that the Navy announced in May 2019 “that it was modifying fitness reports to reflect an individual’s educational and training accomplishments, including military education courses, professional and academic certifications, among other things.”
Like the Marines’ new focus on education and continued learning, the Navy’s modified fitness reports are meant to “show that career-long military learning isn’t only job-related technical or tactical training, and that a commitment to higher education will produce Navy leaders with more refined critical thinking skills,” according to an article in the Navy Times.
Future Navy fitness reports will thus document educational performance, including “[m]ilitary educational courses, civilian institution coursework, and professional and academic certifications.” Navy leadership also indicated they will also encourage additional informal efforts, such as learning new technologies.
It’s All COOL
It’s no coincidence that the Marines and the Navy would emphasize professional and academic certifications. Much of the training that military personnel receive prepares them for future civilian jobs.
Obtaining professional and academic certifications while in the military can make it easier for personnel to transition to civilian life when their service is finished. All branches of the military recognize the importance of certifications in making that transition as easy as possible.
For example, the Marine Corps COOL site (Marine Corps Credentialing Opportunities On-Line) helps Marines see how their military training and experience matches up with civilian credential requirements. Such credentials could include important and valuable advanced manufacturing credentials from entities like the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS) and the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC).
Marines using the COOL site can see whether military funding is available to help attain particular credentials. They can also see how the training and skills they’ve already acquired might match up with specific credentials valued by employers, such as NIMS’ Industrial Technology Maintenance (ITM) certification or MSSC’s Certified Production Technician (CPT) certification. There are also COOL sites for the Army, Coast Guard, Navy, and Air Force.
Industry Must Also Evolve
Given the military’s new focus on education and continued learning, it’s important that industries that work with and support the military evolve in a similar fashion. The military-industrial complex consists of all sorts of industries that work closely with the military to help them accomplish their mission.
These industries should take a cue from their military counterparts and begin to develop a similar focus on education and continued learning among their workforce. Industry workers will only be able to continue to keep pace with their military counterparts if they’re also seeking new educational opportunities and learning new skills and technologies.
Pushing an industrial workforce or a military organization toward more education and greater skill development can be a daunting task. That’s why it’s imperative that both the military and their industrial counterparts seek out and rely upon the expertise of a trusted technical training partner.
A Trusted Education & Training Partner
DAC Worldwide is a US-based world leader in technical training solutions. For over 35 years, DAC Worldwide has been helping industrial employers and military organizations with realistic, hands-on training systems.
DAC Worldwide offers a wide range of product solutions to fit all your training needs. From training systems that teach a full range of skills to cutaways that increase understanding of how a component works, we have what you need.
For example, many military personnel work in the same skilled occupations as civilians. This means they need a solid foundation in various technologies, including electrical, electronics, fluid power, and mechanical drives.
Whether you train military personnel working on military bases or civilian crews with military contracts, DAC Worldwide’s military training solutions offer an unmatched range of products to allow you to create the course you need or to fill in any gaps that you have in your current training.
Let’s take a closer look at four specific DAC Worldwide products that can take your training program to the next level:
Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System (811-000)
DAC Worldwide’s Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training 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 in an industrial setting. The training system includes two process tanks; a centrifugal pump; a complex, multi-purpose piping network; electrical controls; a variety of lockable system components; and a lock-out/tag-out kit that features a large number of commonly-encountered locking and tagging devices.
Basic Electricity Training System (400-PAC)
DAC Worldwide’s Basic Electricity Training System teaches basic AC and DC electrical principles. Learners will explore how electricity is used for power and control in various sectors. The trainer covers industry-relevant skills, such as installing, operating, and troubleshooting AC and DC electrical circuits in a variety of applications.
Piston Pump Cutaway (278-132)
DAC Worldwide’s Piston Pump Cutaway is an industrial piston pump that has been carefully sectioned and color-coded to train learners in the design, operation, construction, and maintenance of this common process pump used throughout industry. The cutaway exposes and showcases the complete internal configuration of an industrial piston pump. Moreover, seal features and bearings have been retained to allow realistic, hands-on pump maintenance and operation training.
Centrifugal Pump Cutaway (278-101)
DAC Worldwide’s Centrifugal Pump Cutaway is a sectioned centrifugal pump that provides realistic training in the operating principles, construction details, and maintenance of common centrifugal process pumps used throughout industry and the military. It includes various sectioned components, such as seals and bearings, as well as showcasing the pump’s impeller.
Contact DAC Worldwide Today
Is your organization ready to take its industrial technical training to the next level? Contact a DAC Worldwide expert today for a personal consultation regarding your training needs and how our variety of training systems, cutaways, dissectibles, and models can prepare both industrial workers and military personnel for the future challenges they face.
- Published in News
Building a Mechanical Drives Training Program | Amatrol & DAC Worldwide Offer Complementary Training Solutions
To read ‘Building a Mechanical Drives Training Program’ as a Multimedia presentation, please click here.
Essential workers come in all shapes and sizes.
Without properly functioning mechanical drives, robots wouldn’t be able to perform automated commands, conveyor belts would lay still, and machining centers would grind to a screeching halt. Machine breakdowns couldn’t be fixed without them.
Local industry needs more technicians with specific skillsets, including proficiency in working with mechanical drives. What’s needed are more in-depth programs that not only provide hands-on skills, but take learning beyond the classroom with full, interactive eLearning.
With traditional education facing unprecedented uncertainty, building a sought-after Mechanical Drives Training Program is becoming a high priority for high schools and colleges around the nation. And thanks to Amatrol and its new sister company, DAC Worldwide, constructing a dream Mechanical Drives Training Program is now easier than ever.
What Good Comes With Mechanical Training?
Frankly, mechanical drives are found in almost every aspect of life and countless industrial sectors, such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, automotive, construction, power & energy, industrial maintenance, mining, and more.
Thanks to its worldwide use, mechanical maintenance technicians are highly sought after. Positions are available, with more on the way thanks to a large chunk of Baby Boomers approaching retirement age.
However the importance behind mechanical training can eventually be attributed to the impending Skills Gap, which has the potential of leaving millions of jobs unfilled due to a lack of qualified workers. Thanks to equipment that is becoming more technologically advanced by the day, few can perform routine maintenance that must be learned and practiced to gain proficiency.
Today, mechanical maintenance technicians are expected to possess a very specific, highly technical skillset. So in order to meet those expectations, current mechanical training should cover everything from bedrock fundamentals, all the way through advanced manufacturing applications.
In addition, the training should not be one-dimensional. While hands-on training allows students to take a more tangible approach to training, theoretical understanding of the topic brings the knowledge full circle. One without the other would be doing a disservice to not only the students, but any customers they may encounter on their professional journey.
How DAC Worldwide & Amatrol Can Legitimize Your Mechanical Drives Training
No matter how advanced your mechanical drives training may (or may not) be, Amatrol and DAC Worldwide can add the substance to take your program to the next level.
DAC Worldwide and Amatrol joined forces in 2019 after discovering that their training systems complemented each other to create an ever more robust training. As worldwide leaders in technical training, the goal of the “sister companies” was to provide even more technical training opportunities for schools and companies in need, especially in the field of mechanical drives.
However the real winners in the combining of these two technical training companies? The learners. While Amatrol and DAC Worldwide may be in the forefront of technical training, the approach taken by the two companies varies slightly.
What this means is even more opportunities for learners to strengthen their skills before entering the workforce. It also gives schools and training facilities more options when building their program, as Amatrol’s and DAC Worldwide’s products complement each other for a well-rounded classroom.
For example, Amatrol has unmatched eLearning curriculum, as well as unparalleled depth and breadth of coverage. The learning systems, which are available in both portable and full-size models, offer thorough, in-depth training that can be added on as training needs grow or change. A typical lesson will see students start with the basics, like identification and definition, before moving on to more challenging topics, like troubleshooting and implementation.
DAC Worldwide, on the other hand, creates training systems, models, cutaways, and sample boards of various mechanical drives. Each product is intended to train students on a specific set of technical topics. So if instructors have a particular skill they have identified as the most appropriate – like belt drive training (201-000) – a DACW training system will focus solely on that particular skill. Or for those that need a perfect tool for skill evaluation for pre-hire or annual skill testing, DAC Worldwide’s products would be the ideal solution. In turn, with its focused scope, these trainers could be a less expensive alternative to large-scale systems.
Amatrol and DAC Worldwide Mechanical Training Solutions
As mentioned, both Amatrol and DAC Worldwide provide mechanical training, but do so in slightly different, yet complementary, closely-aligned ways that further enhance training.
Amatrol built a platform that has a broad range of skills on its base levels, with the opportunity for expansion. By adding an optional system, users can create a system that is unmatched in its depth and breadth of training. Amatrol’s Mechanical Drives 1 Learning System (970-ME1) does it all in a compact system and also includes interactive eLearning.
DAC Worldwide, on the other hand, built individual systems that focus on more specific skill training. Users can easily expand the number of trainers used for more in-depth skill-building, or use the trainers as a tool for learners’ final assessment. It’s also ideal for adult training, if local industry wants their employees to have specific training, such as coupling alignment (206-000), without the need for belts, chains, and other components.
While both approaches lead to successful technical training, many of DAC Worldwide and Amatrol’s products work hand-in-hand for seamless integration into any Mechanical Drives program.
So if you’re looking for a way to expand (or begin) a Mechanical Drives Program, here are a few solutions on how to implement trainers from both DAC Worldwide and Amatrol:
Solution #1: Mechanical Drives Learning System | 970-ME1 (Amatrol)
The “crown jewel” of mechanical training products, Amatrol’s 970-ME1 covers countless industry-needed skills in one convenient system. The Mechanical Drives 1 Learning System covers alignment and operation of mechanical drives, and alignment and applications of various motor drive systems.
Accompanied with online mechanical drives curriculum to gain theoretical knowledge, this system also provides hands-on skill training for shaft, belt, gear, and chain drives using real-world motor drive components. Students will cover topics like mechanical drive systems, key fasteners, power transmission system, v-belt drives, and much more.
With the 970-ME1, Amatrol expertly mixes theoretical concepts immediately followed by hands-on practice to build the strongest possible retention and competency for learners. It includes Amatrol’s world-class eLearning curriculum, as well as expansion units to further training, such as:
- Mechanical Drives 2
- Mechanical Drives 3
- Mechanical Drives 4
- Laser Shaft Alignment*
- Vibration Analysis*
- Roller-Pack Machine Tool Axis
- Plain Bearing Machine Tool Axis
- Floor-Standing Belt Conveyor
- Machine Tool Chip Conveyor
- Predictive Maintenance Vibrations Analysis
* Also Available as Stand-Alone Training System
Solution #2: Single-Topic Trainers (DAC Worldwide)
Single-topic trainers focus on one core subject matter, making it useful for applications where there is a greater need for training on a specific topic. Not only can these DACW trainers extend your training lab to accommodate more students at a very low cost, but they can add to Amatrol’s 970-ME1 system.
Belt & Chain Drives
DACW’s Belt Drive Training System Plus (201-PAC) focuses on the identification, installation, tensioning, and alignment of common belt drives types found throughout industry. It includes flanged bearings, fractional horsepower belts and sheaves, multiple Type-A belt sets, sheave bushings, and more.
Available in: 201-000, 201-PAC
The Chain Drive Training System Plus (223-PAC) presents learners with industrial chain drives, heavy/silent chains, and sprocket set usage, providing a complete introduction to chain nomenclature, assembly, disassembly alignment, and maintenance.
Available in: 223-000, 223-PAC
Gear & Bearing Maintenance
DAC Worldwide’s Gear Maintenance Training System Plus (205-PAC) is the ideal training tool to learn how to install, align, troubleshoot, and repair a wide variety of gears, shafts, and bearings. Learners will be introduced to gear identification, installation, alignment, and troubleshooting.
Available in: 205-000, 205-PAC
The Advanced Bearing Maintenance Training System Plus (204E-PAC) allows for in-depth training in the identification, installation, and removal of various industrial-quality rolling element bearings. Using two workstations, students will study topics such as bearing identification systems, rolling element bearing construction, bearing maintenance pre-check, and more.
Available in: 204E-000, 204E-PAC
Coupling / Shaft Alignment
For convenient, realistic training in shaft alignment, look no further than DAC Worldwide’s Basic Coupling / Shaft Alignment Training System Plus (208D-PAC). The design is based on the configuration found in many vertical centrifugal pumps, and accommodates all types of alignment apparatus, including laser systems. Learners will perform four-point motor element jacking, master a dial indicator in coupling/shaft alignment, troubleshoot angular and parallel misalignments, and install a flexible disc coupling.
Available in: 208D-000, 208D-PAC
Brake Clutch
Using a completely motorized training package of brake and clutch-related hardware and control components, DACW’s Brake Clutch Training System (220-PACP) explores how brakes and clutches are used for training throughout various sectors. The trainers covers the installation, operation, and troubleshooting of brakes and clutches in a variety of applications.
Available in: 220-000, 220-PACP
Solution #3: Enhancement Trainers (DAC Worldwide)
In addition to single-topic trainers, DACW also offers Enhancement Trainers.
Basically, Enhancement training systems cover skills that are not currently included in Amatrol training systems, specifically the 970-ME1. These units have the same look and feel as single-topic trainers, but can extend the training capabilities of Amatrol mechanical learning systems.
Advanced Coupling / Shaft Alignment
DAC Worldwide’s 3-Component Coupling Shaft Alignment Training System Plus (206-PAC) is patterned after a typical turbine-driven pump or turbo-compressor. The system includes flanged bearings that allow changes in angular and parallel misalignment, motor attachment points with steel-threaded inserts, and replaceable shaft for easy installation of bent shafts.
Available in: 206-000, 206-PAC
With a design based on the configuration found in many vertical centrifugal pumps, DACW’s Vertical Coupling / Shaft Alignment Training System Plus (207-PAC) features industrial-grade components to perform a four-point motor element jacking, install a flexible disc coupling, and troubleshoot angular and parallel misalignments.
Available in: 207-000, 207-PAC
Fan Balancing
DAC Worldwide’s Fan Balancing Training System Plus (202-PAC) encourages learners to gain experience with fan balancing in an effort to achieve maximum fan efficiency and stability. Designed to look and perform like a typical squirrel cage fan, it comes with movable pillow block assemblies and can feature even or odd number blade configurations.
Available in: 202-000, 202-PAC
Vibration Analysis
Using DACW’s Vibration Analysis Training System Plus (203-PAC), students will be introduced to a versatile, precision-machined device that isolates individual, vibration-causing variables in order to demonstrate their individual signatures. Topics include effects of frequency/displacement, proper pick-up mounting, correcting vibrations caused by imbalance and misalignment, and more.
Available in: 203-000, 203-PAC
Advanced Bearing Maintenance
The Journal and Fluid-Film Bearing Training System Plus (204J-PAC) trains learners in the identification, installation, removal, and maintenance of a variety of Babbitt-type journal bearings found on high horsepower, high-speed rotating machines. Using two workstations, students practice common maintenance tasks, such a bluing check, dent repairs, and hand scraping.
Available in: 204J-000, 204J-PAC
Let Amatrol and DAC Worldwide Help You Build Your Ideal Mechanical Training Program
No matter what kind mechanical training you’re looking for, or what skills you’d like to focus on, the world-class training tools of Amatrol and DAC Worldwide should have you covered. With almost 80 combined years of technical training experience, no other company on the market can match us!
For more information on how to build your ideal mechanical training program, please click here.
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5 Skills Every HVAC Technician Should Possess
To view ‘5 Skills Every HVAC Technician Should Possess’ as a Multimedia Presentation, please click here.
While the national unemployment rate might be near all-time lows (3.5-percent in Dec. 2019), one industrial job is expected to grow by more than 46,000 jobs over the next decade: HVAC technicians.
Thanks to a push of commercial and residential building construction that is expected to drive employment growth and job opportunities, the employment outlook is expected to increase by 13-percent over the next 10 years. That is a sizable leap from the national average for all occupations, which sits at 5-percent over the next 10 years.
Not only are there currently enough jobs to go around, but a spike in upcoming retirements has some employers desperate for qualified talent. That’s good news for those interested in joining the HVAC field, as it places them firmly in the driver’s seat of finding an ideal professional match.
So with jobs aplenty, what skills are employers most focused on when hiring HVAC technicians? DAC Worldwide, a company with 40 years of experience working with industry and technical education, has compiled a list of the five most meaningful HVAC technician skills companies are in search of:
1. In-Depth Knowledge of HVAC Systems and Methods
Doctors know medicine. Car mechanics know cars. To be successful in a profession, employees must understand the craft inside and out.
HVAC technicians are no different. They are responsible for knowing about a wide range of HVAC systems, controls, and installation methods, and quite literally, need to know about everything from hot to cold.
Whether technicians are threading and installing gas piping, or laying out duct systems, a deep understanding of all things HVAC is critical. Not only should technicians have the hands-on skills to perform each task, but they should back that up with a strong theoretical knowledge of their subject.
One way to enhance the understanding of HVAC systems is by taking a deep dive into how each piece of equipment works along the process. DAC Worldwide, for example, produces full-size industrial component cutouts that allow learners to take a peek inside real HVAC equipment for the first time. Now, students can see inside the equipment they might be fixing firsthand, providing an unparalleled training tool.
Today’s HVAC systems can be assembled, disassembled, repaired, and programmed, so having a background of mechanical skills is a key component to building a successful technician career. (After all, the more technical knowledge that a technician has from the start, the faster they can learn new skills, an attribute companies consider to be highly valuable.)
2. Acute Troubleshooting and Problem-Solving Skills
The goal for every HVAC technician is the same – aim for safe, timely, and effective services every time. In order for that to happen, techs need to be quick-thinking workers, equipped with a collection of problem-solving techniques, and possess familiarity with the latest diagnostic and testing equipment.
In just one work day, technicians may face a wide variety of issues: one customer may have total system failure, while another is dealing with noise issues, or temperature balancing problems. Being able to quickly size-up the problem, identify solutions, and implement a resolution is the key to finding success as an HVAC technician.
Problem-solving is impossible without an acute attention to detail. So along with ingenuity, employers are also looking for workers that are detail-oriented. Not only should technicians be able to track the work they are completing, but they should also be aware of the intricacies of the equipment they are working on. Sometimes, not paying attention to the details could be costly – either to the equipment, or the technician’s safety. Effective troubleshooting is a combination of accepted troubleshooting procedures supported by a solid knowledge of how these systems work to perform their operations.
Thanks to using real-world components, DAC Worldwide’s HVAC cutaways take detailed training to another level. By providing a look inside authentic components found in HVAC systems worldwide, learners can truly understand the fine details of the equipment’s inner workings. To truly understand how a component can fail, technicians must first understand how it works.
3. Extensive Knowledge of Safety Standards and Protocols
A day in the life of an HVAC technician is not exactly a walk in the park.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, technicians have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. While most of these can be prevented by following safety protocols, it does have the potential to be a dangerous career.
So despite working heights, in confined spaces, or attached to scaffolding, having comprehensive knowledge of proper preventative safety standards can keep workers healthy and business moving. From hazardous tasks like lifting heavy objects to installing electric wires and controls, understanding personal protective equipment (PPE) and other safety codes could be the difference between technicians suffering an injury, or not.
On top of personal safety, HVAC technicians need to be well-versed in government regulations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for example, requires that all technicians who work with refrigerants be certified in proper refrigeration handling. There are additional regulations on how to handle pressurized gases, refrigerants, and other toxic or hazardous materials, so knowing regulations surrounding proper and safe disposal will not only protect technicians from an accident or injury, but will also keep clients and the environment safe.
4. Soft Skills, Communication, and Flexibility
Whether it’s a personal relationship or professional contact, we’ve all heard about the importance of first impressions: You only get one, so make it count.
Having a clean, professional appearance, listening to the customer, and showing all-around common courtesy are essential skills that can make or break a first meeting. Out in the field, employees are the face of the company, so making a good first impression is crucial for success of the business.
Possessing natural Customer Service skills are equally as important to this career as the technical skills a technician has. Not only is it a tech’s job to explain repairs and answer questions in a non-technical way, but they need to make the clients feel comfortable, building trust and rapport. This might require a little patience too, as their issues might have been ongoing, and frustration may be mounting. But in the end, having the ability to calmly and professionally talk through all of the issues and potential solutions will put everyone at ease.
Finally, in the world of an HVAC technician, every day is a new adventure. No matter the season, HVAC technicians are expected to work, even in uncomfortable situations.
Sometimes it’s too hot because the air conditioning isn’t working – other times the heat is out, making work conditions frigid. Even in the dead of winter, technicians might have to work outdoors, fixing heat exchanges, for example. Taking ‘flexible’ in a much more literal sense, some units are located in tight spaces, forcing technicians’ bodies to bend and curve in positions they didn’t know it could.
Being flexible is just part of the game. In this line of work, “That’s not my job” doesn’t exist. Sometimes, just being able to make changes on a whim, and occasionally just rolling with the punches, are the most effective tools a technician needs in his or her arsenal.
5. Willingness to Continue HVAC Learning and Training
If smart devices have taught us anything, it proves how quickly (and drastic) technology can change over decades. From minor tweaks to major overhauls, each update includes newer options and faster speeds.
The HVAC industry is no different. While it may not move with the veracity of cell phone technology, tools and equipment are being continuously adjusted to run more efficiently.
Today, there is also a continued push for greater energy efficiency, which includes phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) in favor of Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants, and a rise of “zero emission building plans” and other green building standards. Soon, the HVAC industry will see an increase of variable speed technologies, which will improve electrical efficiency, air quality, and humidity control.
Without continued re-training within the field, technicians run the risk of encountering a component they can’t fix. So by having the willingness to continually hone their skills will not only be beneficial to their future professional success, but will also ensure timely, safe repairs and installations for all parties involved.
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Bridging the Oil and Gas Skills Gap: Effective Technical Training for Current and Future Employees
Click HERE to view Bridging the Oil and Gas Skills Gap: Effective Technical Training for Current and Future Employees as a multimedia presentation.
What does 2020 and the coming years hold for industries around the globe? That’s the question on the minds of many executives as they embark on a new year and a new decade. For the oil and gas industry, a skills gap will continue to create problems for employers looking to seize new opportunities for increased efficiency and profitability. Effective technical training for current and future employees will be a key strategy necessary to solve this problem.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what 2020 holds for the oil and gas industry, including the reasons behind and current state of the skills gap in the industry. We’ll consider how companies are using training programs to upskill current workers and ensure future workers have the skills they need. Finally, we’ll look at how DAC Worldwide’s unique oil and gas training tools can help employers and educators to bridge the skills gap facing the oil and gas industry.
2020: Opportunities and Challenges
The oil and gas industry has rebounded from the economic downturn experienced several years ago. According to Deloitte’s 2020 Oil, Gas, and Chemical Industry Outlook, there are several reasons for optimism in the new year: “Liquid natural gas (LNG) keeps growing…[f]ossil fuel consumption is expected to continue to grow…[and] [g]lobal…oil supply remains secure thanks to growing US production and healthy stocks.”
The Deloitte report concludes that oil and gas executives need to be “ready to embrace new opportunities for profitable growth…Thanks to the lessons learned from the most recent boom and bust cycle, the industry is better equipped to face the future than it has been at any other point in the past decade. Still, there are fundamental, long-term challenges that they will have to face.”
The 2019 Global Energy Talent Index (GETI) Report agrees, noting that “[t]he oil price has rebounded and new projects are on the rise. The challenge now for the sector is to ensure that the talent supply can keep up with demand.” Why? Quite simply, “[m]aintaining a pipeline of new talent has become a challenge for oil and gas companies.”
The Oil and Gas Skills Gap
A recent Energy Sourcing article notes that, in the coming decade, the “U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects 54.8 million total job openings [in the oil and gas industry],” but there are “not enough skilled people to fill them.” What is behind this skills gap? Experts point to a variety of factors that have contributed to the growing shortage of skilled talent in the oil and gas industry.
Too Few Millennials, Too Many Boomers
According to the 2019 GETI Report, “the impact of economic cycles on job stability is a leading cause of the skills shortage.” During the recent economic downturn, jobs were cut and recruitment efforts were severely curtailed. The result has been the slowing of “[t]he influx of young talent into the sector,” leading to the present “talent crunch.”
Now that the industry is back on the upswing, employers are trying once again to attract young talent, but they’re finding it’s not as easy as it used to be. As a recent Airswift article notes, oil and gas employers are learning a hard lesson: “The skills gap is a problem that money alone can’t solve.”
Not only is oil and gas “the number-one industry millennials wished to avoid working in because of its image,” but competition for young, skilled talent is fierce because the skills gap affects nearly every industry around the world.
Adding to the problem of the short supply of young talent is the fact that “[o]lder workers from the Baby Boomer generation are beginning to reach retirement age, ultimately heading off and taking decades of knowledge and experience with them.” Who will replace them?
Industry 4.0 Changes
Whoever does replace retiring workers will have to possess a stronger technical skillset than ever before. In addition to skills specific to the oil and gas industry, they will need advanced technological skills that will enable them to succeed as the industry experiences the dramatic changes characteristic of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, otherwise known as Industry 4.0.
Industries across the board and around the world are being impacted greatly by Industry 4.0’s technological advances. Oil and gas is no exception. As the Airswift article notes, “oil and gas companies are collecting more and more digital data which is helping to improve worker safety, monitor reservoir behaviour, plan ahead for smoother digs, maintain hardware and much more.”
They’re also incorporating new technologies, such as drones. According to the Oil and Gas Drone Services Market – Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2019-2024), the market for drone services in the oil and gas industry is expected to grow by more than 60% in the next five years.
As a Business Wire article summarizing the drone forecast notes, “[d]rones are being used for inspection to determine any damage or corrosion and to provide data for structural integrity and visual and infrared photography,” as well as for “pipeline inspection, corrosion checks, security checks, and maintenance issues.”
Positions Aplenty
In addition to new positions, such as drone pilot and drone fleet manager, the oil and gas industry features a wide range of high-priority roles impacted by the skills gap. According to a recent study by RAND Corporation, the sector needs plenty of “lease operators (also known as well tenders), equipment operators, maintenance and service technicians…electrical engineers…welders, pipeline layers…commercial drivers…machinists [and] warehouse operators.”
The 2019 GETI Report also notes that “the pool of available, blue-collar talent has shrunk rapidly. These skills are proving to be the most urgent of needs…In the US, blue-collar skills are more in demand than engineering roles.”
The Airswift article summarizes things succinctly:
“There is a very real problem standing on the doorstep of oil and gas companies, and it is one that needs a huge amount of effort and foresight to solve for long-term growth and success. We’re talking about the industry skills gap which is crippling energy companies, holding up work and causing projects to go over budget…More than half of professionals in the industry across the globe believe that a growing skills shortage is by [far] the biggest challenge the industry faces both now and in the future.”
Technical Training to the Rescue
As the Airswift article makes clear, oil and gas companies are learning that the skills gap is a problem that won’t go away just by throwing money at it. It requires a multifaceted approach with coordination between a variety of stakeholders, including employers, educators, workforce development programs, and even local, state, and federal governments.
Ongoing Training Is Key
While long-range plans are set into motion, employers still must do what they can in the meantime. Airswift notes that the 2019 GETI Report’s survey found that nearly two-thirds of respondents believe “companies should be turning their attention internally and retraining existing employees to deliver the skills they need to bridge the gap.”
The author of the Energy Sourcing article agrees: Training current and new employees with cross-functional skills “may be the quickest answer to the industry’s current hiring challenges.” Another strategy many employers consider is luring skilled talent away from other industries.
However, bringing in people from other disciplines isn’t a “plug and play” phenomenon. Instead, the Energy Source article points out that “when it comes to the required knowledge to be proficient in oil and gas exploration and development, they will need additional training in certain areas to enter this industry ready to be contributing members of the team.”
The oil and gas industry differs from other industries in that the wide variety of specialized skillsets it requires make initial and ongoing internal training a necessity. Two recent studies reveal the nature of this need.
The RAND Corporation study concludes:
“About half of employers (52 percent) reported employing high-priority occupations that require moderate-term on-the-job training (including inspectors, welders, and roustabouts) and about one in four employers (28 percent) reported having high-priority occupations that require long-term on-the-job training (including mechanics, machinists, and wellhead plumbers). Thus, for many of the oil and gas sector employers…it is essential to invest in and commit to providing on-the-job training to ensure their workers can adequately perform their duties.”
Similarly, SPE Research’s Training and Development Survey notes that “[u]pon starting a career [in the oil and gas industry], the majority (86.8%) of employees require training…[and] “[n]early a fifth (19.2%) required extensive training”…[and] [m]ost (82.4%) expect their employer to provide them with some of this training.”
More Than a Short-Term Solution
The RAND Corporation study goes on to explain that training is much more than just a short-term solution:
“[A] sizeable number of high-priority occupations require long-term training…underscor[ing] the need for ongoing training and professional development after hiring to ensure that employees are getting training both for the jobs they currently have and for the jobs they might take in the future. Focusing on the workforce as a pipeline that supports careers rather than a single hiring transaction at entry is essential for sustaining the oil and natural gas industry over the long term.”
The SPE Research survey also makes a strong case for focusing on employee training as a means of not only empowering employees with the skills they need but also meeting their expectations for career development: “Overall, a wide range of skills are important for a successful career in the oil and gas industry; therefore employees place great emphasis on training and development opportunities when choosing their employers.”
The survey notes that “[i]t is important for companies to have good training and development programs, as three-quarters (74.6%) of employees state that it is important in their choice of role, and over half (53.3%) say that a lack of opportunities would be enough for them to consider leaving.”
Gaining Momentum
It appears employers are getting the message, since “[e]ight out of ten companies provide at least some formal training as their overall approach to employee development,” and “[t]echnical training is the most common form of training provided by employers.”
This response is being echoed by other industries, including advanced manufacturing. For example, The Manufacturing Institute Training Survey recently made these key findings regarding training programs in the advanced manufacturing sector:
- “Nearly 70% of manufacturers are addressing the workforce crisis by creating and expanding internal training programs for their workforce, among other tactics.”
- “More than 79% of respondents said that they have increased their training activities.”
- “Three-quarters of respondents said that upskilling workers helped to improve employee productivity, with promotion opportunities and morale also leading the list of reasons why companies might embrace training programs.”
- “In dollar terms, the Institute estimates that the sector spent at least $26.2 billion in 2019 on internal and external training programs for new and existing manufacturing employees.”
Oil and gas companies would do well to follow the example set by manufacturers by taking on the responsibility “to build stronger pipelines to address not only the needs of their businesses but also the needs of their workers.”
Quality Matters
What kind of training is necessary? The answer to that question will vary widely amongst oil and gas companies. Is your company upstream, midstream, or downstream? What roles are you having trouble filling because of the skills gap?
What will not change from company to company is the need for high-quality training that efficiently and effectively teaches current and future employees the skills they need to succeed on the job. This is particularly true for the oil and gas industry, given its broad scope of roles with specialized skill requirements.
Unfortunately, many training programs don’t meet the needs of the oil and gas industry. As the RAND Corporation study notes, “[l]ess than half of courses aimed at future workers in the oil and natural gas industry use contextualized instruction. Contextualized instruction uses occupational applications to teach basic academic skills (and vice versa) in such a way that the student learns both simultaneously.”
Teaching relevant skills in the context of the oil and gas industry is especially important because the industry is unique in so many ways. The most effective training will provide employees with hands-on experience with real oil and gas components. The RAND Corporation study supports this approach: “past research shows that contextualized instruction is an effective approach to teaching occupationally focused students…particularly when it includes ‘real-world’ simulations of workplace situations with actual workplace equipment.”
DAC Worldwide: Your Source for Effective Training Tools
Oil and gas companies don’t need to recreate the wheel when looking for quality, effective technical training tools. Instead, they can rely upon a trusted training partner like DAC Worldwide to provide the guidance they need.
DAC Worldwide offers a wide variety of technical training tools specifically for the oil and gas industry. Importantly, these tools provide the contextualized, hands-on training current and future employees expect, want, and need.
Contact a DAC Worldwide representative to consult with you regarding your specific training needs. In the paragraphs that follow, we’ll take a look at just a small sample of the many training tools offered by DAC Worldwide, including training systems, cutaways, dissectibles, models, and sample boards.
Training Systems
Rather than broad-based training in multiple areas, DAC Worldwide’s training systems provide hands-on training focused on specific tasks. This makes them particularly helpful to employers for skill assessment (either pre-employment or for upskilling purposes).
For example, DAC Worldwide’s Vertical Separator Trainer (295-101) consists of a reduced-scale, three-phrase vertical separator that mimics its real-world counterpart by using alternate production stream components, refined oil, air, and water. It also features real industrial components, such as on-board supply pumps, a regenerative blower, a static mixer, metered valves, flowmeters, an inlet diverter, overflow weir, mist eliminator, and a custom-fabricated, large-diameter, clear acrylic, vertical separator vessel.
Cutaways
DAC Worldwide’s industrial component cutaways provide hands-on experience with real, industrial components that have been professionally sectioned to expose key internal components to help learners understand how they work. For industrial training relevance, common models by well-known manufacturers are chosen when manufacturing cutaways.
There are two dozen cutaways related to oil production to choose from, including a wide variety of regulators, valves, and gauges. For example, the Extended Wellhead Assembly Cutaway (295-795E) consists of a full-size, fully-detailed example of a high-pressure wellhead assembly that gives learners a first-hand view into a component found in oilfield applications worldwide. It features a variety of real industrial components learners will encounter on the job, including a casing head/starter head, tubing head, tree bonnet adapter, adjustable choke, and gate-type block valve.
Dissectibles
DAC Worldwide’s dissectibles take cutaways to the next level by allowing learners to disassemble and reassemble real industrial components. There’s simply no better way to train someone on the maintenance of a particular component than letting them disassemble and reassemble an actual unit. Plus, dissectibles provide experience with real components without damaging actual equipment.
For example, the Representative Triplex, Plunger Mud Pump Dissectible (295-418) is an economical, conveniently-sized triplex plunger-type mud pump assembly that teaches learners hands-on maintenance activities commonly required on larger mud pump assemblies used in upstream oilfield production operations. DAC Worldwide’s dissectible mud pump is a realistic sample that’s similar in geometry, design, and operating characteristics to the larger varieties learners will encounter on the job.
Models
DAC Worldwide also offers a variety of incredibly-detailed, intricately-crafted models. Sometimes industrial training tends to focus so intently on the details that learners can’t see the forest for the trees. Models allow students to learn how the parts of a system work together on a small, easily-managed model without the need for a field trip to an industrial site.
There are more than a dozen models related to oil production to choose from, including separators, tanks, turbines, pumps, and piping systems. For example, the Pumpjack Package Model (295-408) is a highly-detailed, professionally-crafted technical scale model of a common oilfield production pump. Fully-detailed, this benchtop model depicts all primary pump features including counterweights, double-reduction gearbox, walking beam, horse head, sampson post, prime mover, pitman arm assembly, and representative wellhead.
Sample Boards
DAC Worldwide’s sample boards offer valuable maintenance training in the identification and selection of a variety of industrial components. Each sample board features a selection of real industrial components mounted with nameplates for easy association with individual components.
For example, the Piping Component Sample Board (865-PAC1) is a hands-on teaching aid designed to supplement courses in piping design, process operations, and pipe installation to help industrial maintenance technicians identify and select industrial piping components. Components from four common piping systems are provided. These samples represent a variety of piping system designs and include a broad range of fittings.
We encourage you to connect with DAC Worldwide via its social media channels, including YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
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5 Tools You Need in Your Industrial Training Toolbox
Click HERE to view this article as a multimedia presentation.
With the national economy chugging along steadily and unemployment rates remaining at their lowest levels in decades, it’s easy for most people to forget that industries across the board are facing a workforce crisis that’s destined to get worse before it gets better. Industrial training programs are an important part of the solution. Do you have all the tools you need in your industrial training toolbox?
The Skills Gap
Commonly known as the “skills gap,” there’s a sizeable disparity between the supply of highly-skilled workers and the demand for these workers in today’s industrial labor market. According to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, there were 522,000 open manufacturing jobs in the United States as of July 2019.
Experts predict the skills gap is going to get even worse in the foreseeable future. A study conducted by Deloitte for the Manufacturing Institute estimates that, over the next decade, almost 4.6 million manufacturing jobs will need to be filled. However, because of the skills gap, as many as 2.4 million — more than half! — of those jobs could go unfilled.
Industries cannot wait for educational institutions to fill the pipeline of highly-skilled workers. That’s why many industries have recognized the need to upskill incumbent workers to perform advanced operations and maintenance tasks.
Modern industrial training requires a multifaceted approach. One size no longer fits all when it comes to relevant, quality industrial training. DAC Worldwide offers a unique combination of training tools that can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of any industrial training program, including training systems, cutaways, dissectibles, sample boards, and models.
Training Systems
DAC Worldwide offers training systems for a variety of industry sectors, including advanced manufacturing, process/chemical manufacturing, marine, military, oil and gas, and power generation. These training systems also cover many different technical topics, such as electrical and electronics; heat transfer and steam; mechanical drives; oil production; process control and instrumentation; and pumps, compressors, and valves.
Rather than broad-based training in multiple areas, DAC Worldwide’s training systems provide hands-on training focused on specific tasks. This makes them particularly helpful to employers for skill assessment (either pre-employment or for upskilling purposes).
For example, DAC Worldwide’s Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System (811-000) features a realistic, simulated working process environment that provides training with hands-on activities related to the process of identifying and locking out sources of dangerous potential energy in an industrial setting.
Click on the link below to view an animation of the Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System:
Cutaways
DAC Worldwide’s industrial component cutaways provide hands-on experience with real, industrial components that have been professionally sectioned to expose key internal components to help learners understand how they work. Cutaways possess a unique “wow” factor guaranteed to capture learners’ interest.
Many of DAC Worldwide’s large selection of cutaways retain functionality, and an attached hand wheel allows learners to observe low-speed manual operation. For industrial training relevance, common models by well-known manufacturers are chosen when manufacturing cutaways.
For example, DAC Worldwide’s Right-Angle Worm Gear Reducer Cutaway (205-201) is a sectioned industrial gear reducer that will complement mechanical drives training by allowing learners to see inside the component housing to learn how the gear reducer works.
Dissectibles
DAC Worldwide’s dissectibles take cutaways to the next level by allowing learners to disassemble and reassemble real industrial components. There’s simply no better way to train someone on the maintenance of a particular component than letting them disassemble and reassemble an actual unit.
Moreover, dissectibles provide valuable hands-on training that gives unique insight into and experience with components without damaging or occupying other training equipment. You don’t need to take risks with expensive equipment when learners can work with a dissectible instead.
For example, DAC Worldwide’s Enhanced Diaphragm Valve Dissectible (255KE) is a hands-on valve sample that offers realistic classroom training in the disassembly, inspection, and reassembly of a full-size industrial diaphragm-actuated control valve used throughout industry.
Click on the link below to view an animation of the Enhanced Diaphragm Valve Dissectible:
Sample Boards
DAC Worldwide’s sample boards offer valuable maintenance training in the identification and selection of a variety of industrial components. Each sample board features a selection of real industrial components mounted with nameplates for easy association with individual components.
Sample boards expand learners’ knowledge through exposure to multiple varieties of industrial components. Available sample boards include components like mechanical fasteners, belts, chains, couplings, gears, and bearings.
For example, DAC Worldwide’s Coupling Sample Board (839-PAC) is a hands-on teaching aid designed to supplement courses in coupling selection and maintenance. It includes samples of eight industrial-quality couplings for users to learn to identify.
Models
DAC Worldwide also offers an array of incredibly-detailed, intricately-crafted models. These life-like scale models depict various industrial machines across numerous sectors and include all primary features and components.
Sometimes industrial training tends to focus so intently on the details that learners can’t see the forest for the trees. Models allow students to learn how the parts of a system work together on a small, easily-managed model without the need for a field trip to an industrial site.
For example, DAC Worldwide’s Fired Heater Model (291) depicts a common industrial furnace found in refineries and process facilities throughout industry. It allows learners to explore the operation and maintenance of a cabin-type box heater with twin fireboxes and realistic support piers, burners, access openings, stack dampers, and many more industrial-grade component replicas.
Explore DAC Worldwide’s Unique Training Solutions
If your industrial training toolbox doesn’t include a combination of training systems, cutaways, dissectibles, sample boards, and models, contact a DAC Worldwide representative to learn more about how you can use these unique training tools to assemble complete training courses or supplement existing training programs.
You can also connect with DAC Worldwide via its social media channels, including YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
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