WBF, ISA announce intent to affiliate

WBF (formerly known as the World Batch Forum) and ISA, the Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation society, have announced their intent to affiliate. The goal is to further their common mission of promoting successful development and application of automation technologies.

By Staff April 1, 2006

WBF (formerly known as the World Batch Forum) and ISA, the Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation society, have announced their intent to affiliate. The goal is to further their common mission of promoting successful development and application of automation technologies.

The affiliation reportedly will allow both groups to build on their respective strengths. The arrangement is expected to result in WBF functioning as an independent affiliate of ISA. A similar merger took place between ISA and OMAC (open, modular architecture controls) users group early in 2005. (Read more about that action from Control Engineering and from ISA.) ISA and WBF are expected to complete the final steps of the move by mid-year.

WBF’s activities are said to align well with those of ISA. Among examples given were the way in which WBF’s work with implementing and adopting batch and enterprise integration standards complement standards-development work done by ISA-SP88 and ISA-SP95. Maurice Wilkins, WBF chairman, assured members there will be no change in the basic structure or direction of WBF and that the affiliation will allow the organization to provide additional services to members and the industrial community.