Constraints or resources?

Mark T. Hoske, Editor-in-Chief -- Control Engineering, 12/1/2006

Wait or implement? A lot of what we do depends on perspective. Do you see constraints or resources? Limitations or opportunities? If your cup is half full, are you going to complain or offer a toast, drink, and move on to enjoy dinner? If pragmatic uniformity guidelines are available, you could wait until they're a standard (formal or de facto). You could wait until related technologies consolidate. You could wait until competitors implement those guidelines, become more competitive, limit your options, close your facility, and give you time to find something else to do. Or you can grow with the changes taking place around you. Some places to start:

1. New OMAC packaging guidelines are available, and ISA-88 Part 5 continues based on Make2Pack efforts. These are roadmaps to higher efficiencies for those who implement them in processes and requests for quotes. Documented results show higher efficiencies in new projects, products, manufacturing lines—with less rework, more flexibility, and higher quality.

2. Industrial Ethernet, wireless networks, integrated safety network designs, and fieldbus have similar stories. Some in automation wait until things settle down before jumping in and lose opportunities by waiting. Yes, there are many choices—get over it. Evaluate, implement, and achieve benefits. Subscriber research (page 58) shows 12% of respondents intend to use industrial Ethernet within two years. If you have already, or are among those doing so, I wish you well. If you haven't, please ask yourself if you are gaining efficiencies some other way, such as through wireless, integrated safety networks, other digital networks, or by connecting islands of automation. Better communication offers realtime connections to plant floor information, diagnostics, and more.

3. Editors' Choice Awards in January migrate to Engineers' Choice Awards in March. Based on success of choosing the System Integrator of the Year Award winners (See Automation Integrator Guide, mailed with this issue), Control Engineering's annual technology awards now will use a no-fee nomination/application process. Goal in this 20th year of awards is to augment traditional editor input with intelligence from other industry experts and deliver higher quality to you. For details or to apply, go to Click here.

4. Seasons greetings or not? Of late, political correctness can obstruct basic kindness. At any rate, I'd like to wish you the best ever Christmas, Hanukkah, Las Posadas, Simban Gabi, Ramadan, Kwanzaa, and/or other year-end holiday of choice on the way to a smarter, more productive, highly automated 2007.

mhoske@reedbusiness.com