By the Numbers – 2005-12-01

6 high-end control applications show how “PC-Based Control Delivers for Manufacturing,” the cover story in this issue. For more applications, read the article online, under December 2005, at www.controleng.com/archives

7 ways that system integrators should be required to improve and monitor their business expertise are: general management, quality management, project management, technical management, financial management, human resources, and business development, according to Norm O’Leary, CSIA executive director www.controlsys.org

35 sites are listed under the Industrial/Manufacturing location of “A Sightseer’s Guide to Engineering,” sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers and National Engineers Week (Feb. 19-25, 2006). Stop in on a few between now and then. www.engineeringsights.org

100 operator interface screens were reduced to five as part of a retrofit project that reduced training, and saved as much as 2,000 linear-feet of bubble wrap and paper daily, in a Polyair application. See the Control Engineering Automation Integrator Guide included with this issue, and online at www.controleng.com/integrators

19 companies in the Baking Industry Supplier Association have the word: equipment, machinery, automation, or control in their name; 190 firms are listed as members. www.bema.org

93% of respondents to the Control Engineering /Reed Research 2005 poll on programmable logic controllers expect to spend as much or more on PLCs in the next year as they did in the past 12 months. Learn more in this issue. www.controleng.com

20 divisions of the Institute of Industrial Engineers include Computer & Information Systems, Electronics Industry, Engineering Design, Lean, Manufacturing, Process Industries, and Quality Control & Reliability Engineering. www.iienet.org

4 schools received the 2005 Fieldbus Foundation awards for the James O. Gray-Fieldbus Foundation Educational Scholarships: STC (Brielle, The Netherlands), Lee College (Baytown, Texas), Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), and Singapore Polytechnic (Singapore). A $250,000 endowment fund is being created to provide annual awards of up to $1,000 to honor the memory of Jim Gray, who passed away in 2002. The schools award students seeking careers in industrial automation. www.fieldbus.org/scholarship

125 years ago the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) was founded, in 1880, “to promote the art, science and practice of mechanical engineering and the allied arts and sciences.” Get young people interested in the ASME “heroes of engineering” comic series at https://anniversary.asme.org/comicbook.shtml

100 years; since 1905, the Society of Automotive Engineers helped advance “mobility engineering.” Andrew L. Riker was SAE’s first president, called an early pioneer of electric vehicles, who later produced the Locomobile Co.’s first gasoline-powered car. www.sae.org

12 programs to interest young people in engineering are listed at this Pennsylvania State University College of Engineering site, including a day for high-school seniors, an outreach program for K-12, camps, and other summer programs. www.engr.psu.edu/cde/youth_programs.htm

157 women engineers are listed at www.engineeringwomen.org . “if you know a woman engineer whose story should be considered for inclusion in the extraordinary women engineers project, or you have a story to share about one of these remarkable women,” the Website says, please contribute. Fewer than 10% of U.S. engineers are women; girlsdo not lag behind boys in grades or test scores in math and science, but by eighth grade twice as many boys as girls are interested in science careers. Learn how you can help. www.engineeringwomen.org

8th consecutive quarterly gain (3Q05) puts NEMA’s Primary Industrial Controls Index 24% above the market’s recessionary low-point. Domestic shipments of electrical products within the scope of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association exceed $100 billion. www.nema.org

30% of all industrial loops are still in manual control after 65 years, and many “automated” processes are only semi-automatic due to the deficiency of PID. Model-Free Adaptive (MFA) control is the most promising technology to end the PID-dominated era, according to George Cheng, Cybosoft, at an ISA 2005 session. www.isa.org ; www.cybosoft.com

Do you have experience and expertise with the topics mentioned in this content? You should consider contributing to our WTWH Media editorial team and getting the recognition you and your company deserve. Click here to start this process.