Mike Mdluli

I am a trade-tested Instrument Technician with more than 20 years of experience. In my current role at AFGRI ANIMAL FEEDS, as an Electrical & Instrumentation Technician, I oversee all new projects, plant and systems modifications, plant maintenance, budget, critical spares control, and repairs on all the sections of my responsibility.

I have successfully completed projects to upgrade five PLCs to the latest Schneider M340 and M580(Unity pro and Control Expert). I have also successfully completed the following project:

1. 3 x Water Treatment plants
2. 2 x Crusher plants
3. 3 x Pelleting plants
4. Pet food-making plant
5. Pump Stations
6. Automated farm Irrigation
7. Refrigeration Plants
8. Data Capturing, Historian Trending, and Production reports using Canary Historian, Kepware, and Flow software

Problem-solving and troubleshooting are tasks that I face daily and am confident in resolving. When there is an issue, I am sure to investigate the issue fully, scope out the best methods to resolve it, probe the implications of each method, and communicate the data clearly with all relevant team members

Employer                   : AFGRI Animal Feeds

Job Title                     : Electrical and Instrumentation Technician

Period                         : 01 June 2018 to Date

DUTIES

• CAPEX and Budget control
• Project management and Execution
• Writing Scope of Work
• Writing, reviewing and updating Control Philosophies
• Do FAT and SAT on projects
• Do modifications and upgrades on Electrical and Control System
• Update P&ID and Electrical drawings
• Design, Installation and Programming of Electrical/Electronic devices such as PLC (using Ladder Language, Structured Text and Function Block languages), Telemetry System, ASi Interface, IO Links, VSD’s (Variable Speed drives), Soft Starters, SCADA Development, HMI development, etc.
• Plant Commissioning and Start-up after Project completion
• Fault-finding and repairs on Electrical and Instrumentation equipment’s such as Boilers, Motor Control Centre, Compressors, Blowers, Weighing Systems, Milling Machines, Grinding Machines, Pelleting Machines, Extruders, Conveyers, Elevators, Conditioners, Decanters, Driers, etc. 
• Historian and Auto Production Reports using Canary Historian and FLOW software by Element8
• Give support to artisans with PLC, HMI, Drives and SCADA fault finding
• Making sure that down time is as minimal as possible by continuously improving systems
• Ensuring maintenance of equipment is carried out regularly
• Calibration of instruments including Weighing System(scales)
• Provide technical support to artisans
• Coaching and Mentoring Interns, Leaners, Apprentices and Graduates
• Management of Artisans, Interns, Leaners, Apprentices and Graduates
• Job planning and record keeping 
• Perform Root Cause Fault Analysis( RCA)
• Critical Spares management
• Perform standby duties
• Perform risk assessment
• Software Backups
• Quality Control

Employer                   : Manganese Metal Company

Job Title                     : Instrumentation Technician

Period                         : 01 August 2013 to 31 May2018

DUTIES

• Installs, maintains, repairs, overhauls, calibrates, and tests a wide variety of industrial instruments (electronic, electrical, and pneumatic) that measure, record, indicate, control and regulate level, flow, pressure, temperature, pH, position, motion etc.
• Installation, maintenance, and Fault-finding on Electrical and Instrumentation equipment’s such as Boilers, Motor Control Centre, Compressors, Reactors, Furnaces, Conveyors, Generators etc.
• Programming of Electrical/Electronic devices such as PLC (using Ladder Language, Structured Text and Function Blocks languages), Telemetry System, VSD’s (Variable Speed drives), Soft Starters, SCADA Development etc.
• Prepares schematic drawings, P&ID, sketches, and reports to reflect changes or alterations made in Electrical and Instrumentation circuits, and systems
• On-the-job training of apprentices, semi-skilled and assistants in Instrumentation and Control systems
• Making sure that downtime is as minimal as possible by continuously improving systems and doing preventative maintenance
• Management of Artisan Assistants and Apprentices
• Designing, panel wiring and QC inspection
• Job planning and record keeping 
• Perform standby duties
• Plant Commissioning 
• Software Backups
• Quality Control

Employer                   : Umbhaba Estate

Job Title                     : Electrical & Instrumentation Senior Technician

Period                         : 19 January 2009 to 31 July 2013

DUTIES

• Design, Installation, maintenance, and fault-finding on Electrical and Instrumentation equipments such as Control Systems, Automation, Motor Control Centre, Compressors, and Generator change over panels
• Installs, maintains, repairs, overhauls, calibrates, and tests a wide variety of industrial Instrumentation that measure, record, indicate, control, and regulate level, flow, pressure, temperature, position, etc.
• Designing of Electrical and Instrumentation circuits for Pump stations, Refrigeration plants, Fruit Processing Plant, Packaging Plant, Irrigation System etc. 
• Programming of Electrical/Electronic devices such as PLC (using Ladder Language, Structured Text and Function Blocks languages), Telemetry System, VSD’s (Variable Speed drives), Soft Starters etc. Plant Commissioning
• Prepares schematic drawings, sketches, and reports to reflect changes or alterations made in Electrical and Instrumentation circuits, and systems
• Connects motors; checks for voltage, current, rotation or speed changes; repairs and replaces equipment and components
• Making sure that down time is as minimal as possible by continuously improving systems
• Installation of Cisco phones, Computers, Networks, Cameras and Printers
• Installation, Programming and maintenance on Security alarm System
• Artisans and Semi-skilled Personnel management
• Technical maintenance budget control
• Training of Artisan and semi-skilled personnel 
• Panel wiring, Panel testing and QC Inspection.
• Ordering of spares and equipments
• Job planning and record keeping
• Doing Standby duties
• Quality Control

Employer                   : Air Liquide South Africa

Job Title 1                  : Instrumentation and Telemetry Specialist

Section                        : Large Industries

Period                         : 01 June 2007 to November 2008

Job Title 2                  : Instrumentation Technician

Section                        : Engineering & Production

Period                         : 06 March 2006 to 31 May 2007

DUTIES

• Install, place in operation, maintain, inspect, test, trouble-shoot and repair equipment at customer sites to ensure the safe, effective and efficient delivery of products to customer's point of use
• Perform in the above capacities specifically for Air Liquide's applicable equipment including oxygen, nitrogen, argon, hydrogen, helium and carbon dioxide liquid and gas storage systems; customer distribution/regulation systems; applications equipment; telemonitoring equipment; instrumentation; and FLOXAL systems including air compressors and various small on-site nitrogen generation systems
• Installs, maintains, repairs, overhauls, calibrates and tests a wide variety of industrial Instrumentation that measure, record, indicate, control and regulate level, flow, pressure, temperature, position, analytical instruments etc.
• Coordinate activities with outside service providers, customer service engineering and sales and distribution on installations/removals
• Travel to different sites (in South Africa & outside South Africa) to do installation and maintenance
• Attend to maintenance, breakdowns and troubleshooting on gas plants such as VSA, PSA, ASU, AMSA, APSA, CO2 plants, Oxygen plants, and Nitrogen plants
• Check, maintain, install, program, commission and optimise plant control systems & production equipment such as PLC, Telemetry System (Teleflo and Teleflo DIVA), SCADA, Variable Speed Drives etc.
• Develop the use of Telemetry data acquisition and storage in order to monitor process compliance and reliability of On-Site existing units
• Support and facilitate setting of Telemetry system KPI & ensure that the necessary reporting is done in coordination with marketing
• Make Gap analysis and propose corrective action plans to be validated by On-site manager or Capex process if capex necessary. 
• Ensure that Telemetry data are available and accurate and eventually help to plan, facilitate & perform maintenance on plants
• Coaching, training and Supervision of artisans and Interns on instrumentation material and techniques for the purpose of multi skills development
• Give recommendations on improvement of production process and equipment according to Manufacturing standards and objectives
• Anticipate and identify sources of problems, which appear during production process and take appropriate actions to ensure process continuity
• Visit customers and give them technical support and liaising with Sales & Marketing to
• ensure that the benefits of our products are fully explored
• Services and fault-finding on compressors, blowers and other mechanical devices
• Perform process study comparing actual status of the process and design status
• Ensure professional responses to customer complaints, suggestions and queries
• Manage instrument control software back-ups and the safekeeping thereof
• Updating of Process and Instrumentation Drawings (P&ID)
• Do presentations to customers on available products
• Purchasing new equipments and spares
• Electrical installation and fault-finding
• Contractors and Project management
• Perform standby duties

N5 Complete

N6 short 1 Subject