This issue spotlights the 29 global certified PI Training Centers (PITCs) in 19 countries: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, UK, and United States. PITCs train engineers and installers in courses ranging in length from one day to week-long. PITCs can be certified to teach Certified PROFIBUS Engineer, Certified PROFIBUS Installer, Certified PROFIBUS PA, Certified PROFIBUS Designer, Certified PROFINET Engineer, and/or Certified PROFINET Installer courses.
Engineers and installers successfully passing theoretical and practical exams at the end of classes are awarded certified engineer or installer status. The names of successful engineers and installers are published on the PI website.
PITCs are accredited by PI. In order to become accredited, PITCs must apply to PI and meet the following criteria:
- Be a full member of a “parent” Regional PI Association (RPA) and have the RPA’s support
- Accept and comply with the PITC Quality of Services Agreement
- Provide a positive accreditation report of an independent expert appointed by PI covering the same scope the PITC candidate is applying for -the expert has to visit the PITC candidate personally
- The accreditation is valid for the PITC only together with a valid certification of its Instructor(s)
Class outcomes are applied equally across all PITCs. So students can be sure that their certification is globally recognized.
Workshop in Germany
PI Germany has scheduled a PROFINET technology workshop for developers and product managers in Frankfurt am Main on 23 June 2016. Here’s an abstract:
As a leader among the Industrial Ethernet systems, PROFINET is a standard technology in automation. Its development enables rapid and cost-effective implementation in different applications. This requires an extensive range of products from multiple manufacturers. The implementation is simple and efficient for all. The aim of the workshop is to provide information about the ways to develop PROFINET products and to identify implementation options. Leading technology houses provide their possibilities of development assistance in a small micro fair.
The workshop is held in German language and participation is free of charge. For more information and registration: www.profibus.com/profinetfrankfurt
There are other kinds of training offered by the various PITCs and Regional PI Associations. These include IO-Link workshops, free PROFINET one-day training classes, and more. For a full list, visit the training web page where you can filter by country and technology.