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Manufacturing AUTOMATION magazine "Canada's leading publication providing industrial automation news and technology information aimed at the discrete and process industries."
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In this issueFrom the editor: A new industrial age
Product focus: Automation software Mark your calendars |
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From the editor
A new industrial age
The signs are all there. Canadian manufacturers are entering a new industrial age as a rapidly changing business landscape pinches profitability and undermines manufacturing, according to a recently released Grant Thornton report, Manufacturing Insights 2007: A Canadian Perspective.
The report states that during the late 1990s and into the 2000s, Canadian manufacturers and distributors were lulled into a false sense of security fostered by an undervalued currency and robust demand from the U.S. marketplace. This underpinned consistently high levels of confidence, while emerging markets with low costs and growing industrial capacity were ignored. If profitability and success are to be sustained today, there is an urgent need for action, according to the study.
The new industrial age is characterized by change, rapid response times and the need to incorporate a broader global perspective across entire operations. It's a period of fast-paced expansion that will challenge Canada's private mid-sized manufacturers and distributors to leverage new technologies, take advantage of the efficiencies and other opportunities offered by global markets and reduce the over-reliance on the United States market.
"Reports showing that manufacturers are feeling the pinch with increasing revenues and reduced profitability are telling indicators," says Jim Copeland, national leader, manufacturing and distribution, Grant Thornton LLP. "Resolving this kind of crunch will require a shift in our current focus from what we have now to more advanced and leaner business practices, including the possibility of outsourcing key operations and processes or using supply chain management in innovative new ways to generate efficiencies and improve profitability."
The 2007 study highlights the lower level of optimism reported by participants on all fronts compared to those surveyed in previous years. Optimism peaked in 2005, with 81 per cent of the manufacturers and distributors indicating that they were optimistic about Canada's economic outlook for the coming year compared to 64 per cent of those surveyed in 2007. There was a 10 per cent drop in the number of companies expecting revenue growth in 2007 compared to the 2006 survey.
"A significant contributor to these dampened expectations is the higher cost of wages, commodities, energy and transportation," Copeland explains, "which has in turn been responsible for increased costs of production and distribution.
"Compounding the problem," he adds, "is the relative strength displayed by the Canadian dollar against most major currencies, including the U.S. dollar, over the past four years...Finally, when you add to the equation the rise of low-cost manufacturing and exporting economies like China and India, it becomes very clear that Canadian private mid-sized manufacturers need to take immediate and dramatic action."
Copeland stresses that any effective strategy designed to mitigate these challenges must be multi-faceted and include productivity improvements, enhanced supply chain management, outsourcing arrangements, investments in technology and capital, and a renewed focus on innovation.
It is clear that the manufacturing landscape is changing, and has been for some time now. In recent months, I have attended many conferences that focus on innovation. Based on the attendance at these conferences, many Canadian manufacturers are aware of the changes. But the million-dollar question is whether your company is taking steps that will help it survive and thrive in this new industrial age. Is your company investing in the people, processes and technologies that it needs to survive? The future of the manufacturing industry in Canada could be dependent upon your next step.
For more information on the study, visit www.grantthornton.ca.
Until next time,
Mary Del Ciancio
Editor
mdelciancio@clbmedia.ca
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Stay tuned!
The September 2007 issue of Manufacturing AUTOMATION will include: Cover story: Canada's productivity revisited |
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In the news
Canada creates Science, Technology and Innovation Council
OTTAWA, Ont.
— Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry, recently announced the creation
of a Science, Technology and Innovation Council to provide the
government with policy advice on science and technology issues. The
council will also produce regular national reports that measure
Canada's science and technology performance against international
standards of excellence.
For the full story, click here.
MTL acquires Elpro International
HAMPTON, N.H.
— The MTL Instruments Group plc recently acquired Elpro International
Pty Ltd., an Australian developer and supplier of wireless solutions
for applications in the process control, manufacturing and utility
markets.
For the full story, click here.
Skills shortage impacts RFID adoption, study says
OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill.
— The shortage of technology workers skilled in RFID is lessening, but
the lack of talent continues to impact deployment of the technology, a
new survey by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)
reveals.
For the full story, click here.
Engineering body changes name
TORONTO, Ont.
— The Institute of Chartered Engineers of Canada (ICEC/IIAC) has
changed its name to the Institute of Chartered Technical Practitioners
of Canada (ICTPC).
For the full story, click here.
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People watching
Former McMaster dean of engineering named VP of research and international affairs
HAMILTON, Ont. — Mohamed Elbestawi, the former dean of engineering at McMaster University, has been appointed to the role of vice-president of research and international affairs at the university. His five-year appointment was approved by university senate and the board of governors following an international search and a unanimous recommendation.
As vice-president, he will be responsible for research activities across the university and for the aggressive pursuit of new partnerships designed to capitalize on McMaster's significant research strengths. Elbestawi was named dean of McMaster's faculty of engineering in 2001. During his tenure, he contributed significantly towards the development of manufacturing engineering research. He was the driving force behind the establishment of the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute and was appointed its first director in 2000. He is known worldwide for his research in the area of manufacturing engineering, specifically machine tools, metal cutting and computer-aided manufacturing.
www.eng.mcmaster.ca
Siemens names VP for electronics assembly systems division
ATLANTA, Ga. — Siemens Energy and Automation, Inc. recently named Jeff Timms vice-president of its electronics assembly systems division. Timms was named acting vice-president earlier this year to fill a position vacated by Guenter Lauber. Before joining Siemens in 1997 as manager of global key accounts and product marketing, Timms had a 13-year career with Universal Instruments, a subsidiary of the Dover Corporation, which serves the global electronic assembly and manufacturing market. During his career with Siemens, he held several management positions, including vice-president of services and sales, and general manager of the electronics assembly business unit. Before being named acting vice-president, Timms had a four-year assignment as the division's vice-president of marketing and sales.
www.usa.siemens.com
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Manufacturing companies must follow bold initiatives to achieve sustainable Profitable Growth.
We help individuals and teams acquire and use 'Knowledge for Profitable Growth'.
Please visit www.essbsi.com
Product focus: Automation software
Integrated software
A
new integrated drive configuration feature now available in RSLogix
5000 v.16 software from Rockwell Automation allows users of
Allen-Bradley PowerFlex drives to consolidate drive system
configuration, operation and maintenance into a single, integrated
environment. Called Premier Integration, this capability is designed to
help reduce programming, installation and overall ownership costs by
minimizing the number of software tools required. Integrated drive
configuration allows users to configure both controller and drive
network connections from a single location, which minimizes the
potential for errors when defining the Ethernet/IP or ControlNet
network I/O. This feature also eliminates the task of individually
programming the required parameters and tags.
Rockwell Automation
www.rockwellautomation.ca
PLC programming software
Schneider
Electric's new Telemecanique TwidoSuite software is designed to
simplify program development for Twido controllers. Compatible with
TwidoSoft, the software can be used for many applications, including
conveying, mining, packaging and palletizing. The programming software
is organized according to the users' development tasks. Its interface
is designed to make programming user-friendly, fast and efficient in
all phases of programming, according to the company. The user can view
high-definition, detailed Twido hardware graphics and the related
communication architecture. The debugging setup process is streamlined
via graphic animation, online modification capabilities, dedicated
monitoring screens and project-integrated animation tables. The user
can generate a detailed, customized project folder, create a
maintenance manual and operating guide using Microsoft Word 2000, and
preview before printing.
Schneider Electric
www.schneider-electric.ca
Supervisory monitoring and control software
GE Fanuc Automation's Proficy HMI/SCADA - CIMPLICITY 7.0 supervisory
monitoring and control software is designed to handle complex,
multi-user applications on multi-tasking operating systems. The
software integrates with other products in the Proficy family. Each
component, when layered on top of CIMPLICITY as an HMI/SCADA solution,
extends the range of applications that can be addressed. Proficy Change
Management, integrated with the CIMPLICITY Workbench, is a solution for
file version management and automated backup. Proficy Real-Time
Information Portal provides a web-based solution that integrates all
online and process-based systems with plant-wide connectivity, analysis
and web-based visualization components. Proficy Historian is designed
to provide fast archiving and data retrieval, with sustained throughput
rates of more than 100,000 samples per second.
GE Fanuc Automation
www.gefanuc.com
Mark your calendars
NIWeek 2007
August 7-9, 2007
Austin, Texas
The conference features interactive technical sessions, exhibitions and workshops on the latest technologies for design, control and test applications. Attendees can network and exchange ideas with a community of more than 3,000 scientists, engineers, developers and industry leaders, and view exhibits and demonstrations from more than 200 companies. For details, visit www.ni.com/niweek.
National Manufacturing Week
September 24-27, 2007
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Ill.
Attendees will have the opportunity to see, compare and evaluate a
range of product and service resources for design and manufacturing.
For details, visit www.manufacturingweek.com.
National Robot Safety Conference XIX
October 1-4, 2007
Indianapolis Marriott Center East, Indianapolis, Ind.
For more information, visit www.roboticsonline.com/public/calendar/details.cfm?id=95.
ISA Expo 2007
October 2-4, 2007
Reliant Center, Houston, Texas
ISA
Expo allows automation and control professionals to hear and share
ideas, display and see state-of-the-art technologies and solutions, and
examine key automation topics. In addition to the technical conference,
ISA Expo 2007 will feature an exhibition with hundreds of companies
displaying their latest products and services. For more information,
visit www.isa.org.
Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show (CMTS)
October 15-18, 2007
Toronto, Ont.
With more than 600 manufacturers and distributors gathered under one
roof, CMTS is the place to source and compare production technology and
innovations. The show gives domestic and international manufacturers
and distributors the opportunity to display manufacturing machinery,
plant-floor automation technology and support products. Visit www.cmts.ca for more information.
InfraMation 2007
October 15-19, 2007
Las Vegas, Nev.
Hosted
by Flir Systems, Inc. and the Infrared Training Center (ITC), the 8th
annual InfraMation conference for professional infrared thermographers
includes user-led presentations on infrared applications, ''how-to''
clinics, panel discussions moderated by infrared experts, and
networking opportunities. Conference registration is available online
at www.inframation.org/registration, or by calling 800-254-0632.
Automation Fair
November 14-15, 2007
Chicago, Ill.
Hosted
by Rockwell Automation, the 16th annual event is a free educational
forum featuring more than 100 exhibitors and 10,000 attendees from
around the world. This year's event will showcase the latest ways
manufacturers use industrial automation technology and services from
Rockwell Automation and its partners to enable innovation. Visit www.automationfair.com for details.
A more comprehensive list of events can be found on our website.
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industrial buyers! And we've made it easy for the online user to search
by product, key word and company name. Plus, users have the choice of
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or print out the card for future reference!
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If you would like to share your comments about this e-newsletter, or have a news tip for Manufacturing AUTOMATION, please e-mail Mary Del Ciancio, Editor. |
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