Engine and Deck Automation Course
This course gives you the skills to understand, operate and maintain the automation of engines and deck machinery on modern ships. You will learn the architecture of naval automation and its critical variables, how main engines, generators and auxiliary systems are controlled and protected, how winches, cranes, ramps and hatches are automated, how instrumentation, PLCs, industrial networks and SCADA, IAS and HMI fit together, and how to design, validate and commission an automation system.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Engine and Deck Automation Course?
This short course prepares you to work with the automation systems that control propulsion, machinery services and deck operations. You will study the principles of naval industrial automation, the interfaces between engine room and deck, process variables, marine sensors and data acquisition, control logic, sequences and interlocks, automation of main engines, generators and auxiliary motors, fuel, lubrication and cooling control, parameter monitoring and shutdown systems, automation of windlasses, capstans, winches, cranes, davits, ramps and hatches, hydraulic and electrohydraulic systems, field instrumentation, PLCs and marine controllers, Modbus, CAN, Profibus, Profinet and industrial Ethernet, SCADA, IAS and HMI, cabling and EMC.
What sets this course apart: it treats the engine room and the deck as one integrated automation system rather than separate specialties; it places protection, fail-safe design and safe recovery at the center of every topic; it covers the practical realities of the marine environment, such as vibration, humidity and interference; and it ends with an integrative project in which you design, parameterise and plan the validation and commissioning of an automation system, including maintenance and cybersecurity.
Program highlights
- Naval automation architecture: control levels, critical variables and interlocks.
- Engines and generators: start, stop, load control, synchronization and shutdowns.
- Deck machinery: winches, mooring, cranes, ramps and hatches under safe control.
- Instrumentation and PLCs: transmitters, actuators, I/O and sequential logic.
- Industrial networks and supervision: Modbus, CAN, Profinet, SCADA, IAS and HMI.
- Applied project: design, validation, FAT/SAT and commissioning plan.
Syllabus of the Engine and Deck Automation Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Fundamentals of naval automation applied to propulsion, machinery services and deck operations
- 1.1. Principles of naval industrial automation: functional architecture, control levels and particularities of the maritime environment
- 1.2. Integration between engine room and deck: information flows, operational interdependencies and technical hierarchy
- 1.3. Critical process variables in engines and deck systems: pressure, temperature, flow, level, position, load and speed
- 1.4. Sensors and data acquisition in the marine environment: robustness, redundancy, signaling and installation criteria
- 1.5. Control logic, automatic sequences and interlocks: fundamentals for safe operation and continuity of service
Automation of main engines, auxiliaries and propulsion systems with a focus on control, protection and supervision
- 2.1. Automation of main marine engines: start, stop, load control, limiters and operating modes
- 2.2. Automatic control of generators and auxiliary engines: synchronization, load sharing and onboard energy management
- 2.3. Automation of fuel, lubrication and cooling systems: regulation, sequences and protection of critical equipment
- 2.4. Continuous monitoring of engine parameters: trends, alarms, early diagnosis and support for predictive maintenance
- 2.5. Protection and shutdown systems: trip logic, interlocks, fail-safe design and safe recovery
Automation of deck equipment, maneuvering and auxiliary operations with safe coordination of assets
- 3.1. Automation of windlasses, capstans, winches and mooring systems: tension and speed control and safe sequences
- 3.2. Automatic control of cranes, davits, ramps and hatches: positioning, operating limits and interlocks
- 3.3. Automation of hydraulic and electrohydraulic deck systems: pressure, flow, safety and redundancy
- 3.4. Supervision of loading, discharge and anchoring maneuvers: sensors, alarms, permissives and state control
- 3.5. Integration of deck operations with PMS, IAS and naval SCADA: visualization, events and traceability of maneuvers
Instrumentation, PLCs, industrial networks and supervision systems for engines and decks on modern ships
- 4.1. Field instrumentation for naval automation: transmitters, limit switches, encoders, valves and smart actuators
- 4.2. PLCs and marine controllers: architecture, inputs and outputs, safety modules and design of sequential logic
- 4.3. Industrial networks and communication buses: Modbus, CAN, Profibus, Profinet, industrial Ethernet and integration criteria
- 4.4. Naval SCADA, IAS and HMI systems: centralized supervision, screen design, alarm management and historical records
- 4.5. Cabling, EMC and robustness criteria in the marine environment: interference, vibration, humidity and enclosure protection
Integrative engine and deck automation project: design, parameterisation, validation and commissioning
- 5.1. Definition of the case study: ship type, functional scope, critical assets and operational objectives
- 5.2. Design of the automation architecture: instrumentation, PLCs, networks, SCADA and IAS and integration of subsystems
- 5.3. Development of control logic and interlocks: sequences, permissives, alarms and shutdowns for machinery and deck
- 5.4. Validation and testing strategy: signal simulation, failure scenarios, FAT and SAT and acceptance criteria
- 5.5. Operation, maintenance and cybersecurity plan: routines, backups, critical spares and access control
Duration and format of the Engine and Deck Automation Course
It is 300 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Engine and Deck Automation Course
Career opportunities after the Engine and Deck Automation Course
Questions about the Engine and Deck Automation Course
Engines and propulsion systems, generators and auxiliary services, and deck equipment such as cranes, winches, windlasses, capstans, ramps, hatches and cargo handling systems.
It helps, but it is not essential. The course explains PLC architecture and sequential logic and works with the IEC 61131-3 languages from the basics.
Modbus, CAN, Profibus, Profinet and industrial Ethernet, together with the criteria for integrating them into naval supervision systems.
Factory acceptance tests and site acceptance tests: the structured checks that confirm an automation system works as designed before and after installation on board.
You define a ship case study, design its automation architecture, develop control logic and interlocks, plan validation and acceptance testing, and prepare an operation, maintenance and cybersecurity plan.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7, with live sessions that are recorded and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The course comprises 300 hours of study across 5 modules of about 60 hours each and ends with an applied project. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enroll.
More programs in Machinery and electrics
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at marine maintenance and electromechanical technicians who want to go deeper into automated systems and advanced diagnosis, naval engineers and marine engineering students, machinery operators and deck personnel, workshop supervisors and managers responsible for maintenance programs, and shipping companies and shipyards; vocational training in industrial automation or electronics, or proven experience in maintaining engines and automated systems, together with knowledge of pneumatics, hydraulics and PLCs, is recommended.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and the ability to install PLC programming and simulation software.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.