Expanded Bürkert Academy course range announced

Bürkert has released its 2014 training calendar for the Bürkert Academy and announced an expanded range of process industry courses. Throughout the year, the academy will conduct courses in all state capitals and regional processing centres, with courses delivered in Bürkert’s training facilities or on-site if required.

The academy’s lead trainer, David Ray, will conduct standard courses as well as tailored programs on demand. One of the new courses introduced in 2014 is a combination of the Hygienic Processing course and specialist Process Pneumatics & Control course, forming a full-day intensive or three-day master course. Initially developed at the request of a specific customer, the course proved popular with food and beverage companies keen to elevate the skills of their teams.

The Process Pneumatics course has proven popular as teams seek increased knowledge of modern pneumatics with integrated electronics and communications technologies. Another factor contributing to its popularity is the ‘green’ movement in manufacturing and processing plants.

“Realistically speaking, it’s a combination of true environmental sentiment and financial pressures,” said Ray. “With energy costs always rising, pneumatic air waste is the same as throwing money away - we’ve found companies are enthusiastically embracing training that will deliver practical benefit. The Process Pneumatics course teaches correct product selection, sizing and set-up of pneumatic devices with the aim of reducing air wastage.”

Centred on product and process understanding, the Bürkert Academy operates as a separate department of Bürkert Fluid Control Systems. Courses are delivered by professional trainers and are focused on practical product selection, commissioning and troubleshooting techniques within the wider process architecture. With this training emphasis, benefits such as reduced downtime in manufacturing processes are made possible.

David Ray is a qualified trainer with more than 20 years’ experience teaching in TAFE institutions and for private colleges.