Alicia Elston
About Me
Introduction:
I have 13 years of plant design, project management, maintenance, and fault-finding experiences in Instrumentation and Process Control and Optimization in the Nuclear, Gas, Water, Chemical, FMCG and Pharmaceutical Industry.
I also have 2 years of running a small privately-owned electrical company that did residential electrical installations, problem finding, and fixing.
I am a hard-working, perfectionist and a self-motivated person who pays attention to detail and follow set procedures and systems. I rarely act on impulse and thus prefer to plan ahead and consider all aspects of a problem before making a decision but I like to see a job through to the end. I am a persevering and conscientious individual who has a strong sense of duty and have a strong respect for authority.
I enjoy training, teaching and assisting a person to grow while helping them see their full potential. I started tutoring and teaching part-time in 2002 and due to my passion have continued to do so throughout my engineering career.
Education
learnTEFL
Industrial Instrumentation
November 2019
Northlink Goodwood
Industrial Instrumentation
September 2005
Eskom Koeberg Power Station
Instrumentation and Process Control Trade Test
June 2008
Experiences
Project Quotation Support
Endress and Hauser
December 2013 to July 2019
The role of Project Support Quotations is to support the Project Manager technically on Instrumentation selection and compiling of tender documentation. Doing this involves the following: 1. Projects support and technical clarification while conversing with various customers in different industries such as food and beverage, mining, water treatment, and wastewater treatment. 2. Quotation preparation while assisting customers to find engineering solutions to process and instrumentation control, measuring, monitoring and/or calibration. The instrumentation on offer includes but not limited by Flowmeters, Analysers, Level, Pressure and Temperatures Transmitters. 3. Solutions on offers including but not limited by Tank Gauging, Installation, Commissioning, Supervision, Preventative Maintenance, Calibration, Breakdowns, and Fault-finding or Troubleshooting. 4. Tender preparations and submitting for all industries including food and beverage, mining, water treatment, and wastewater treatment and petrochemical. 5. Commercial negotiating with the customer regarding Terms and Conditions, Cost and Payment Terms.
Electrical/Instrumentation Junior Engineer
Biovac
July 2011 to September 2013
The maintenance team consists of multi-disciplinary – fitter and turners, mechanics and Electrical/Instrumentation Technicians. This position entailed Installation of new machinery and managing the maintenance, servicing and production of the washing, sterilizing, formulation, filling and packaging equipment/machinery of The Biovac Institute which uses Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) 1. Installation, Commissioning, IQ, OQ, and PQ of: 1.1. Bosch Pure Fluids which consists of purified water, pure steam, water for injection (WFI) systems 1.2. Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system 1.3. Belimed Washer and autoclaves 1.4. Electrical Cabinets and distribution thereof 1.5. Building Management System (BMS) (similar to SCADA) 1.6. Biozeen manufacturing stations and vessels which consists of SIP/COP, CIP, thermostatic stations and their vessels 1.7. Bosch filling lines which include vial washer, depyrogenation tunnel, filling, sealing and capping 1.8. Biozeen Kill Tank 1.9. Cold Rooms 1.10. Columns and bowl, clarification and lab centrifuges 1.11. Various fridges, small scales, and pH meters 2. Writing of Work Instructions, Standard Operating Procedures, Maintenance Schedules and Spares List for the above-mentioned equipment. 3. Maintenance, break downs and planned shutdowns of black and clean utilities, manufacturing, sterilizing, filling and packaging lines, including above-mentioned equipment. 4. Operation of the clean utilities which include: Purified Fluids, Pure Steam, WFI systems, HVAC, BMS, Kill Tank, and Cold Rooms. This position Maintenance, Projects and cGMP related which is normal and shift work-based, data capturing of maintenance performed, the quality achieved and break-downs by means of software (AMM, Navision and Archives).
Maintenance Manager
Catwalk Cosmetics Inc
May 2010 to March 2011
The team that I headed consisted of a Fitter and Turner, a Mechanic and a General Help. My part in the team was as an Instrumentation/Electrical Technician and Head of Department. 1. Maintaining: Maintaining a production plant from raw materials to packaging, including utilities. Setup of new production lines Upgrades on operating and process systems Plan annual preventative maintenance plan and implementation Ordering of parts and maintaining of stock 2. Technician: Installation of instrumentation, electrical, manufacturing process, and packaging lines and execution Programming of logic readers and PLC’s (Allen Bradley) Maintaining instrumentation, electrical motors, pumps, VSDs, PLCs, and valves. Fault finding on operation systems, PLCs and electronics Fault finding on instruments and process control 3. Managing: Daily meetings on breakdowns and experiences Weekly safety meetings Monthly meetings on progression Advice on safety and implementation Planning and booking of annual leave for team members Booking study, sick and family responsibility leave for team members Issuing of warnings when required This position was a contract to manage and maintain production and preventative measures related which was normal and shift work-based.
Brewing Technician
SABMiller
July 2008 to April 2010
This position was Process, Production and Preventative Measures related which was shift work-based, data capturing of beer fermentation, yeast generations used, tracking, location stored and process optimized by means of software (SAP, PaQT and LIMS) for SAB(FMCG) which uses World Class Manufacturing (WCM) practices. Plant experience with Process Control and Optimization: 1. Process running (yeast handling- Cap, ferment general) which consisted of: 1.1 Running a process as an operator 1.2 Biochemistry 1.3 On shift fault finding as an artisan 1.4 Tending to breakdowns 1.5 Preventative maintenance 2. The basic operation of Scada which consisted of: 2.1 Starting and stopping of pumps 2.2 Opening and closing of valves 2.3 Optimization of controllers and control valves 2.4 Starting and stopping processes 2.5 Fault finding 2.6 Reading system drawings 3. Meetings between level1 and level3 3.1 Informing of any deviations and changes made to the plant/process. 3.2 Communication of any changes that need to be made. 3.3 Quality Control discussed and plans made for stepping forward. 4. Breakdowns 4.1 Fault finding using SCADA and Wonderware 4.2 Repairing of instrumentation faults/breakdowns found on shift 4.3 Maintenance Schedules on Instrumentation 4.4 Ordering Instrumentation from suppliers and maintaining a good relationship with the supplier. 4.5 Installation of instrumentation and process control devices 4.6 Performing preventative maintenance 5. Biochemistry 5.1 Samples taken and measured on yeast, wort, water, beer, gasses. 5.2 pH, consistency, ATP, sodium, CO2, gravities and dissolved oxygen.
Process Instruments Apprentice
Eskom
September 2005 to June 2008
Plant experience with Process Instrumentation: 1. Instrumentation installation, calibration, maintenance, preventative measures and fault finding of gauges, transmitters, switches, meters, valves, valve actuated devices, thermocouples, RTDs, variable speed drives(VSD), recorders, controllers, relay switching, actuators, positioners and proxies 2. Process configuration, optimizing, maintenance and fault finding of PID control in a single loop and cascade design for pressure, flow, temperature, and level 3. PLC ladder logic design, programming, fault finding 4. Electronics circuit design, installation and fault finding 5. Pneumatic systems design, installation, maintenance and fault finding 6. Basic hydraulic systems installation, maintenance and fault finding 7. Meetings between artisans, technicians and section head 7.1 Informing of any breakdowns which happened over the last day and night and changes made to the plant/process. 7.2 Communication of any changes that need to be made. 7.3 Quality Control discussed 7.4 Plans made for stepping forward and then execution of it. 8. Breakdowns 8.1 Repairing of instrumentation faults/breakdowns found 8.2 Maintenance Schedules on Instrumentation 8.3 Ordering Instrumentation from stores 8.4 Installation of instrumentation and process control devices 8.5 Performing preventative maintenance This position was Production and Maintenance as well as Preventative Measures related which included shift work, history capturing of instruments and systems(paperwork).
Tutor
Self-Employed
December 2002 to Current
I am responsible for helping students to understand different subjects by assessing, assist and encourage the students in the learning processes. I also, review materials used in classes, explain various topics and answers all the doubts and questions of the student regarding that topic. My functions are a supplementation to the classroom teaching. They may work at schools giving extra support for children with issues in some subjects. My tasks include but are not limited to: • Developing student´s skills. • Helping students to improve their learning process. • Detecting the specific needs of each student. • Teaching supplementary lessons. • Creating reports. Thus far I have taught in 3 languages which are English, Afrikaans, and South African Sign Language for students ranging from 13 to 36 years of age.
Skills
Languages
Videos
Portfolio
Instrumentation Trade Certificate
Industrial Instrumentation Certificate