Managing Automation - September 2007 - (Page 13)

news managingautomation.com maonline Go online for daily news updates in perspective Manufacturers also worry about the performance of wireless mesh networks and protocols, specifically their ability keep up with the demand of critical control applications that require low latency times. GE Global Research has been testing 802.15.4 wireless technology in industrial environments for the U.S. Department of Energy since 2004 and, at least for now, the technology can’t keep up with high-speed PLC-connected control applications that require five-second or faster response times, said Daniel Sexton, a manager at GE Global Research. Despite such concerns, a few manufacturers are forging ahead with wireless, attracted by the opportunity to transform core manufacturing processes. Aerospace giant Boeing, for example, believes wireless technology can make its manufacturing process more flexible, Research Manager Richard Paine told summit attendees. Historically, he said, wired networks have forced Boeing to used fixed tooling, such as cranes to reposition airplanes as they are assembled. With wireless technology, he said, Boeing will be able to move the tooling rather than the plane, speeding up the process. In pursuit of that goal, Paine said, Boeing has formed a Secure Mobile Architecture demonstration project, which has included development of Boeing’s own industrial wireless protocol, based on the 802.11 wireless LAN standard. The technology, he said, has been tested in Boeing’s 777 and 787 programs. — Jeff Moad Alliances, Executive Appointments, Mergers & Acquisitions, Products organizations, conducted in part by ISA members and released at the conference, indicated that the vast majority of manufacturers pursuing wireless networks are focusing on applications such as safety and waste/water monitoring and alerting, rather than control applications, said Richard Caro, president and CEO of CMC Associates, a consulting organization. Why are manufacturers limiting their wireless networking deployments to monitoring and alerting applications? For one thing, Caro said, manufacturers worry about the reliability and security of the networks. “They worry about things like interference to wireless networks, especially from devices such as cordless phones and microwave ovens that use the same 2.4-GHz frequency as [IEEE standard] 802.15.4 wireless networks.” Until manufacturers gain experience with the reliability of wireless networking technologies on the plant floor, they’re unlikely to use them for closed-loop control applications, Caro said. Manufacturers say they also worry about wireless network and device interoperability and the lack of a single wireless standard for industrial applications. Two standards groups, the ISA and the HART Communication Foundation, are developing industrial wireless protocol standards that are complementary and overlapping. The proposed Wireless HART standard, for example, defines a protocol to enable HART-compatible instruments and other devices to communicate securely over an 802.15.4 mesh network. The ISA’s ISA100 proposed standard would do the same, while also defining different wireless applications and supporting multiple message types. Neither Wireless HART nor ISA100 have been finalized, however. HART, experts say, is further along, having recently released a draft of its wireless protocol to members for review. The organization says it expects commercial products supporting the standard by early next year. ISA members won’t vote on a final draft of its proposed standard until next year, officials say. Some manufacturers are waiting for products that support these standards before they use wireless networks for control applications. “We’re committed to [ISA100], so we’re not pursuing wireless for control until the standard is final and supported,” James D. Murphy, an Eli Lilly engineering manager told the summit audience. Others, including DuPont’s Morris, said they would like to see the HART and ISA100 standards reconciled and unified before they invest in wireless, particularly for controlling applications. Quote of the MONTH “The lines are blurring between operating and IT assets.” — says Al Zollar, general manager of Tivoli software, IBM Software Group For the Continued from page 8 Record M&As product performance intelligence applications for its communications products. Pinnacle Foods will use Tugboat Software Inc.’s Schedule Optimizing Software in its Imlay City, MI, plant. Emerson has acquired Decision Management International, Inc., which will become part of Emerson Process Management. Intercim, Inc. and Pertinence S.A. have merged under the name Intercim, LLC, offering MES and manufacturing intelligence (MI) technology. FINANCIALS Spend management solutions provider Ariba, Inc. narrowed its loss to $2 million in its fiscal third quarter, ended June 30, on revenue of $75.6 million. Business intelligence (BI) company BusinessObjects, reported secondquarter GAAP net income of $21.6 million on revenue of $363 million. Q4bis, Inc., a provider of decision support software solutions, has completed a $6 million venture investment led by TVC Capital, LLC. SkyeTek, Inc., which offers embedded RFID reader technology, has secured a $10 million Series C round of venture capital funding, led by Grotech Capital Group. ONE YEAR LATER, IBM SHOWS PLAN FOR MRO’S MAXIMO W hen IBM bought enterprise asset management software provider MRO Software, purveyor of the well-known Maximo product, just shy of a year ago, some customers and industry analysts were suspicious of IBM’s intentions. Although Maximo at that time was the leading independent EAM product in the market, IBM already owned Tivoli, a service desk and IT asset management software company. Was the acquisition, some wondered, simply a way to eliminate a competitor? One year and 100 Maximo customer calls later — made personally by Al Zollar, general manager of Tivoli software, IBM Software Group — and it’s clear that the speculation about the computer giant’s intentions were way off the mark. PA R T N E R S H I P S Manuvis Corp., which offers MI software, will integrate Progress Software Corp.’s Apama event processing platform into its FactoryMRI application. SAP AG will incorporate Informatica Corp.’s data integration software into its performance management and analytic applications and its NetWeaver platform. September 2007 13 http://managingautomation.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Managing Automation - September 2007

Contents Take 1 Europe’s Automation Chiefs Upbeat on ’08 Business Prospects Vendor Coalition Pushes Human Element of SOA Wireless: Users Still Approaching with Caution One Year Later, IBM Shows Plan for MRO’s Maximo Study: More Work Needed to Lure Next-Gen Talent Executive Q&A Notes Cover Story: 2008 Companies to Watch Special Report: The 2007 Progressive Manufacturing High Achievers Progressive Manufacturer of the Year Business Model Mastery Innovation Mastery Customer Mastery Supply Network Mastery Data & Integration Mastery Education & Training Mastery Operational Excellence Mastery Leadership Mastery Transformation: Orchestrating the Multi-Tier Supply Network Integration: The Timeless Quest for Accurate Data Industries: Maintenance No Longer on Schedule Product Scan Advertiser Index Next

Managing Automation - September 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.