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Tuesday, April 1, 2008 |
I used to belong to the World Future Society, but it just didn't seem to benefit me. I still get the e-newsletter, though. Just spotted this item about manufacturing.
MANUFACTURING'S TOP CHALLENGESCapturing the power of nanotech, integrating information technology throughout manufacturing processes, and developing hydrogen energy technologies are the three top priorities for research and development in manufacturing, according to a report from a U.S. government interagency working group.Selection of these interrelated priorities will help industry focus resources on meeting future needs, such as job creation, transforming research into competitive products, and ensuring a cleaner environment.Nanotechnologies are expected to be a "critical driver of future economic growth, affecting potentially every industry from aerospace and energy to health care and agriculture," according to the report. The emphasis on hydrogen energy R&D, such as developing affordable andreliable fuel cells, is intended to help ensure a more secure energy future.SOURCES: Interagency Working Group on Manufacturing R&D report, MANUFACTURING THE FUTURENIST
8:44:17 PM 
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Recorded today, I talk about WBF, Interphex, my ABB meetings and review Nic Carr's book, "The Big Switch."
5:05:17 PM
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I didn't post yesterday because I drove up to Cleveland to visit ABB for a deep dive into the technology foundation of 800xA. Along the way stopped to set up an appointment to discuss the latest acquisition in the automation space and to get a briefing on a new product from another company that I can't discuss until June 30. (Talk about a pre-briefing!)
I've known about the company ABB for a long time (at the collapse of Cardinal Tool in 1987, the building was sold to a division Brown-Boveri just about the time of the merger with Asea and I negotiated the purchase of a bunch of equipment from the investment bankers for a potential new business that didn't take off--but that's another story). As an editor, though, I only began following the automation business in 2004 at the launch of 800xA. So, after reading my reporting and thoughts from another company that has rebuilt its platform on an "object" model, the systems marketing group invited me up here for a dive into the development of the technology. And, by the way, gave me a look at a new product that will be unveiled at the upcoming "Automation World" (no relation) user conference April 29.
Turns out, ABB developed an object-oriented platform around 2001. They called it the Aspect Integrator Platform and populated it with "Aspect Objects." These are true software objects with methods and inheritance and all that goes with it. There are many benefits to this which ABB developed early in this century--perhaps six years before others (I'll probably hear from others now, but that's OK). As I've written about competitors' object platforms, some of the biggest gains lie in the development tools and engineering. Development of object libraries and a common development environment are powerful benefits to engineers and integrators to shorten development time and reduce errors. Anything that gets a project running faster is a huge benefit to both the developer and the customer--who gets profits from new products more quickly.
ABB's platform was already doing that before the 800xA launch in January 2004--although that product consolidated all the gains into a new suite. As time passed, ABB has been adding to the platform. For example its process analytical technology platform (PAT) for the pharma industry makes it easier to go from the drug discovery phase to full production (released in 2007). The Enterprise Connector (released in 2005) makes configuring data communication with devices (through OPC for example) or to enterprise databases such as SAP reasonably easy. With the connector, ABB also offers customers the ability to use financial information about the state of the process as part of a dashboard or other operator interface so that operators and engineers can get financial feedback about the results of a process change.
New Product
The new product is the Industrial IT Collaborative Production Management cpmPlus Smart Client. This is a browser-based thin client. It retrieves information from ABB and connected third-party systems. This Microsoft .Net application (apparently using Windows Presentation Foundation technology) allows the remote user, within permissions granted by the administrator, to develop screens and link them dynamically with real-time data directly from the process--say the 800xA system running in a plant. Multiple systems can be shown on one display. For example a plant manager could look at the process and the power house on one screen, or a group manger could monitor the systems at different plants. The data are ported from the system--not replicated at the local site. The user chooses a graphical element, say bar chart or dial, and links it to a data source from a list provided from the host. When the data source is dragged over the graphic, the chart or dial automatically configures to the range and value attributes of the data object. Very powerful.
The feature set for the Smart Client includes browser-based graphical displays, trending and statistical process control, alarm and event reporting and Microsoft Excel interface.
8:02:13 AM
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In another Interphex announcement, Rockwell Automation announced it is hosting the Ninth Annual International Life Sciences Symposium, May 28-29, 2008 at the Hotel Andel's in Prague, Czech Republic.
Automation and information specialists from Rockwell Automation and its associates will join industry leaders from pharmaceutical, clinical supply and medical businesses in manufacturing, process engineering, regulatory compliance and plant-wide information systems to discuss best practices and insight into life sciences manufacturing. With the theme, "Operational Excellence," this year's event will address the challenging economic and regulatory climate, drug patent and pipeline development, and introduce leading-edge technology innovation and applications that deliver improved end-to-end process and operational efficiency at every stage in the manufacturing and supply chain.
7:01:18 AM
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Here's the deeper information on the Emerson announcement from Interphex that I promised. [and this is no April Fool's post, by the way]
Emerson Process Management process control engineers (I'm told it's the work of Greg McMillen and Terry Blevins of the Modeling and Control blog and Mike Boudreau) developed some cell growth models when used with its multivariate process analytics can speed development and scale-up to production of new drugs. The development models of mammalian cell processes are currently in Beta testing. Cell growth models for bacterial, fungal, and yeast fermentations are available now. Previous studies indicate that the models can be used to prototype model predictive control of growth and product formulation rates, which can in some cases reduce batch times by 40 percent and improve yields by 10 percent.
The new tools use off-line dynamic computer simulations of bioprocesses that can be run at up to 1000X real time to determine optimum settings for real-time production. Also, for on-line operation, embedded analytics tools may be used to detect faults and predict end of batch values of quality parameters continuously in real time, helping to optimize batch process control and enable the efficiency of real-time release.
Emersonâo[dot accent]s new PAT tools for bioreactor modeling are in a library of software modules that run in its DeltaV digital automation system. The model, configuration and tools are used to create a "virtual plant" that can simulate batch execution faster than by physical experimentation. PAT tools are also being developed as embedded software in the DeltaV system to support on-line analytics. The DeltaV system is commonly used in product development and is the process management system embedded in the Broadley-James bioreactor family.
The bioreactor models are available as a complete DeltaV solution designed specifically for the customerâo[dot accent]s product development application. Engineering and configuration services and training are included, supporting user needs for efficient operation and maintenance of the production simulation software.
In other news, Emerson Process Management has been chosen to design and install its PlantWeb digital plant architecture to digitally automate Shanghai CP Guojian Pharmaceutical Companyâo[dot accent]s new API production suite, which will have the largest mammalian cell-culture system in Asia. Located in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in Shanghai, the new plant is expected to begin producing the first monoclonal antibody drugs in China by August, 2008.
6:56:46 AM
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© Copyright 2008 Gary Mintchell.
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