Trace the machine
Practice signal mapping, scan-by-scan logic, timers and counters. Separate commands, feedback, interlocks and local release authority.
BUNTOP CONTROLS ACADEMY | INDUSTRIAL CONTROLS & PLANT DATA SIMULATION
Master industrial automation on a simulated connected factory floor.
Bridge theory and plant-floor troubleshooting. Follow machine signals through PLC logic, SCADA, historians and MES. Practice with 71 simulated fault scenarios without connecting to production equipment.
- 28 learning milestones
- 12 interactive workspaces
- 71 simulated fault scenarios
- Browser practice, no physical hardware
Card required. $0 at activation. Recurring billing starts after three days at your selected Basic rate unless canceled. Review the billing period and terms before starting.
PRACTICE BEFORE THE LINE IS DOWN
Learn to investigate the imperfect plant.
Writing fresh logic is only one part of controls work. Existing plants bring old code, unclear signal ownership, intermittent networks, stale tags and incomplete records. These exercises ask you to trace the fault, test the explanation and document a recovery plan.
Work through virtual signal paths from sensors and I/O to edge collection, SCADA, historians and MES. Simulation supports learning; live changes still require qualified personnel and site authorization.
THE FOUR LEARNING SPRINTS
28 milestones. A practical path through the stack.
Plan 3–5 hours per milestone, including at least two hours of study and exercises. The four sprints describe the learning sequence, not a required four-week completion deadline. Topic access depends on your plan.
Sprint 1: Machine foundations and PLC logic
Process boundaries, electrical fundamentals, ladder scan tracing, counters, timers, instruments, HMI and a practical examination.
- Milestone 1: Production and architecture baseline
- Milestone 2: Electrical fundamentals and safe work limits
- Milestone 3: Ladder logic and scan tracing
- Milestone 4: Counters timers and memory
- Milestone 5: Instruments loops drives and HMI
- Milestone 6: Batch enterprise and platform boundaries
- Milestone 7: Week one practical examination
Sprint 2: Networks, SCADA and secure infrastructure
Addressing, DNS and time, OPC interfaces, SCADA and historian roles, edge hardware, virtualization and risk-based zones and conduits.
- Milestone 8: Networking addressing DNS and time
- Milestone 9: Protocols read access and contracts
- Milestone 10: SCADA historian MES and data memory
- Milestone 11: OnLogic server and storage engineering
- Milestone 12: Hypervisor and IaaS design
- Milestone 13: Zones conduits and least privilege
- Milestone 14: Week two architecture examination
Sprint 3: Connected operations and recovery
Inventory and onboarding, workload observation, count and KPI parity, orders and traceability, robots and AGVs, outage and recovery tests.
- Milestone 15: KOP inventory and onboarding
- Milestone 16: KOP GitOps workloads and observation
- Milestone 17: Machine visibility counters and KPI parity
- Milestone 18: Orders material logistics and traceability
- Milestone 19: Tasks robots AGVs maintenance and utilities
- Milestone 20: Outages access and observation tests
- Milestone 21: Week three validation examination
Sprint 4: Cross-industry integration and commissioning
Pharma and quality records, automotive and critical facilities, capstone design, fault diagnosis, recovery, handover and final defense.
- Milestone 22: Pharma and quality record integration
- Milestone 23: Automotive and neutral integration
- Milestone 24: Critical facilities broadcast and energy
- Milestone 25: Capstone design and requirements
- Milestone 26: Capstone commissioning and faults
- Milestone 27: Capstone recovery and operational handover
- Milestone 28: Final examination and defense
12 WORKSPACES · 71 MAPPED FAULTS
Investigate, explain and verify.
Recover the data path
Investigate missing downtime reasons, stale values, gateway resets, buffered replay and historian gaps. Reconcile timestamps, quality and counts.
Build handover evidence
Work through packaging, beverage, pharma and other industry examples. Record expected results, exceptions and the evidence needed before acceptance.
Automated feedback checks the exercise’s defined model and answers. It does not certify compliance with an industry standard or validate a real plant installation.
Browse workspaces and plan access → · PLC UDT & Ignition faceplate lab →
Choose your learning path.
INDIVIDUAL ENGINEERS & TECHNICIANS
Build troubleshooting confidence.
Connect electrical maintenance and PLC knowledge to networks, visualization and trusted manufacturing data. Follow the milestones at your own pace.
Compare individual access →PLANT & OPERATIONS MANAGERS
Support the team after handover.
A signed Buntop pilot proposal can include five named Academy seats for 12 months at an agreed plan level. Each learner has an individual account, an invitation and a fixed access period.
Seats are managed by Buntop. Team analytics, pooled seats and a customer manager dashboard are not currently included. Dedicated Q&A support is separately scoped.
Discuss a team training package → · Accept an invitation →INDIVIDUAL ACCESS
Start with the access you need.
Basic
$49/month · $19/week · $490/year
Foundation lessons and introductory practice. Basic does not include the full Academy or advanced labs.
Review Basic →Standard
$99/month · $39/week · $990/year
Core lessons and selected engineering applications. Advanced lessons and the complete capstone require Pro.
Review Standard →Pro
$179/month · $69/week · $1,790/year
The complete 28-milestone Academy and advanced applications, subject to the listed app and project permissions.
Review Pro →Each individual subscription is for one person. The three-day trial has Basic access only. Current checkout prices and recurring-billing terms are shown on the membership page before purchase.
THE EXPERIENCE BEHIND THE EXERCISES
Built by Adewale Adeniran.
M.S. Intelligent Systems Engineering, Cyber-Physical Systems, Indiana University Bloomington. The teaching approach draws on the founder’s controls, packaging, beverage and regulated manufacturing experience, including roles with KRONES, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling and bioMérieux.
These names describe prior employment experience, not Academy endorsements or Buntop client references.
Read the founder’s experience →Before you start.
Do I need Studio 5000, TIA Portal, Ignition or AVEVA installed?
The included browser models do not require vendor software or physical hardware. They illustrate engineering behavior; they do not run the vendors’ full PLC or SCADA software. Practicing the supplied configuration examples inside those products requires the appropriate software and licenses.
Is this official vendor certification?
No. The Academy provides practical exercises and learning evidence. It does not award official vendor certification or authorize live plant work.
Does the free trial require a card?
Yes. The Basic trial starts at $0, lasts three days and renews into the selected Basic subscription unless canceled.
How do I cancel?
Sign in to the membership page, open the billing portal and complete its cancellation steps. Review the effective cancellation date shown there. Team seats follow the employer agreement and do not create personal recurring charges.
Where is learning progress stored?
Learning tools may save progress and exports in your browser. Keep your evidence exports. Centralized team progress reporting is not currently part of the team-seat package.