ISA Insights
Volume 1, Issue 1
September 2007
ISA Introduces CAP Associate Program
In March, ISA launched a CAP Associate recognition program for students interested in working in the automation field. The program will provide recognition for students' interest and knowledge of automation. The objectives of this program are to recognize the knowledge of graduates of four-year automation related programs with a profession-wide program, and to establish them on a path toward becoming a full CAP.
High levels of interest in taking the full CAP right out of school, and the lack of necessary experience to do so without compromising the entire CAP program led to the development of the Cap Associate program with a new shorter exam coving the complete scope of automation about which such graduates would be knowledgeable. Any person passing this exam would be an Associate CAP, and would still take the regular CAP exam after meeting the experience requirements. As further incentive to graduates to become CAP Associates is the fact that passing the new exam will count as a year of experience credit for the current exam.
"By giving students the opportunity to get ahead of the game by taking an exam like this, we're encouraging them to pursue a career in automation and receive a respected recognition for their education up to that point," said Vernon Trevathan, Vice President of ISA's Professional Development Department. "In today's job market, certification is a powerful tool, and they'll be one step closer to earning the CAP designation."
For more information about the CAP Associate program, or the CAP certification program, visit www.isa.org/CAP/Associate or call (919) 549-8411.
ISA and AF Bring Workforce Development Plan to Capitol Hill
Back in June, ISA identified core projects and areas of focus for its workforce development program, an initiative that strives to positively influence the professionals of the future, provide technical knowledge and networking opportunities, and elevate the reputation of the industry. ISA's new workforce development program focuses on every stage of a person's career-from early, formative education programs for children to continuing education and cross-training programs for professionals in the field.
Several core projects have been identified as areas of focus for the program over the coming years: a K-12 education program, utilizing companies and professionals in the industry to bring manufacturing and automation awareness into schools; a diversity recruitment program to help companies reach out to under-represented cultures and ethnicities; a revamped university relations program linking faculty from universities around the world with corporate R&D centers; the creation and adoption of an automation degree curriculum; expansion of certification programs; enhanced technical training opportunities; a corporate partnership program; and a brand new government relations program.
Establishment of a government relations program took ISA and the other member organizations of the Automation Federation to Washington, D.C. In July, ISA Executive Director Patrick Gouhin and other members of the Automation Federation headed back to Washington to continue talks with congress members, hoping to build on the relationship that the organization has already forged in Congress. Once we have established a voice for automation in government, it is hoped that academics will join our efforts to bring the automation workforce development program goals to fruition. The success of this most recent visit has the group planning to return to Washington in November for another round of visits with senators and congressmen.
ISA-SP100 Announces Draft of Release 1 for 4th Quarter
At the October 2006 meeting of the ISA-SP100 committee, the ISA-SP100.11 and ISA-SP100.14 efforts were merged to form SP100.11a. In March 2007, at an ISA-SP100.11a working group meeting in Karlsruhe, Germany, 60 attendees unanimously approved the scope and systems architecture of Release 1 of the draft standard.
The ISA-SP100.11a Release 1 will be simple to use, focused on serving process industry applications without excluding factory automation, and will be open for anyone to implement and deploy. Release 1 is intended to provide technology to address Class 1 (non-critical) to Class 5 applications, to assure multi-vendor device interoperability, and will include only 2.4 GHz 802.15.4-2006 radios. A draft of the complete standard will be complete in Quarter 4.
The standard will use a single application layer, providing both native and tunneling protocol capability for broad usability, and provide simple, flexible, and scaleable security addressing major industrial threats. The standard will also offer field device meshing and star capability. The system architecture will include provisions to accommodate alternate PHY's in future releases, support factory automation applications, support low latency applications, and will not preclude low cost implementations over the life cycle of the intended deployments.
The standard has been developed with contributions of technology and knowledge from suppliers, companies, and asset owners, as well as with the extensive use of case data collected over the past year, to provide a solid foundation on which to merge user needs with practical technology solutions to achieve a useful standard. The work of the committee will continue to adhere to a comprehensive coexistence strategy, and will use channel hopping to support co-existence and increase reliability.
During the meeting in Germany, the working group agreed that the second release will include critical Class 1 to 5 applications in addition to monitoring; additional gateway functionality as needed; additional network manager functionality as needed; and dual or alternate PHYs such as narrow band frequency hopping, sub-GHz, licensed bands, high speed, 5 GHz, etc. All requirements will be user-driven.
Automation Engineering Curriculum Initiative Commences
A committee of industry leaders and academia met at ISA headquarters in March 2007 to begin work on the learning objectives for an automation engineering curriculum for universities. Demand for automation engineers is increasing as baby boomers retire; consequently, it has been estimated that 15,000 new automation engineers are needed annually. Meeting this need is critical for keeping U.S. manufacturing competitive in the world market.
Because U.S. schools do not teach automation as an undergraduate engineering discipline, and because it can take engineering graduates one to three years to perform at a professional level in the field of automation with its rapidly advancing technology, few companies can afford extensive training, especially with engineers being more mobile than ever before. Companies even resort to importing engineers from countries with automation engineering programs.
When asked, students responded that they would major or double major in the automation field if given the opportunity. Even university alumni claim they would have jumped at the chance to major in automation if they had the chance.
As a result of all these factors, the University of Southern Mississippi, University of Missouri, Oklahoma University, and other professionals are working through ISA to meet industry needs as part of an industrial advisory board. They will work to merge traditional engineering fundamentals with new technology in a curriculum designed specifically to prepare students for today's automation careers.
Advances in ISA Standards
ISA-12
ISA has recently published ANSI/ISA-12.12.01, Nonincendive Electrical Equipment for Use in Class I and II, Division 2 and Class III, Divisions 1 and 2 Hazardous (Classified) Locations. This standard provides minimum requirements for the design, construction, and marking of electrical equipment or parts of such equipment for use in Class I and Class II, Division 2 and Class III, Divisions 1 and 2 hazardous (classified) locations. The equipment, in normal operation and under the conditions prescribed in the standard, is not capable of causing ignition of the surrounding atmosphere; however, the equipment may contain electronic components that operate at incendive levels and may also have field wiring that is incendive. The standard will serve to establish uniformity in test methods for determining the suitability of the equipment and associated circuits and components as they relate to potential ignition of a specific flammable gas or vapor-in-air mixture, combustible dust, easily ignitable fibers, or flyings.
ISA-75
In April 2007, ISA submitted three control valve standards to ANSI for approval as American National Standards: ISA-75.08.01 (reaffirmation of ANSI/ISA-75.08.01-2002), Face-to-Face Dimensions for Integral Flanged Globe-Style Control Valve Bodies (Classes 125, 150, 250, 300, and 600); ISA-75.08.05 (reaffirmation of ANSI/ISA-75.08.05-2002), Face-to-Face Dimensions for Buttweld-End Globe-Style Control Valves (Classes 150, 300, 600, 900, 1500, and 2500); and ISA-75.08.06 (reaffirmation of ANSI/ISA-75.08.06-2002), Face-to-Face Dimensions for Flanged Globe-Style Control Valve Bodies (Classes 900, 1500, and 2500).
ISA-88
Earlier this year, the ISA-SP88 committee released ANSI/ISA-88.00.04-2006, Batch Control Part 4: Batch Production Records. The standard provides a detailed definition for batch production records, establishing a reference model for developing applications for the storage and/or exchange of batch production records. Implementations based on the standard will allow retrieval, analysis and reporting of selected batch production record data. The committee is currently working on the Part 5 standard: Modular Concepts for Automated Control Systems that will define methods for developing a library of automation control components that can be supported by automation vendors for all types of manufacturing.
ISA-95
The ISA-SP95 committee on Enterprise-Control System Integration is working to define an abstract model of the enterprise, including manufacturing control functions and business functions, and its information exchange. ISA-SP95 is currently developing additional standards in the series, including Part 4: Activity Models of Manufacturing Operations Management; and Part 5: Business-to-Manufacturing Transactions. Part 5 is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2008.
ISA-104
April 2007 saw the launch of ISA-SP104's new website, www.eddl.org, which gives information about the standard and offers resources for learning more about EDDL technology, and is a good way for interested parties to learn how to ensure long-term viability of device management solutions, protect their investment in these systems and easily keep it current, and ensure.
In June 2007, The ISA-SP104 committee completed adoption as an American National Standard of the generic electronic device description language (EDDL) specified by IEC 61804 for device integration. The committee has announced the publication of ANSI/ISA-61804-3(104.00.01)-2007, Function Blocks (FB) for Process Control-Part 3: Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL). This standard specifies EDDL as a generic language for describing the properties of automation system components through the creation of an Electronic Device Description (EDD) for intelligent devices to integrate with control systems and handheld communicators for use in the field. EDD's are text-based files independent of operating systems and control platforms, interpreted or compiled by the host system, and enable field device additions to be incorporated without affecting the runtime stability of the control system; consequently, one of the greatest benefits that EDDL provides the process industry is interoperability across multiple hosts, devices, and technologies that allows the end user to choose the best combination of price and performance for devices and software.
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