Posted by The Webmaster on May 29, 2010 under ISA News, Wireless Systems for Automation | 
GE’s worldwide industrial, communications, energy and process experience is helping to drive industry recognition of the ISA100 wireless communications standard, with the addition of GE to the ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute Governing Board.
GE is a supporter of the ISA100 family of open standards, which is a reliable, flexible and deterministic communications protocol that helps streamline and optimize the integration of industrial processes’ automation applications. This protocol makes it easier for different equipment and systems to communicate and work together.
“As a leader in technical innovation and open standards, GE is excited to participate in establishing the ISA100 standards,” said Melanie Cook, communications general manager for GE’s Digital Energy business. “Our customers rely on GE to deliver reliable solutions for their mission-critical communication networks and are increasingly demanding products that are interoperable for easier infrastructure deployments. From Smart Grid modernization to oil and gas and industrial automation applications, the ISA100 standards will help us in meeting our customers’ requirements.”
The ISA100.11a Industrial Wireless Networking Standard, approved in September 2009, is the first in the ISA100 family of standards. This mesh standard protocol helps companies build interoperable communications equipment. As a result, manufacturing and processing plants can create, modify and optimize beginning-to-end operations quickly, cost-effectively, and seamlessly.
Future ISA100 standards will include support for backhaul functionality, factory automation and other key-use cases. Details on the approved standard, the ISA100 roadmap, and use-case presentations are available atwww.isa.org/ISA100.
“The addition of GE expands coverage of industry verticals represented in the WCI and gives us another great resource for ensuring conformance, interoperability, and marketplace adoption of standards that best meet the needs of users around the world,” said Andre Ristaino, Wireless Compliance Institute managing director. “GE’s depth of technology expertise in process industries and creative application of technology is impressive. We look forward to working with the GE team to help improve communications for a new generation of process innovation.”
Posted by The Webmaster on May 21, 2010 under ISA News |
The International Society of Automation (ISA) Standards and Practices Board has approved the formation of a new committee, ISA106, to develop standards, recommended practices, and technical reports on the design and implementation of procedures for automating continuous process operations.
The ISA106 committee work products will apply to continuous processing applications and will address topics including:
- Models and terminology
- Modularization of procedural steps to foster re-use and lower total cost of ownership (TCO)
- Exception handling for abnormal situations
- State models for procedural logic
- Process unit orientation with operational perspective
- Recommended best practices
- Implementation of start-up, shutdown, abnormal situations, hold states, and transition logic
- Recommended target platform (i.e. control system vs. safety system) for different types of procedures
- Lifecycle management best practices
- Training and certification best practices
Board member Dr. Maurice J. Wilkins of Yokogawa, will serve as managing director of the new ISA106 committee. Dr. Wilkins has appointed Mr. Marty King of Chevron and Dr. Yahya Nazer of The Dow Chemical Company as co-chairs, and Mr. David Emerson of Yokogawa as vice chair and editor.
“The ultimate goal of ISA106 is to provide generic, cross-industry standards for procedural automation in continuous industries, in much the same way that ISA88 has done for the batch industries,” explains Dr. Wilkins. “In fact, I am hoping that some of the ISA88 work will apply to ISA106 and thus help speed up the process. It is also possible that ISA106 could develop joint recommended practices for various industries and work with standards committees that already exist, such as the ISA67 (nuclear) and ISA77 (fossil) power plant standards committees—as well as for industries that do not have separate ISA standards committees, such as petrochemical, refining, and upstream oil and gas.”
Much of the work of the ISA106 committee will be carried out electronically via web meetings and email; however, a kickoff, face-to-face meeting is planned for 9–10 June 2010 in the Houston, Texas, area.
Individuals who are interested in contributing their expertise and becoming active members of the ISA106 committee should send their contact information to Ellen Fussell Policastro at efussell@isa.org.
Posted by The Webmaster on March 23, 2010 under ISA News |
The International Society of Automation (ISA) announced today that its 56th International Instrumentation Symposium (IIS) will be held 10-14 May 2010 at the Rochester Marriott Airport Hotel in Rochester, New York, USA. Registration for the event is open, with online pre-registration extending through 3 May 2010.
The IIS brings together industry experts, scholars, and researchers from across the globe to discuss instrumentation, and the technologies that surround this field, through four days of sessions, meetings, and training. Speakers will present papers on topics such as electronic instrumentation, wireless technology, cybersecurity, aerospace systems, process measurement and control, virtual instrumentation systems, laser and electro-optics instrumentation, geo-science and remote sensing, and more. The event also will feature volunteer-led tutorials, vendor exhibits, and social functions.
A pre-conference ISA training course, Industrial Wireless Systems (IC85C), will be led by Wayne Manges, ISA100 committee co-chair. Attendees of this course can earn Continuing Education Units, while attendees of the symposium sessions can earn Professional Development Hours.
The IIS is ISA’s longest-running symposium and is sponsored by three of ISA’s technical Divisions: Aerospace Industries, Test Measurement, and Process Measurement and Control. For more information and to register, visit www.isa.org/IIS.
Symposium sponsorships are available. Interested persons should contact Carol Schafer at +1 919-990-9206 or cschafer@isa.org.
Posted by The Webmaster on March 19, 2010 under ISA News |
The International Society of Automation (ISA) announced today that its 10th Annual ISA Fugitive Emissions Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) Symposium will be held 18-20 May 2010 at the San Antonio Crowne Plaza Hotel-Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas, USA. Registration for the event is open, with online pre-registration extending through 13 May 2010.
This air compliance industry conference is recommended for LDAR program administrators, coordinators and supervisors, air compliance managers, environmental engineers, maintenance managers, reliability engineers, consultants, monitoring services contractors, and other vendors who provide products or services to the LDAR community.
Topics include flare compliance, presented by the US Environmental Agency; LDAR Deviations under Title V, presented by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; a regulatory compliance panel discussion; and presentations from companies such as Sunoco Chemical, Marathon, Valero, and others. An ISA training course will also be available.
This year’s event will offer attendees something completely new—ISA’s Emissions Reduction Technology Forum. Each session during the forum will expose the attendees to a new or innovative product that claims to prevent or reduce fugitive VOC emissions from chemical processes. An expert panel will challenge those claims, and then open the floor to the attendees for further discussions. Those responsible for equipment maintenance, the “and repair” side of LDAR, and proactive reliability engineering are encouraged to attend.
For more information and to register, visit www.isa.org/ldar.
Symposium sponsorships are available. Interested persons should contact Carol Schafer at 919-990-9206 or cschafer@isa.org.
Posted by The Webmaster on March 17, 2010 under ISA News, Wireless Systems for Automation |
The ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute (WCI) recently launched a new website to support ISA100 conformance programs, education, and technical support for suppliers and users of ISA100 Wireless Networking Technology. The new website address is www.isa100wci.org.
”Our goal is to make www.isa100wci.org the first place to visit for suppliers and end users interested in building and using ISA100 technology based products. Suppliers need support for integrating ISA100 technology into their product lines and having them certified as ISA100 Compliant. The site helps end users by providing a single destination for getting the most up-to-date facts on marketplace programs supporting the standard, product availability and use-cases,” commented Andre Ristaino, WCI Managing Director.
The ISA-100.11a-2009 Wireless Systems for Industrial Automation Standard, overwhelmingly approved in September 2009 is the first in the ISA100 Family of Standards. Future releases are expected to include support for backhaul functionality, factory automation and other use-cases.
The WCI website will be updated on a weekly basis with new content relevant to the ISA100 Standard, conformance program support and, educational content about the technology. The site includes announcements about regional WCI events, webinars and industry events and provides a convenient registration portal for signups.
ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute members invite you to visit www.isa100wci.org.
Posted by The Webmaster on January 20, 2010 under ISA News, Wireless Systems for Automation |
The ISA100 standards committee, Wireless Systems for Automation, will hold a series of meetings at the Rosen Centre in Orlando, Florida, 9-11 February. Subcommittee ISA100.12 will meet each day of the event, and will address the key topic: long-term convergence of the WirelessHART specification with the ISA-100.11a standard.
The ISA100.12 subcommittee is chartered with completing numerous tasks to provide developers with meaningful information to achieve convergence and end-users with educational materials to allow for successful installations of both WirelessHART and ISA-100.11a systems in a pre-converged environment. Included in these tasks is the development of a phased convergence specification to converge WirelessHART and ISA-100.11a. Ongoing work within ISA100.12 includes:
- A recommended practice, prepared along with the ISA100 Co-Existence working group, which will describe techniques for end users for achieving best performance between WirelessHART and ISA-100.11anetworks that are installed in the same facility and in overlapping radio space. This document is planned to be completed later in 2010.
- A comparison document that outlines the differences between ISA-100.11a and WirelessHART, nearing completion, which will serve two purposes: First, it will serve as an official ISA100.12 technical comparison document for end users. Second, it will provide a starting point to begin the process of converging ISA-100.11a and WirelessHART.
- An ISA recommended practice, planned for completion in the first half of 2010, which will define approaches for a single wireless field device to be provisioned or configured to run either ISA-100.11a or WirelessHART. This is an important step in the process and will help to preserve the technology investments that early adopters have incurred.
Other ISA100 working groups that will meet in Orlando include Factory Automation, Trustworthy Wireless, Networking, User Guide, Backhaul, Zigbee, Power Sources, and Nuclear Applications. For more information, contact Charley Robinson, ISA Standards, crobinson@isa.org.
Posted by The Webmaster on December 4, 2009 under ISA News |
The International Society of Automation is pleased to announce Bill Lydon, automation industry writer, analyst, and consultant, as the new chief editor of InTech, beginning January 2010. Lydon will lead the InTecheditorial team and manage the strategy and content of the print, digital, and online versions of the magazine in collaboration with the InTechEditorial Advisory Board. He will draw from the expertise of ISA’s Members and leaders to focus on the most important automation industry news and trends, and provide unbiased coverage of the automation market. Subject-matter experts will develop stories and cover the important industry issues outlined in the 2010 InTech editorial calendar to meet the technical information needs of automation professionals around the world.
Lydon brings more than 10 years of writing and editing expertise to InTech, plus more than 25 years of experience designing and applying technology in the automation and controls industry. Lydon started his career as a designer of computer-based machine tool controls; in other positions, he applied programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and process control technology. In addition to working at various large companies (e.g., Sundstrand, Johnson Controls, and Wago), Lydon served a two-year stint as part of a five-person task group, where he designed controls, automation systems, and software for chiller and boiler plant optimization. He was also a product manager for a multimillion-dollar controls and automation product line and president of an industrial control software company.
“It is indeed fortunate that we have been able to have somebody as well qualified as Bill Lydon,” said Vitor Finkel, ISA Publications Department vice president. “Here is somebody who has dirtied his hands, so to speak, with real instruments. Not only that, but he also has experience in designing automation software. He is one of those rare people with practical experience and the ability to write—the ideal person to be at the helm of the leading automation publication.”
“InTech,” says Lydon, “is the conduit for ISA Members to share their rich and valuable sources of knowledge to improve controls and automation effectiveness.”
Trained as a group problem-solving facilitator at the Creative Education Foundation, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, Lydon now facilitates groups to help them solve problems and identify opportunities. “I hold those people who work in controls and automation in the highest esteem,” comments Lydon, “and I believe their honorable professions are key to industry, society, and the environment.”
In addition to serving as chief editor of InTech, Lydon also will continue his independent editorial work with other companies, such as Automation.com. This arrangement further strengthens ISA’s newly announced partnership with Automation.com to jointly publish several e-newsletters for InTech and Automation.com subscribers.
For more information about InTech magazine, visit www.isa.org/intech. Industry experts and potential article contributors may submit article ideas and feedback, as well as product press releases and other news announcements, to Emily Kovac, InTech Associate Production/Copy Editor, at ekovac@isa.org.
Posted by The Webmaster on November 3, 2009 under ISA News |
The International Society of Automation recently unveiled plans for its new event, ISA Automation Week: Technology and Solutions Event, to be held 4-7 October 2010 at the Westin Galleria Complex in Houston, Texas, USA.
ISA Automation Week will feature intensive educational and applications-based technical conference sessions delivered by subject matter experts. Discrete and process automation professionals will have a chance to learn techniques and solutions for creating more efficient, productive, and economical manufacturing processes. ISA training courses and standards meetings will also be held concurrently, making ISA Automation Week a one-stop shop for automation and control knowledge and networking opportunities.
The ISA Automation Week conference program will focus on the latest industry developments and standards in key manufacturing disciplines like automation, energy and power, green manufacturing, instrumentation and process control, safety and security, systems and enterprise integration, and wireless, networking, and industrial communications. Conference sessions will include both theory-based and applications-based presentations to appeal to a wide variety of automation and control professionals. The event will feature a focused exhibition area for a limited number of companies to showcase products and services during scheduled networking and exhibit sessions. Currently, 65% of the space available for the exhibit has been sold.
“ISA Automation Week is organized around a different model than ISA has used in the past. The new model focuses on the conference as the center of the event, because we believe that automation and control professionals at every level seek knowledge above all else. By centering the event on the conference, we can help exhibitors create more successful interactions with serious and focused attendees at all levels,” said ISA Executive Director and CEO Patrick Gouhin.
“ISA is all about knowledge. The conference focus of this event will help us deliver a top-notch technical curriculum to our attendees, and it will benefit our partners and exhibitors as well,” said ISA Automation Week Program Committee co-chair and 2009 ISA President Jerry Cockrell of Indiana State University. “By drawing on our connections to the academic community to develop presentations in addition to our strong applications-based technical network, we can create a well-rounded program that attracts all levels of automation professionals.”
The increased focus on the conference aspect of the event is a positive development for automation suppliers as well, said 2010 ISA President Nelson Ninin, who is the President of Yokogawa America Do Sul SA. “We believe that an educated prospect is a qualified prospect. Our attendees will spend three intensive days learning about the latest technologies and solutions in the world of automation and control, and they’ll be ready to see the products that our partner companies have to offer in those areas. This is a great opportunity for a company to showcase its products as solutions to the technical challenges and developments presented in the conference sessions.”
An Exhibitor Advisory Committee and other feedback mechanisms are being created to solicit input at various stages of the development process for the 2010 event and events in future years. Companies or individuals interested in learning more, or providing input toward the development of ISA Automation Week, should contact ISA at feedback@isa.org, or call +1 (919) 549-8411.
Posted by The Webmaster on October 6, 2009 under ISA News |
The ISA100.15 Working Group (WG15) is seeking technical presentations from wireless backhaul/backhaul providers that will form the basis for the Working Group’s recommended best practices and standards considerations for interoperability of wireless backhaul/backbone networks, wireless sensor networks, and wireless devices usable by the process automation industry. The requirements for the presentations submitted in response to the RFI are provided in the ISA100.15 Working Group Request for Information (RFI). The RFI document can be downloaded from ISA at http://www.isa.org/isa100wireless/ISA100WG15RFI. Interested parties must respond with their intent to participate by October 16, 2009. Instructions for indicating intent to participate are in the RFI document.
The ISA100 committee established WG15 in June 2008. Composed of process automation users, vendors and service providers, WG15 is chartered to define recommended best practices and standards considerations to enable interoperability between backhaul/backbone wireless networks and field wireless networks and devices. Wireless backhaul/backbone networks provide support for a variety of process control protocols which includes, but is not limited to, Fieldbus Foundation High Speed Ethernet (HSE) and ISA100.11a protocols. It is expected that other traffic such as voice and video will share the same backhaul/backbone network in a segregated manner.
For more information about ISA100, visit www.isa.org/isa100wireless or call (919) 549-8411.
Posted by The Webmaster on September 29, 2009 under ISA News |
Lisa Long, Safety Engineer with the U.S. Department of Labor-OSHA, will present a keynote address at ISA EXPO 2009 in Houston, TX, on 8 October titled, “Overview and Findings from OSHA’s Refinery and Chemical National Emphasis Programs.”
As Safety Engineer at the U.S. DOL-OSHA for the past two years, Ms. Long has primarily focused on Process Safety Management. Prior to working at the U.S. DOL-OSHA, Ms. Long was an investigator at the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, where she led several major investigations involving chemical facilities. Prior to working in U.S. government, she worked for 12 years for several major chemical companies in positions including, process engineering and production management.
In her presentation abstract, Long notes that “following a large number of fatal or catastrophic incidents in the petroleum refining industry, OSHA launched a significant Process Safety Management (PSM) enforcement program; the Petroleum Refinery National Emphasis Program (NEP) was initiated in June 2007. A similar NEP was launched for the chemical industry in July 2009. Both programs use a newly developed inspection protocol to inspect petroleum refineries and chemical plants under federal jurisdiction.”
Long’s presentation will describe the Refinery and Chemical NEP inspection protocol and procedures, and will review preliminary findings from the Refinery NEP, including data on the most frequently cited paragraphs of the PSM standards and example citation language.
“Safety is a top concern from the plant floor up in industry today,” said ISA Director of Convention Services, Dale Lee. “We are honored to have Ms. Long address ISA EXPO attendees on such a critical subject.”
The ISA EXPO 2009 conference will feature six Exchange Conference Tracks centered on key issues facing instrumentation, automation, and control professionals. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss best practices, lessons learned, and potential solutions to specific automation problems as part of the conference’s technology exchange format.
For more information about ISA EXPO 2009, or to register, visit www.isa.org/isaexpo, or call + 1 (919) 549 8411.
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