Thursday, January 24, 2008

Help fight autism From my daughter, the therapist: The band, Five for Fighting, is generously donating $0.49 to Autism Speaks each time this video is viewed. The funding goes toward research studies to help find a cure. When you have a moment, please visit the link below to watch the video and pass it along. They are aiming for 10,000 hits, but hopefully we can help them to surpass this goal.    (by the way, it seems to be a truism that many people become psych majors because they have problems--in my daughter's case, she's trying to figure me out--and not succeeding as any reader of this blog would understand) 8:06:54 PM    comment []

Packaging Automation Forum Speaking of Forums, I'm a co-sponsor, co-moderator of one in May in Chicago, the Packaging Automation Forum. We (meaning Pat Reynolds, Packaging World's editor) have put together an interesting cast of speakers for the event. If you're involved in packaging, this is the place to be. may 20 at the Chicago Marriott Schaumburg--with an OMAC training session on May 19. 7:11:42 PM    comment []

ARC Forum Going to ARC Forum in Orlando in a couple of weeks? If so, stop me and say hi. I have lots of appointments, but I'll stop for a second or two. The agenda is evolving, but it looks as if it's getting firm. Some interesting changes--three parallel tracks where attendees will have to choose which technology provider's session to attend. This is a big time for OMAC. There are several presentations: *    Implementation of OMAC in 2 Packaging Lines in a New SABMiller Brewery, Fabian Ochoa, SABMiller *    The OEE Roadmap to Profits and Sustainability, Paul Zepf, Zarpac *    Integrating Systems with Closed and Open Architecture Controls, Rob Caron, Caron Engineering *    Simplifying Robot Automation for Your Machine Tool Operations, Erwin DiMalanta, ABB *    Plant to Enterprise Connectivity, Paul Boris, SAP Then there are several OMAC meetings, some of which are open to the public: OPW Executive Committee Meeting Wednesday, February 6, 2008, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Salon 21 (members only) MS MUG Leadership Team Meeting Wednesday, February 6, 2008, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Salon 23 (members only) OMAC Users Meeting Thursday, February 7, 2008, 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. Grand D Ballroom (open to everyone) OPW (OMAC Packaging Workgroup) Users Meeting Thursday, February 7, 2008, 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Grand D Ballroom (open to everyone) OMAC Board of Directors Meeting Thursday, February 7, 2008, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Salon 18 (members only) 7:06:21 PM    comment []

Importance of standards I haven't been promoting white papers, because there are so many I have not enough space. But here's one from Rockwell Automation (link is to a pdf download) that I'll send you to because it deals with the importance of standards. The bulk of the paper is a report from the "Manufacturing Perspectives" day panel of several standards organizations executives. The release quotes Rockwell CTO Sujeet Chand, "Never has it been more important that corporate leadership pays attention as standards have become critical to a business' ability to compete and survive in an increasingly regulated and complex global marketplace." Well said. Regular readers know I'm a proponent of developing and using good standards. Just finished the rough draft of an article for the March issues of Packaging World and Automation World from an interview I had with several P&G engineers on the value of standards. 6:52:12 PM    comment []