Managing Automation - March 2008 - (Page 29) Heading? Standards-based control arch itectures are pushing open the factory doors and driving manufacturing data out into the mainstream of enterprise ac tivity. BY STEPHANIE NE IL Today, however, a new generation of control has emerged based on the idea that integration, open industry standards, multi-discipline processing, and intuitive programming should be embraced, not shunned. Manufacturers want flexibility and choice; they no longer want to be held captive by their automation supplier. Rather, they want a trusted partner that helps solve their business problems. Much of this shift has been influenced by IT departments, which are leading corporate integration efforts requiring visibility into production and across the supply chain. Automation vendors, seeing this developing trend, have had to respond. To that end, the 2008 automation world is very different than it was 10 years ago. Over the past decade, Invensys introduced the firstof-its-kind enterprise control system (ECS), and Rockwell and Siemens gracefully shifted their focus away from rigid PLC technology to a more encompassing system, called programmable automation control (PAC), that combines discrete, process, motion, and safety control within the same architecture. GE Fanuc added “Intelligent Platforms” to its name and transformed itself from a components vendor into a turnkey hybrid control system supplier. Schneider Electric went through a similar shift last year. ABB, which was one of the first vendors to introduce an integrated platform in the year 2000, is now fully focused on integrating with enterprise systems, such as ERP, as well as low-level mechanical and electrical Photo: Grant Dougall 29 March 2008
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Managing Automation - March 2008 Managing Automation - March 2008 Contents Take 1 Mailbox Mitsubishi, IBM, and ILS Team Up to Make Integration Easy for Automakers Former Agile Exec Takes the Reins at Arena Solutions The Next Phase for 2006’s PM Award Winner Integration Firm Boomi Redesigns for On-Demand Ex-Wonderware Chief Takes Helm at Apprion Notes Cover Story: A Rare Breed Special Report: Where are Control Architectures Heading? Transformation: Back to Reality Integration: Getting Standards Under One Roof Industries: The Quest for the Perfect Order Product Scan Advertiser Index Next Managing Automation - March 2008 Managing Automation - March 2008 - Managing Automation - March 2008 (Page 1) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Managing Automation - March 2008 (Page 2) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Contents (Page 3) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Contents (Page 4) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Contents (Page 5) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Take 1 (Page 6) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Take 1 (Page 7) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Mailbox (Page 8) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Mailbox (Page 9) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Mitsubishi, IBM, and ILS Team Up to Make Integration Easy for Automakers (Page 10) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Former Agile Exec Takes the Reins at Arena Solutions (Page 11) Managing Automation - March 2008 - The Next Phase for 2006’s PM Award Winner (Page 12) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Integration Firm Boomi Redesigns for On-Demand (Page 13) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Ex-Wonderware Chief Takes Helm at Apprion (Page 14) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Ex-Wonderware Chief Takes Helm at Apprion (Page 15) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Notes (Page 16) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Notes (Page 17) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Cover Story: A Rare Breed (Page 18) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Cover Story: A Rare Breed (Page 19) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Cover Story: A Rare Breed (Page 20) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Cover Story: A Rare Breed (Page 21) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Cover Story: A Rare Breed (Page 22) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Cover Story: A Rare Breed (Page 23) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Cover Story: A Rare Breed (Page 24) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Cover Story: A Rare Breed (Page 25) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Cover Story: A Rare Breed (Page 26) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Cover Story: A Rare Breed (Page 27) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Special Report: Where are Control Architectures Heading? (Page 28) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Special Report: Where are Control Architectures Heading? (Page 29) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Special Report: Where are Control Architectures Heading? (Page 30) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Special Report: Where are Control Architectures Heading? (Page 31) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Special Report: Where are Control Architectures Heading? (Page 32) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Special Report: Where are Control Architectures Heading? (Page 33) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Transformation: Back to Reality (Page 34) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Transformation: Back to Reality (Page 35) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Transformation: Back to Reality (Page 36) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Transformation: Back to Reality (Page 37) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Integration: Getting Standards Under One Roof (Page 38) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Integration: Getting Standards Under One Roof (Page 39) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Integration: Getting Standards Under One Roof (Page 40) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Industries: The Quest for the Perfect Order (Page 41) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Industries: The Quest for the Perfect Order (Page 42) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Industries: The Quest for the Perfect Order (Page 43) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Product Scan (Page 44) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Product Scan (Page 45) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Product Scan (Page 46) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Product Scan (Page 47) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Advertiser Index (Page 48) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Advertiser Index (Page 49) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Next (Page 50) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Next (Page 51) Managing Automation - March 2008 - Next (Page 52)
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