From Frank Brogan, local arrangements committee:

Walt: Your suggestion took fruit.

Any train service that uses the Union Station in Downtown Chicago!
ISA will have bus service from the Union Station to McCormick Place and return service to the Union Station from McCormick Place.
7:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon Bus service on the hour from Union Station to McCormick Place
1:30 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. Bus service every half hour from McCormick Place to Union Station.

Congratulations to ISA for taking this suggestion...I hope we can alert all of the process automation users in the Chicago suburbs...they don't have to drive in, they can take the train and they don't have to cab it or change to CMT. Great idea, especially in these days of very high gas prices.

What do YOU think?

Walt

From Larry O'Brien at ARC:

Apparently something.
Hey Walt --
How's your FDT research going? I read Dick Caro's article. Speaking as someone who has gone through the meat grinder on this topic from both sides, there are some interesting resources out there I can point you to. One is a book published by Vogel and Praxis that was handed out at the last Hanover fair that outlines some end user applications for FDT that are pretty impressive. One user from DSM pretty succinctly describes the root problems between EDDL and FDT (which are not, in my opinion, competing technologies). If you get in touch with Scott Bump of Invensys (who is their FDT person), perhaps he can send you a copy or you can order one online here:
http://www.elektronikpraxis.de/publikation/ep_publikation_en_19145.html
There is one particularly good case study from BASF, which is where, incidentally, FDT got its start back in the mid-90s in Ludwigshafen I think. It was originally specified by BASF so they could have a single interface to devices across multiple networks! I think this is the original plant included in an ABB case study here (see copyright 2002, I think the project actually started in 1998).
http://library.abb.com/GLOBAL/SCOT/scot267.nsf/VerityDisplay/42BE96A1FDB17CB385256F35006B4399/$File/BASF_Polymer.pdf


So, what do you all think? Is this controversy manufactured?

Walt

The sun will rise in the west tomorrow!

From Jerry Moon, PR Guru for Emerson:

EMERSON TO AUTOMATE MAJOR EXPANSION PROJECT FOR GE HEALTHCARE IN NORWAY

Emerson to manage project and implement PlantWeb® solution to streamline validation, speed start-up, and increase production at facility producing medical imaging liquids


AUSTIN, TEXAS (October 17, 2005) -- Emerson Process Management has once again been chosen by GE Healthcare as a working partner in a major new project to increase the production capacity at its Lindesnes plant in Norway. Faster time to market, easier validation, and operations excellence based on real-time diagnostics in smart field devices led to the selection of Emerson.

Emerson is developing the solution and managing the project. The company is installing its PlantWeb® digital plant architecture with the DeltaV™ digital automation system and FOUNDATION™ fieldbus digital communications technology for the major project. Value to Emerson is estimated at $3.5M.

“We have chosen to continue with fieldbus technology based on our positive experiences following its implementation in one of our new factories,” said Roy Tråne, the GE Healthcare engineer responsible for the project at the Lindesnes plant. “The bus technology provides a cost effective solution with faster and more efficient start-up. We can also see significant longer-term benefits from the diagnostics available from the intelligent field devices.”

Emerson’s scope of supply includes project management, configuration and start-up. The PlantWeb digital approach will include Rosemount® measurement instruments, Micro Motion® Coriolis flowmeters, Rosemount Analytical instruments, and Fisher® valves with FIELDVUE® digital valve controllers. The company’s AMS™ Suite: Intelligent Device Manager will monitor diagnostics delivered by field devices, and provide alerts and guidance for maintenance effectiveness.

Also included in the package are tailor-made solutions for removing 5000 I/O from the existing PLC systems and integrating these into the new scheme. The complete system will be a combination of the new and existing systems and will have a capacity of around 7500 I/O. Work commenced during the summer of 2004 with a planned completion date of February 2007.

Roy Tråne continued, “Emerson has previously demonstrated the necessary know-how, will and understanding to supply a well-documented and validated project, tailor-made for the pharmaceutical industry. This was an important factor for us in our choice of system supplier for the extension of the existing factory from the two bidders.”

GE Healthcare’s Lindesnes plant is situated in the municipality of Lindesnes, 70km south of Kristiansand. It has around 400 employees and produces the active ingredients used in contrast agents. The project includes new installations and alterations to the existing production plant, designed to meet the increased market demand for its X-ray and MRI contrast agents. The work is being carried out in stages, and the entire factory is being built in accordance with national and international standards related to the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.