News Blog
For every engine, generator, and or other electromechanical device, the path from initial concept to finished product is one that is long and arduous. And while considerable lead time is required to fulfill initial and subsequent orders, the design phase of product development is arguably much more intense and time consuming. In fact, it can take months and even years to determine all the relevant criteria that need to be addressed during the design phase.
With tax season quickly approaching, it’s time to start preparing and gathering all relevant receipts and paperwork to file your taxes! GBC Technical Training students whose tuition fees have totalled at least $100 are eligible to receive a tax credit for tuition fees through the Tuition and Enrolment Certificate (T2202). Students can access and download their T2202 form from their online student account, which will account for all programs paid for during this calendar year.
An official transcript is a record of the grades you’ve earned while attending college.
With the holiday season quickly approaching, we wanted to update you on how the holiday break will impact our GBCTechTraining technical, tutorial, and administrative support.
Office Hours
The Student Support Center will be closed on Friday, December 22 at 5:00 p.m. and will re-open on Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024.
No matter what the salesperson or spec sheet says, an HVAC system is only as good as the people who install and service them. Though it might sound hard to believe, the number of support calls logged to service HVAC equipment is on the rise and, in many cases, a common culprit can be identified: the variable speed drive.
While much of the world has at least heard the term “transistor” before, their function and importance aren’t exactly common knowledge. Knowledge of thyristors and their purpose is arguably even more vague and yet, both diminutive electrical components are integral to many of the electric-powered devices that are the backbone of our societies and economies.
With the holiday season quickly approaching, we wanted to update you on how the holiday break will impact our GBCTechTraining technical, tutorial, and administrative support.
Office hours
The Student Support Center will be closed from Friday, December 23, 2022, to Monday, January 2, 2023.
Though they are not explicitly named for their widespread use, universal motors can, in fact, be found just about everywhere. Open any number of household appliances or industrial machines for example, and chances are you will find a universal motor at its core. But if they aren’t named for the seemingly “universal” applications to which they lend themselves, why are they named as such?
A stepper motor is an electromechanical device designed to convert electrical power into mechanical power. If you aren’t overly familiar with motors, it might be difficult to distinguish a stepper motor from another motor type and, more importantly, appreciate the role they play in industrial and manufacturing settings.
In this article we will be reviewing DC source conversion and understand how it can be useful when analyzing circuits. DC sources are mainly referred to as sources of constant voltages or currents. Hence, we can classify them into two types; DC Voltage Source and DC Current Source, where each source type representation includes an internal resistance “Rint” as illustrated in the figure below.
Magnets are found almost everywhere in our lives. From refrigerator magnets that help hold up calendars, pictures, and grocery lists, to the magnets found in our cars that assist in keeping us safe. But how does it all work? Magnetism is the force that is exerted by magnets and is caused by the motion of electrical charge.
As the landscape of manufacturing changes, with plant operations becoming increasingly automated, more technically skilled workers are required to maintain your company’s competitive edge.
To say that many of the lightweight and inexpensive electronics that we use daily are taken for granted is a bit of an understatement. Much of what we use and enjoy, however, could not have been possible without the development and implementation of the bipolar junction transistor (BJT). Invented in 1947 by William Shockley, BJTs were integral components during the infancy of modern computing technologies, from computer memory to microprocessors and more.
This article is intended to illustrate the steps required for creating a Norton equivalent circuit. All the concepts mentioned here build on the prior knowledge of simplifying circuits.
According to Norton's theorem, any two-terminal circuit, made up of fixed value resistances, of voltage sources, and of current sources, can be replaced by a single current source in parallel with a single resistance which will produce the same effects at the terminals.
Kirchhoff’s voltage law can be used to analyze any electric circuit but when dealing with complex circuits, using Kirchhoff's voltage laws can be difficult. Therefore, it is important for you to learn other network theorems and recognize when to apply them. In this blog, we will be discussing Superposition Theorem. Superposition theorem can be used when trying to analyze a linear circuit with multiple voltage and current sources.
With winter break quickly approaching, we wanted to update you on how the holiday break will impact our technical, tutorial, and administrative support.
Office Hours
George Brown College will be closed from Friday, December 24, 2021, to Tuesday, January 4, 2022. We won't be able to speak with you during this time but we are monitoring and responding to email inquires.
Both Millwrights, and Electromechanical (EM) Technicians work in a tough industry where skills, and proper technique play a vital role. A Millwright is a craftsperson who installs dismantles, maintains, repairs, reassembles and move industrial machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites. First, they must go through a vigorous training, and apprenticeship program to hone their skills.
In this blog, we will review the bypass capacitor, its function, and how it is important in an amplifier circuit.
What is a Bypass Capacitor?
A bypass capacitor is added to an amplifier circuit in order to allow AC signals to bypass the emitter resistor. This effectively removes it from the output gain equation resulting in an increase to the amplifiers AC gain.
GBCtechtraining has introduced chatbots into our websites over the last three years. The purpose of these chatbots is to help prospective students find information about our programs in a convenient and easy way. We are happy to report that our chatbots are heavily used and relied on by students around the world, particularly after regular office hours, and coming to us from far away time zones.
Here at GBCTechTraining, we promote and encourage student success and we want to ensure that our students receive the necessary support when it comes to pursuing their studies. Our Student Resource Center provides a wide range of resources such as editing and viewing account information, viewing grades, taking exams, engaging in student forums, getting support from our staff and accessing additional learning material.
You might be hoping to advance your career in manufacturing or want to get into a new field of work and need technical training, yet your fixed schedule cannot fit into the timetable of many training programs. If this resonates with you, consider training that can be worked into your schedule.
Used in audio equipment, radio, TV, and computers amplifiers are components that increase or amplify the voltage, current or power of an electrical signal. Almost all electronic circuits and systems use at least one stage of amplification. As engineers and technicians, we should be able to identify different classes of amplifiers.
Looking for new training opportunities but you aren’t sure which type of education would suit your needs best? Confused about the different types of education that are being offered and not sure what their differences are? Depending on whether you are looking to get into a new area of study or whether you want to advance your career by adding other credentials, all four options below can be useful.
As efficient as modern manufacturing processes have become, owning and operating a smart factory is not without its challenges. Finding ways to produce goods more quickly, with a greater degree of safety, at a higher quality, and at a lower cost are all facets of manufacturing that are urgently being iterated upon, even by industry leaders in the automotive sector.
1. Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, or often referred to as Industry 4.0, is currently underway in all aspects of the global economy. Industry 4.0 represents the ongoing automation of both the traditional manufacturing processes and other industrial practices across non-manufacturing sectors of the economy.
Need to quickly find the formula for calculating resistance? Still need clarification about common characteristics of weighted number systems? Find these topics, and many more, in the new and updated Practicing Electronics Technician's Handbook Second Edition!
If you’re considering taking the Electromechanical Technician certificate program, maybe you’ve been wondering what kind of a computer you need to install our program curriculum and simulation software. Luckily, the system requirements are modest, so most computers will meet them.
The three system requirements are:
Keeping up with the technology changes in the manufacturing/industrial industry is important to stay relevant in your job/career. With the world changing so quickly, it’s always a good idea to stay in the loop and know what the current and future trends are, and take advantage of opportunities to grow. But how can one keep up with the industry?
Below are 4 ways to stay up to date:
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, is constantly and rapidly evolving. New technological advancements in industrial smart factories seem to be happening all the time. This article will take a look at some of the biggest current tech trends in industrial manufacturing.
We all are surrounded by electronic devices including phones, laptops, TV etc, but did you ever wonder what these things are made of. Most people might answer circuits which is correct to a point. A circuit is a closed path that allow electricity to flow from one end to another and made of various individual components such as resistors, capacitors, inductors etc.
We work hard at improving the quality of our programs and our student experience. One way we do this is by asking our graduates, who have recently completed a program, for their feedback about the key elements of our programs and their experience with us through a satisfaction survey. Upon completion of their program, students are invited to complete the survey. It includes 13 questions where we ask students to evaluate us using a rating system ranging from unsatisfactory to excellent.
STU-VIEW, George Brown College’s on-line Student Information System, is a web-based portal to the College’s database.
As a GBCTechTraining Technical Certificate student your STU-VIEW account is the place to access;
Your home should be a stress-free environment. But living through a pandemic and the rules associated with it, can be more challenging especially since work and school are now more closely integrated in your home. If you’re working from home, attending online school from home, and managing a family, you may find that juggling all the different parts can be stressful.
Did you know that typically only about 40% of students actually complete their college certificate or degree, (after a period of 6 years)?[1] That’s a stat that most schools aren’t too comfortable talking about but the reality is that getting through a postsecondary program is really a tough challenge. And I’ll add that distance education, self-paced learning programs, like ours, are typically even lower.
Almost every moving device is powered by an electro mechanical system. These systems are present in most electric motors, solenoids and mechatronics. From vehicle power windows and power seats to washers and dryers, many of the products we use in our everyday lives rely on these systems. Here are the three most common electro mechanical systems and devices and how they work.
In this blog, we will review the concept of resistance, resistivity and steps to calculate the minimum cross-sectional area and diameter of any desired conductor.
What is Resistance?
The property of a device or a circuit that opposes the movement of current through it. Resistance is measured in Ohms (Ω). The resistance of any material with a uniform cross-sectional area is determined by the following four factors:
If you are a first-time online learner, taking an online course or even considering one you may find that they can present some unique challenges. Without a plan for managing these challenges, your performance could suffer. Here are 5 tips to help you succeed in an online class.
The holiday season is almost here, and we wanted to update you on how the holiday break will impact our technical, tutorial, and administrative support.
Office Hours
The Student Support Center itself will close at 10 pm on Wednesday December 23, 2020, and will reopen on Tuesday morning, January 5, 2021.
Registration
In this blog, we will review the theory of Magnetic Fields and its basic concept. We all know that magnets exert forces on each other and its magnetic force is distributed around. Magnetic field lines are used to describe these forces around the magnet. We understand that magnets have two poles and that depending on the orientation of two magnets there can be an attraction (opposite poles) or repulsion (similar poles).
Covid19 has brought with it a number of changes, with social distancing and work-from-home measures becoming common. At GBCTechTraining, these changes mean that while our online programs are still available, George Brown College has closed its physical buildings to most staff and students and we are working remotely. As a result of this closure, you are now able to access your Certificate online as an eCertificate, in addition a printed copy of the Certificate will autom
The beginning of this, the third decade of the new millennium, may have started out rather bleak, but it does not mean that things like innovation or advances in technology have come to a grinding halt. In fact, quite the opposite is true. As we find ourselves in the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (more commonly referred to as Industry 4.0) the adoption of automated machinery in the manufacturing sector shows no indication of slowing down.
Online education has brought numerous advantages to learning, such as making education more accessible, and in some ways, more interactive and engaging. However, it has also brought some unique challenges. Feelings of isolation, difficulties with self-direction as well as time management issues are common among students in online courses. Students may feel isolated if there aren’t resources or opportunities available to interact with faculty or other students.
Online programs can be a challenge for students, especially when the lack of in-person interaction is paired with learning new and unfamiliar technology. Our team has worked hard on creating a number of platforms and tools to help students become a part of the community, build professional relationships, and discover job opportunities. You can access all of this through our private Facebook group.
In this blog we will review the theory of the Air gaps in magnetic circuits. A magnetic circuit is where a magnetic flux is circulated or follow through a closed area or path. An air gap is a non-magnetic part of a magnetic circuits and it is usually connected magnetically in series with the rest of the circuit. This allows a substantial part of the magnetic flux flows through the gap.
As we are still in the middle of a pandemic, many post-secondary institutions have shifted their traditional in-class instruction and delivery of programs and courses online. Our programs have always been delivered online, and we have the resources and services to help support your success through your studies. Whether it’s looking for technical support or downloading your eCertificates, you may need to access various resources and services from time to time.
In this blog we will review the theory of the Current Divider circuits in a parallel circuit. In a parallel circuit, all the components have their terminals connected together sharing the same two end nodes. This results in different paths and branches for the current to flow or pass along. However, the currents can have different values through each component but the voltage remains the same across two end nodes.
As Covid-19 is brought under control, many people are anxious to get back to work. While some may be able to work from home, it is important that safety measures are in place for those who must physically return to their workplaces. The manufacturing industry must have measures in place to prevent the potential spread of the virus as technicians return to warehouses, factories, and other workplaces. Let us review a few new technologies and procedural changes employers can im
In a 2018 study by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute it was predicted that by 2028 there would be in excess of two million unfilled positions in manufacturing—a deficit created by what is being called the “Manufacturing Skills Gap.” The changing landscape of the manufacturing industry, paired with an outdated
Since March, the GBCTechTraining team has seen a number of changes to our processes, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We have had to rethink the ways that a number of our resources are delivered, including how students access their program materials and documents. Physical materials and documents can no longer be sent out due to the closure of GBC’s physical location and mail room—so we have had to take these materials fully digital! Here are s
In theatre, being a Triple Threat means that you can sing, dance, and act—that you have all the skills necessary to take on any role and succeed at it. This term can be applied to manufacturing, as well, and refer to someone who has skills in multiple disciplines, able to take on work in many departments.
Here at GBCTechTraining, we take student support very seriously. This means keeping track of the questions both current and prospective students ask regularly, anticipate potential questions, and make answers and information accessible to all. However, there are always questions that we may not foresee, but would love to answer!
In this blog we will explore Inductance; one of the major properties of an electrical circuit or an electronic device. Inductance is defined as a property of electrical circuit or a device that opposes a change in current. It is important to note that inductance does not oppose the current but rather opposes the change in current flowing within the circuit.
Here at GBCTechtraining, we are very proud of our graduates. Their stories inspire us, and we hope they will inspire you as well!
This post highlights some of our graduates' experiences and gives some insight into how our online technical certificate programs have impacted their careers and lives. Take a look at how our graduates have found success after completing a GBCTechTraining program.
The world is changing, and so are its energy needs and sources. The current energy grid was designed around centralized power plants that generate a one way power flow.
Covid-19 has made it difficult for even the most social among us to build connections. Here are a few tips to help technical professionals build and maintain their connections online, and prepare themselves for the post-pandemic world.
Congratulations in taking that first big step to upgrade your skills by registering into the Electromechanical Certificate program. Now that you have signed-up for the program, you should have received an email with a link to download the web-based curriculum software. This means that once you have installed the program material (simulation software and web-based curriculum software) onto your computer you can start learning immediately.
In electronics, filters serve a critical role in many common applications such as audio electronics, radio communications and power supplies. We use filters to block or pass a specific range of frequencies. The filters can be either passive or active. We usually divide filters into four main types, depending on which frequency components of the input signal they pass on to the output signal. The four types of filters are low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and band-stop.
The COVID-19 pandemic and our government’s public health and societal response to it are having a dramatic effect on all of our lives, and the way we interact with each other as individuals, businesses and public institutions. George Brown College and our distance learning department have been challenged to adapt and adjust the delivery of our programs.
Students often think that once they gain technical knowledge, they are ready to go and get that career they've always wanted. They often overlook the soft skills, thinking that they're something that we're all naturally good at (or not).
Radians and angular velocity are terms that are commonly used in AC theory and AC measurement. Most of the electric energy used commercially is generated as Alternating Current (AC). The main reason Alternating Current is used is that alternating voltage may be easily raised or lowered in value.
As we find ourselves firmly entrenched within the digital revolution, we have seen it permeate the manufacturing sector while simultaneously continuing to disrupt the media, finance and healthcare, amongst other sectors.
Over the years, we’ve had many questions about the certificate that graduates receive upon completion of a George Brown College online Technical Training Certificate program.
With tax season quickly approaching, it’s time to start preparing and gathering all relevant receipts and paperwork to file your taxes! GBC Technical Training students whose tuition fees have totaled at least $100 are eligible to receive a tax credit for tuition fees through the Tuition, Education and Textbook Amounts Certificate (T2202A).
Computer simulations have greatly evolved with progress in computer science over the past few decades. With origins in a math experiment during WWII, simulation technologies now have widespread applications in various industries ranging from healthcare to manufacturing to entertainment. Simulation tools have found numerous successes and advantages in education, being used for teaching, training, and testing applications.
An electromechanical technician can work in a variety of manufacturing environments after completing his or her training. Whether you want to work in an office setting or on a production site, in the agricultural sector or in the aerospace industry, there is no shortage of interesting industrial environments to choose.
Did you know that graduates of the Electromechanical Technician (EM) Certificate program are eligible for module exemptions when they take another online technical training certificate program from GBC’s School of Distance Education? Take advantage of this and earn another certificate to enhance your skills and resume!
Electromechanical technicians play a vital role in our economy as many industrial systems are built with electromechanical devices.
In this installment of the "Practicing Technician" series we will review the calculation required to determine the resistance of a given conductor. This often overlooked parameter can be important when trying to determine the appropriate wire diameter for a given application. It is also important to consider conductor resistance when examining application efficiency. Lower resistance means lower power dissipation by the conductor.
Two commonly misunderstood types of training are certificates and certifications. Both provide important value, but are quite different in terms of purpose, content, oversight and commitment required to complete them. Selecting the right training will ultimately increase your hire ability and/or value to your employer.
Most people use HMIs regularly in everyday life. For instance, when they’re adjusting the temperature controls in their vehicles or homes, they’re engaging a human-machine interface. In industrial applications, HMIs are often more complex interfaces capable of handling the volume and complexity of inputs and outputs necessary to operate industrial machinery or plant-wide operations.
In this installment of our "Practicing Technician" series, we will once again be working with a circuit reduction technique. This particular technique is quite useful for determining how changes in load conditions can impact on circuit performance. Until now, we have provided reduction techniques that are useful for fixed load circuit analysis. Thevenin's theorem can be used in cases where we want to see how load voltage, current and power are effected by changes in load resistance.
In the fourth part of our series on Tips For Practicing Technicians, we look at a simple technique that can be used to simplify circuit analysis when working with series and parallel RL circuits. One of the issues encountered by technicians who are working with parallel RL circuits is the need to work with values that are the reciprocals of the more commonly used standard units.
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are two of the ways tech changes the way we look at the world. Whereas AR enhances our experience by superimposing digital images on our reality (think Pokémon Go), VR creates a completely different reality with a simulated environment. While both are typically used in technology for entertainment, they can also help improve industries such as manufacturing.
This is the third in our series of brief articles discussing important topics relevant to electronics and electromechanical technicians and technician students preparing for today’s workforce. In this series, we will be discussing some everyday skills and topics for practicing technicians, as well as some areas that have been identified as “difficult to understand” by our technician students while performing general circuit analysis.
Everybody knows that increased automation on the factory floor dealt a severe blow to manufacturing workers everywhere. Now, white collar jobs are also about to undergo quite a few shakeups as automation begins to take over offices, schools, hospitals and research labs everywhere.
Electromechanical switches are devices designed and used as additions for electrical circuits. They register over current, over-voltage, reverse power flow, and frequency. All of this is done in order to reduce the risk of major accidents or flashovers related to the electrical system within a structure or in machinery. Essentially, they work by tripping the circuit breaker when a fault is detected.
It's been a rough few years for the manufacturing industries, highlighted by the end of the first decade in the twenty first century where the most serious recession since the Great Depression affected most, if not all of the world’s economy. Most sectors seem to have rebounded, and the manufacturing industry is no exception.
The face of aviation is expected to change drastically over the next several decades. New regulations are driving the demand for electric and hybrid aircraft that produce fewer carbon emissions. Organizations like NASA and Airbus are leading the way to cleaner aviation by researching and designing green aircraft propulsion technologies.
The surprise result of the recent US election has highlighted the loss of manufacturing jobs like never before. Voters punished the status quo at the ballot box, at least partially because of their anger and powerlessness at big business outsourcing work to foreign countries. But the problem on the horizon is not so much outsourcing, downsizing, or imports as it is a fourth industrial revolution: the mass introduction of automation, which will replace low-wage workers with robots.
A recent technological breakthrough in the efficiency of the electric motor could mean that the average family’s grocery bill is about to drop – significantly. QM Power, a technology firm located in Kansas City, Missouri, recently broke the news to the world that it had developed an electric motor that promised to be at least 80% more efficient than Tesla’s (the man, not the automaker) induction electric motor.
One of the more remarkable consumer technologies to really take flight in the last few years are drones; but the one that is really turning heads is Parrot’s Oculus Rift compatible drone, Bebop.