The purpose of this credential is to certify that individuals can describe the principles, technologies, and applications of Smart Manufacturing, Industry 4.0, and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and how they affect the competitive position of manufacturers. Further, individuals must be able to safely operate basic smart automation systems that use Human Machine Interface (HMI) panels, monitor system operation parameters and energy usage using HMI visualization software, and connect/test to smart devices through point-to-point Ethernet communications.

The purpose of this credential is to certify that individuals can identify types of manufacturing data and its function, describe how smart manufacturing data is collected and stored, set up and operate a dedicated cloud-based data acquisition system, interface and test analog and discrete sensing devices, configure and test wired and wireless Ethernet communications to sensors, and view data stored in a dedicated data acquisition system.

The purpose of this credential is to certify that individuals can organize and interpret data using a variety of visualization methods, set up and operate visualization displays using dedicated and controller-based data acquisition systems, set up programmable controllers to collect data, configure Bluetooth technology to transfer information between devices, use OPC server software to facilitate data exchange between a smart device and a database or another smart device, set up Excel Spreadsheet, and use Excel to analyze data.

The purpose of this credential is to certify that individuals can assess potential cyber security threats to an industrial smart manufacturing system and data transmission methods, use best practices to protect stored and transmitted data against cyber security attacks, respond effectively to cyber security attacks, and set up secure industrial local area networks and firewalls.

Prepares individuals to connect, configure, monitor, and operate basic Ethernet networks in an Industry 4.0 environment. Key skills include: interpreting IP addresses, setting IP addresses (PCs, PLCs, robots, and other machines), connecting devices to an Ethernet network, setting up and configuring a basic managed Ethernet switch that uses layer 2 technology, connecting an Ethernet network in a star topology, configuring a managed switch subnet, identifying type of topology given a diagram, configuring a network for static and dynamic addressing, monitoring and interpreting status indicators on switch, viewing managed Ethernet switch network performance and diagnostics via software, and configuring port security of a managed switch network.

Prepares individuals to connect, configure, adjust, program, monitor, and operate smart sensors (analog pressure/ultrasonic, photoelectric, and stack light), barcode readers, and RFID readers in an Industry 4.0 environment. Key skills include: connecting sensors to Ethernet network through IO-Link Masters or directly, configuring IO-Link Masters, interpreting sensor and IO-Link Master status indicators, downloading IODD and EDS files for smart sensors, wiring smart sensors, configuring PLCs to receive data from smart sensors through network, monitoring health of sensors through network, programming RFID tags or printing barcode labels, setting up and operating RFID readers, configuring RFID/barcode readers to communicate to a PLC, configuring Ethernet-serial converter to communicate sensor data to PLCs, and programming PLCs to use smart sensor/RFID/barcode data to perform common process applications.

Prepares individuals to set up, adjust, configure, program, interface, monitor, and operate smart factory systems that use Industry 4.0 technology to efficiently produce high-quality products in these applications as an integrated system: pick and place, gauging, indexing, sorting and queuing, and robotic assembly. Components used shall include: DC-motor belt conveyors, ball screw linear drives, electro-pneumatic actuators/valves, vacuum parts pickup, vacuum switches, electronic sensors, clutch, stepper motors, and servo robots. Other key skills include: adhering to smart factory safety rules, configuring and interfacing PLC and robot controllers via Ethernet/IP and discrete I/O handshaking, using Ethernet message instruction to perform controller-to-controller handshaking, and programming/operating a multi-station production process.

Prepares individuals to perform maintenance in a production environment where Industry 4.0 technology is used. Key skills include: interpreting maintenance work orders, receiving/responding to maintenance work orders via mobile/cloud technology, using a cloud-based maintenance management system to maintain and analyze process or machine history, performing preventive maintenance schedule with electronic record keeping, cleaning machines, lubricating and adjusting machines, calculating overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and machine downtime, identifying methods of reducing downtime, and using basic troubleshooting methodologies to find root causes.

Prepares individuals to program, configure, monitor, and operate cloud-based data analytics and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software systems in an Industry 4.0 environment. Key skills include: configuring production statistics collection from PLCs and other controllers via Ethernet networks, configuring production statistics and alarm dashboard display, OPC server configuration/interfacing to control devices, configuring maintenance management application, configuring alarm screen, configuring SQL database for storage of data from SCADA software, developing queries to SQL database to display data, and analyzing data to optimize systems.