Oracle defends its 90% maintenance margins
ERP lawsuits involving Oracle, SAP and others have the potential to reshape the lucrative ERP maintenance fee marketplace. Manufacturing AUTOMATION asked lawyer and ERP consultant, Jonathan Gross, to break down the issues.
To see how these battles might affect your business, click here.


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Foreign buyers snap up Canadian manufacturers
For the first time since 1999, foreign companies own more than 50 percent of Canadian manufacturing assets, according to a recent survey by Statistics Canada.
To find out which countries are most likely to 'buy Canadian', click here.

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Pepperl+Fuchs Acquires Siemens Proximity Sensor Business
Pepperl+Fuchs has signed an agreement to acquire Siemens' binary proximity sensor business. The acquisition is expected to be finalized by June 30, 2010.
To read more about this deal, click here.

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DATE CHANGE: Machine Automation Safety Congress
The Machine Automation Safety Congress (MASC) will now be held May 4 and 5 at the International Centre in Mississauga.
To learn more about the event, click here.

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Features: Sensors

Out of sight
By Phillip Colet
The future of the solar cell market will depend largely on the efficiency of its manufacturers. That's why many are relying on machine vision systems that allow for automated optical inspection – enabling them to simultaneously speed up production and cut waste.
Find out how companies are taking advantage of this technology by clicking here.

March/April 2010 Out of Sight: Line-scan camera technology aids solar glass inspection and drives down costs Forming the future: Packaging machines boost high speed performance with automation updates ERP Spotlight: Room to grow: Mass spectrometer maker integrates supply chain and engineering tools with ERP

May 2010 Manufacturing AUTOMATION Line-up

• Cover story: Energy management
  - Ever since manufacturers started migrating far beyond North American borders, those remaining at home have had no choice but to be more effective, more efficient, leaner and greener. Energy management has two parts: measuring how much energy is consumed, where and at what times; and then doing something about it. You can't have one without the other, though some have tried.
  Michelle Mora explores the processes and players involved in successful energy management strategies – and highlights companies who are getting it right.

• Feature: Wireless technology & security
  Manufacturing AUTOMATION columnist, Ian Verhappen, discusses the security side of the ISA 100 as well as WirelessHART standards.

Plus: The latest news, appointment announcements and trends, as well as a selection of the latest in wireless technology and security, communications & networking, data acquisition, motion control, process control and wire & cable offerings. Not to mention coverage of the Machine Automation Safety Conference.

Calendar of Events:

Mar. 25: Hydraulic Power Press Safety seminar - Burlington, Ont.

Mar. 29: Thermography Seminar - Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, Oakville, Ont.

Mar. 30: Safe Motion – Drives with Integrated Safety Functions seminar - Burlington, Ont.

Mar. 30: Thermography Seminar - Holiday Inn, Yorkdale, Toronto

Mar. 31: Thermography Seminar - Holiday Inn, Oshawa, Ontario

May 4-5: Machine Automation Safety Congress (MASC) - International Centre, Mississauga

May 10-12: EMC National Conference - Hamilton Convention Centre.

Check out the Calendar of Events on the Manufacturing AUTOMATION website for more upcoming industry seminars, conferences, shows and training sessions.

Got an event you want us to include on the website? Please send an e-mail to editor Vanessa Chris: vchris@clbmedia.ca.