Manufacturing AUTOMATION magazine

"Canada's leading publication providing industrial automation news and technology information aimed at the discrete and process industries."

E-newsletter
November 2005
Volume 3, Issue 11

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IN THIS ISSUE:

FROM THE EDITOR

Security a hot topic at ISA Expo 2005

More than 10,500 registrants from 72 countries attended last month’s ISA Expo in Chicago, a decline from the 2004 show in Houston. Although the overall figures were down, the number of registrants in the show’s training and conference sessions actually increased 15 percent from last year. Security and wireless were particularly hot topics for keynote presentations and panel discussions, and the fact that attendance was up in these sessions points to the relevance and importance these topics hold for the automation industry.

Evan Hand, vice-chair of ISA’s SP99, hosted the Introduction to Manufacturing and Controls session, which looked to a panel of five industry experts to answer questions on control system security. Key points shared in this session were that the plant floor is not immune to IT problems, and that there needs to be co-operation between the IT department and the plant floor to prevent disruptions in business activity and to protect information and assets. The key to security, one panelist said, is having the right people, policies and procedures in place to support security technology solutions. Employees need to be trained and policies put in place to assign responsibility to employees who can then be held accountable for any security incidents, said panelist Bryan Singer, chair of ISA-SP99 and senior business consultant at Rockwell Automation.

Rahul Bhojani, process control systems engineer at Bayer, discussed how Bayer deals with security. He reported that it is mandatory for all employees to have basic IT security training.

While it seems to have worked for Bayer, I wonder how many other companies will see the importance of across the board security training. Does your company have any policies in place for manufacturing and controls security? Has your company taken the time to assess its vulnerability to security threats on the plant floor?

Another panel discussion centred around how secure wireless environments are. This session also touched on collaboration between IT and the plant floor. One panelist, Jose Gutierez, technology manager of the embedded systems and communications department with Eaton Corporation, said that the level of security of a wireless technology depends on how it is implemented, and what is added to the technology to make it secure.

From the discussion, I got the sense that security concerns are a contributing factor to some companies’ reluctance to embrace wireless technologies, which leaves me to wonder how many of you are using wireless technologies on your plant floor. If you are using wireless technologies, what are you using? What is your experience with these technologies? Is security an issue?

Please answer this issue’s question of the month below, and e-mail me with your comments. They may be used, with your permission, as a future letter to the editor.

Mary Del Ciancio, Editor
mdelciancio@clbmedia.ca

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IN THE NEWS

GM to cut 30,000 manufacturing jobs
DETROIT, Mich. — General Motors Corp. announced this week that it plans to cut 30,000 jobs and close 12 North American manufacturing plants by 2008, including one in Oshawa, Ont. and another in St. Catharine’s, Ont.
GM chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said the cuts — the largest the auto giant has made in 14 years — are part of a plan to return the company to profitability and long-term growth.
"The decisions...were very difficult to reach because of their impact on our employees and the communities where we live and work," said Wagoner. "But these actions are necessary for GM to get its costs in line with our major global competitors. In short, they are an essential part of our plan to return our North American operations to profitability as soon as possible.”
The company plans to slash $7 billion US from its $41 billion US in annual expenses. A total of nine assembly, stamping and powertrain facilities and three Service and Parts Operations facilities will cease operations by 2008, reducing GM’s North American assembly capacity by about one million units.
The company’s assembly plants in Oklahoma City, Okla., Lansing, Mich. and Spring Hill, Tenn., will cease production in 2006. Its plant in Doraville, Ga. will stop production at the end of its current products' lifecycle in 2008. The third shift will be removed at Oshawa Car Plant No. 1 in the second half of 2006, and Oshawa Car Plant No. 2 will cease production after the current product runs out in 2008. The third shift will be removed at Moraine, Ohio, during 2006, with timing to be based on market demand.
Capacity-related actions affecting stamping, Service & Parts Operations and powertrain facilities include: the Lansing, Mich. Metal Center will cease production in 2006; the Pittsburgh, Pa. Metal Center will close in 2007; the Parts Distribution Center in Portland, Ore. will cease operations in 2006; the Parts Distribution Center in St. Louis, Mo. will stop warehousing activities and convert to a collision centre facility in 2006; the Parts Processing Center in Ypsilanti, Mich. will cease operations in 2007 (an additional Parts Processing Center, to be announced at a later date, will also cease operations in 2007); the St. Catharines powertrain components facility in Ontario will stop production in 2008; and the Flint, Mich. North 3800 engine facility will stop production in 2008.
Given the demographics of GM's workforce, the company says it plans to achieve much of the job reduction through attrition and early retirement programs.
www.gm.com

Toyota expands in British Columbia
DELTA, B.C. — Minister of Industry David Emerson, along with representatives from Toyota Motor Corporation, the Government of British Columbia and the City of Delta, as well as the Consulate General (Vancouver) of Japan, broke ground to mark the start of construction for a $39-million expansion of Canadian Autoparts Toyota Inc. (CAPTIN) in Delta, B.C. last month.
Toyota plans to expand capacity at CAPTIN by 17 percent. Annual production should increase to 1.68 million units and direct employment should rise by 30 new jobs to 260. CAPTIN has expanded six times since it opened in 1985, including a $10-million investment in 2003 to boost output by 20 percent to 1.45 million wheels, which it exports to both the United States and Japan.
CAPTIN was incorporated in 1983 by Toyota Motor Corporation and was the first manufacturing investment by a Japanese automaker in Canada. The plant produces 22 wheel models for Toyota’s vehicles globally.

Microsoft honours Stealth
TORONTO, Ont. — Stealth Computer Corporation, a manufacturer of specialized computers and peripherals, won the System Builder of the Year award at the 2005 Microsoft Partner Program IMPACT Awards. The awards recognize excellence in Canadian resellers and solution providers. Hundreds of entries were submitted by technology partners across Canada for this year’s event, the third annual. The winners were announced at a gala event in Toronto on October 20, 2005.
Stealth was chosen as the winner in the System Builder of the Year category for an application that uses its small form factor computers. Stealth’s Little PC products are small, rugged computers that can be deployed in space-challenged areas.
www.stealthcomputer.com

Beckhoff Automation opens new U.S. offices
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Beckhoff Automation recently opened two new regional offices in Duluth, Ga. and Bellevue, Wash. Both offices will serve as regional centres for Beckhoff customer training, and for direct sales and application support.
The company now operates four offices in the United States. The other offices are in Minneapolis and San Diego. Last month the company announced the formation of Beckhoff Canada, located in Guelph, Ont., as an official subsidiary company (for more information on this, see the November/December issue of Manufacturing AUTOMATION).
www.beckhoffautomation.com

Innova Holdings joins Agile Robotics Alliance
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Innova Holdings, Inc., an automation technology company providing hardware and software systems-based solutions to the service, personal and industrial robotic markets, joined the Agile Robotics Alliance (ARA), an initiative of The Technology Collaborative — an economic development organization.
The ARA represents a globally competitive community of organizations with expertise in advanced robotic systems and component technologies. The alliance provides organizations with the opportunity to bid on proposals with other members, as requested by the National Center for Defense Robotics; network with other robotics-related organizations; obtain support for participating in the Department of Defense Mentor Protégé program; and provide input for curriculum development in relevant targeted areas.

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PEOPLE WATCHING

Steve Brozovich	Steve McDowell

New additions at Carlo Gavazzi Canada
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Carlo Gavazzi Canada recently expanded its sales force with the addition of two new account managers, Steve Brozovich and Steve McDowell.
Brozovich is responsible for sales throughout Toronto’s east end and eastern Ontario. He is a certified electrical engineering technologist with over 13 years of experience in the manufacturing and distribution sectors of the automation industry.
McDowell is the new account manager for northern Ontario. He has over 10 years of experience in the automation industry. His previous work experience focused mainly on the OEM electrical market.
www.GavazziOnline.com

Dorner appoints new chief operating officer
HARTLAND, Wis. — Richard Ryan is the new chief operating officer of Dorner Mfg. Corp.
Ryan joins Dorner from Rockwell Automation, where he held a variety of executive management positions, including vice-president of strategy and business development, president of Rockwell Software Inc., and vice-president and general manager for the Control Logic Business.
Dorner Mfg. Corp designs, manufactures and distributes conveyors and related equipment for industrial, food, pharmaceutical and medical applications.
www.dorner.com

Brooks Software establishes sales, marketing, services and engineering team
CHELMSFORD, Mass. — Brooks Software, a division of Brooks Automation, Inc., and a provider of real-time applications for collaborative, complex manufacturing environments, hired a new team of sales, marketing, services and engineering resources with experience in the life sciences marketplace. The team, led by Joseph Vinhais, vice-president of regulatory compliance, will provide strategic direction and leadership to drive Brooks’ product strategy and go-to-market programs targeted at manufacturers in the life sciences industry.
Vinhais brings more than 20 years of experience in the manufacturing and compliance arena. He was most recently the vice-president of Camstar Systems, and has held leadership positions at Textron, Tyco and Honeywell.
The additional team members include: Mohamed Benkirane, sales director; Reda Bensaid, sales director; Zak Merzouki, solution architect; and Milan Bhalala, industry marketing. Together, they have more than 50 years of industry experience at companies such as Pilgrim Software, Camstar Systems, Datasweep, Gambro and Micro Bosch.
www.brookssoftware.com

PRODUCT FOCUS: SENSORS

Vision-guided robots
Adept Technology, Inc., a provider of intelligent vision-guided robotics and global robotics services, recently introduced a number of new products designed to meet the need of small parts assembly and material handling applications across multiple industries, including automotive and consumer electronics.
The AdeptViper s650 and AdeptViper s850 are six-axis robots with the Adept vision guidance system, extended reach and a five-kilogram payload. The AdeptViper s650 offers a reach of 653 mm, while the AdeptViper s850 extends 854 mm. AdeptViper robots are controlled by the SmartController CX, a high-performance motion and vision controller that leverages the company’s SmartServo technology.
Adept Python, a family of linear modules for assembly material handling and dispensing applications, can be combined into several configurations, including single-axis, two-axis and three-axis, and can be mounted on a table, wall or ceiling, the company says. The modules are controlled by the Adept SmartController CX and the MotionBlox 10 servo controller and amplifier, allowing for the programming of custom mechanisms to perform straight-line motion and circular motion in three-dimensional space.
The Adept Cobra s350 series has a high-precision design and small footprint for workplace efficiency, according to the company. The Cobra s350 series robot has a 350 mm reach and is controlled by the SmartController CX and MotionBlox 40R SmartServo controller and amplifiers.
Adept iSight, for the company’s Adept Cobra i600 and Cobra i800 robots, provides PC-based vision guidance designed to enable the development of robust and accurate vision-guided applications. 
Adept Technology
www.adept.com

Router trimming solution

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

MainTrain 2005
November 28 – December 1, 2005
Toronto Novotel Hotel, Toronto, Ont.
The conference will deliver seminars, workshops, a Maintenance Management Professional (MPP) certification program, vendor displays and networking opportunities.
Contact: www.maintrain.ca or maintrain@pemac.org

21st century manufacturing revolution in the U.S. and Japan: Utilizing robotics and advanced manufacturing processes to enhance global competitiveness
November 29, 2005
Cincinnati, Ohio
The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and TechSolve of Cincinnati are presenting a half-day seminar with speakers from both organizations, and an emphasis on case studies from local companies that have been successful implementing new manufacturing technologies.
Contact: Ralph Inforzato of JETRO Chicago, 312-832-6000 ext. 103 or Catherine Crawford of TechSolve, 513-948-2108; www.JETRO.org

Automation technology seminar
December 8, 2005
Park Plaza Toronto Airport, Toronto, Ont.
The industry event for motion control technologies.
Contact: Nancy McKinnon, 416-447-6471 ext. 247 or 1-877-SHELLEY; nancy.mckinnon@shelley.com

daratechPLANT2006
January 23-25, 2006
Houston, Texas
The sessions and presenters will identify best practices in plant optimization, as well as explore the full extent of how they and others have benefited from implementing emerging technologies. This event includes three conference tracks: asset lifecycle management, instrumentation and real-time operations, and plant maintenance.
www.daratech.com/plant2006/register

ARC's 10th Annual Next Generation Manufacturing Forum
February 20-24, 2006
Orlando, Fla.
Tel: 781 471 1122
www.arcweb.com/res/forumorl

The Fieldbus Foundation’s annual general assembly
February 28 - March 1, 2006
Shanghai, China
This year’s event will address the needs of the expanding FOUNDATION fieldbus market in China and Asia/Pacific, and will feature an end user-oriented agenda that includes user case study presentations, technical training workshops and tabletop exhibitions.
www.fieldbus.org

For more industry events, visit www.automationmag.com, where you can also subscribe to the magazine and read online exclusives.

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