The war between plant operations and IT is over. Here’s a look at the major trends in information technology that are having a direct and growing impact on plant operations.

  Using wireless sensor technologies in process automation is finally getting out of the labs and into the plants. There remains a reluctance to publicly come out of the closet about using it.

  Global politics and economic expansion in developing countries have shot petrochemical prices into orbit. The political and economic pressures are forcing governments and consumers to take a greater interest in alternative energy sources such as biofuels.

 Wireless is not a new world. But that doesn’t mean it is simple. Fortunately, radio has developed in the context of standards almost since the beginning. Here, we look at some of the nomenclature and high-level thinking required for wireless automation.

 Wireless instrumentation proved to be the best way to monitor chemicals in remote rail cars.

  Improved HMI visualization makes plant and enterprise data easy to share, and also easy to understand.

  Automation World recently invited five major vendors of distributed control systems (DCS) to comment on the competitive impact of programmable automation controllers on their businesses.

 (Sidebar to "Collaboration Proliferates as Companies Go Global" from the December issue of Automation World)

  In October of 2005, U.S. Gypsum Corp. began a plant optimization rollout across 50 manufacturing sites that produce gypsum wall board.

 The Kendall-Jackson winery packages more than 3 million cases of wine each year, so it’s a big challenge to position labels on bottles that race through its production lines. 

  Collaboration is becoming more prevalent in manufacturing, whether it’s team-to-team, plant-to-plant or manufacturer-to-suppliers and partners.

 Andre Ristaino, managing director of the Automation Standards Compliance Institute (ASCI), in Research Triangle Park, N.C., provided Independent Program Assessments and Independent Validation and Verification support for information technology modernization projects at the U.S. Air Force Logistics Command while employed at Deloitte & Touche. He led manufacturing information systems integration projects and provided consulting services for manufacturing operations improvement. Ristaino’s manufacturing industry experience includes pulp and paper, textiles, steel fabrication, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Ristaino holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Master of Science in Technology Management.

 Angela E. Summers, Ph.D. and P.E., has more than15 years of process, environmental and safety instrumented system (SIS) design experience. She is principal author of “Guidelines for Safe and Reliable Instrumented Protective Systems,” published by Wiley-Interscience. She is a recipient of the Intrumentation, Systems and Automation Society's 2005 Albert F. Sperry Award, for her outstanding contributions and leadership in the specification, development and implementation of safety instrumented systems for the process automation industry. She is also president and chief executive officer of safety instrumented systems consultancy SIS-Tech Solutions, in Houston. Summers sat down recently for an interview with Automation World Editor in Chief Gary Mintchell.

  Plants are using predictive maintenance and condition-based monitoring to increase availability, enhance process quality and improve safety.

  Mistakes in software just can’t happen at NEC’s semiconductor fabrication facility in Roseville, Calif. They are simply too costly and dangerous.

  Monitoring equipment, components and processes from afar is developing into a substantial benefit for manufacturers…and suppliers.

  Here's a look at some of the trials, tribulations and challenges faced by two early end-users of industrial wireless networking technology, along with some lessons learned and benefits gained.

  KV Pharmaceutical is turning to wireless mesh networking technology as a way to save money, while reliably meeting regulatory requirements for temperature and humidity monitoring.

  New Microsoft tools are designed for easy and secure data flow.

  Tracking products from herd to grocery shelf can reduce recall exposure.