September 2008

What:

3M Engineering Group and Tour of 3M Utilities Plant
Note: We will be joined at this meeting by some members from local Chapter 211 of SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers)

When:

Thursday, September 18, 2008
5:30pm – 6:15pm   Food and Networking
6:15pm – 7:00pm   Presentation by Jorge Ibarra, 3M Engineering
7:00pm - 7:45pm   Presentation and tour by Mark Schuler, 3M Utilities Plant

Where:

3M Innovation Center, 6801 River Place Blvd
(entry drive is just north of FM 2222)

Cost:

There is no cost for this meeting. Please RSVP at your earliest convenience to Terry Hight at tehight@reynco.com or 512-507-9896.

Details:

Our kickoff meeting will be held at the 3M Innovation Center near 2222 and Riverplace. There will be two presentations during this meeting. The first will discuss how the Design Engineering group and the Process Instrumentation & Control Systems group manage and execute capital projects for 3M plants worldwide. The second topic of the meeting will be a plant tour of the adjacent Central Utilities Plant which is a cogeneration facility capable of producing all of the electrical needs of the 3M campus. There are two 6MW diesel/gas engine generators and a 2MW steam turbine generator, plus a wide variety of chillers and boilers and pumps.

October 2008

What:

Day Long Bus Trip to Houston for ISA Expo 2008

When/Where:

Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Meet at 6:00am in the Reynolds Company south parking lot (9701 Metric Blvd, 78758) to board the bus.
We should return to Austin no later than 8:30pm.

Cost:

The cost for this trip is subsidized by the Bluebonnet Section, but we will be collecting $20 from current ISA Members and $30 from non-members.

Details:

The Bluebonnet Section has chartered a 56 passenger bus (yes, it is air-conditioned and has a restroom) for a one day trip to visit the huge ISA Expo trade show in Houston. The bus which will be preloaded with some breakfast snacks and drinks. We will get to the show at the Reliant Center about 10:00am and you will have six (6) hours to attend seminars and visit booths. AWC will pass out punch cards that you can get stamped at various key vendors’ booths; the winners will be rewarded on the return bus ride with prizes. We will board the bus at 3:30pm in front of the Reliant Center for the ride back to Austin. There will be box lunch sandwiches and beverages of all types. We should arrive back in Austin no later than 8:30pm. Seating will be limited, so please RSVP to John Dodge of AWC as soon as possible to guarantee your spot: john.dodge@awc-inc.com or 512-468-7886. If you have any questions, please contact Terry Hight at 512-507-9896.

November 2008

What:

Industrial Ethernet Round Table at National Instruments

When/Where:

Thursday, November 13, 2008
National Instruments, 11500 N. Mo-Pac Blvd, Bldg C (southbound access road 1/4 mile south of Duval)
5:30pm – 6:15pm:   Food and Networking
6:15pm – 7:30pm:   Panel Discussion and Questions & Answers
7:30pm – 7:45pm:   Follow up questions at the product displays.

Cost:

No charge for this meeting, but you must RSVP to Terry Hight at tehight@reynco.com or 512-507-9896.

Details:

Our November meeting will be held at National Instruments, Building C Lobby. The topic will be a "round table" panel discussion of Industrial Ethernet by four (4) sales and marketing professionals who are knowledgeable in this technology. Among other things, they will discuss:

• Industrial Ethernet Protocols
• Remote I/O Networks using Ethernet
• Ethernet Switch Requirements
• Wireless Ethernet Considerations
• Convergence of Controls Networks with IT Enterprise

The discussions will be generic in nature and not "product pitches." But, there will be various products from National Instruments, ProSoft Technology, Hirschmann, and Allen-Bradley on display for your education, and the panelists will be available after the discussion to answer your specific questions.

December 2008

What:

Annual Bluebonnet Section Holiday Party

When/Where:

Thursday, December 18, 2008
Pappadeaux’s Seafood Kitchen (6319 N IH-35)
6:00pm

Cost:

$25 for Members and guests, $40 for Non-ISA Member
Everyone can order from the main menu and the Section will provide the appetizers. There will be a cash bar for alcoholic beverages.
You must RSVP to Terry Hight at tehight@reynco.com or 512-507-9896.

March 2009

Presentation:

Power and Energy are a process variable!

Where:

Thursday, March 26, 2009
LCRA Dalchau Service Center
3505 Montopolis Drive (map & directions are below)
512-473-3333

When:

5:30pm – 6:15pm Food and Networking
LCRA Dalchau Service Center
6:15pm – 7:15pm Presentation by Greg S. Lado
Schneider electric/Energy Solutions Group

Cost:

No charge for ISA Members. There will be a $10 charge for Non-Members which can be waived by signing up as a new member. Everyone must RSVP to Wayne Hachenberg at wayne.hachenberg@graybar.com or 512-426-4561.

Speaker Biography:

Greg S. Lado has a BBA from Texas Tech University with a love of computers and things "technical" and is presently Area Sales Manager for Schneider Electric's Energy Solutions group and a 19 year veteran in the electrical industry. The past 11 years have been with Schneider Electric's Power Management Operations (recently renamed "Energy Solutions") promoting power and energy monitoring/control systems in a multi-state area. Applications for our "PowerLogic" products have given me chances to work with large industrials, data centers, water/waste water plants, universities, government installations, hospitals, commercial properties, and even at my own home (the "washing machine incident"). The years prior were spent with industrial automation distributors as Automation Sales Mgr servicing our clients industrial automation/control needs (main lines were: Allen Bradley, Square D SYMAX/MAX, and Modicon). Greg has been married for 14 years and has two children ages 7 and 12. An avid fly-fisherman, family and work conspire to make this hobby more of a rumor than a reality. Cest la vie! He loves that his kids know my company helps other companies be more 'green.'

Driving Directions:

The following may also be found at http://www.ercot.com/about/locations/map_lcra.
Turning south from HW 71 onto Montopolis Drive, the LCRA facilities will be to the left about 1/10 mile.
Continue south on Montopolis to the third gated drive (Gate 4), enter the fenced parking area, and park near the flagpole.
The Large Safety Conference Room is in the left rear of the courtyard behind the flagpole (room phone 512-473-3333, ext 5082).

April 2009

What:

Join us for our annual golf tournament benefitting our Scholarship Fund. Details are located on our Golf web page.

May 2009

What:

Process Control Cyber Security

When:

Thursday, May 14, 2009
5:30pm – 6:30pm Food and Networking
6:30pm – 6:45pm Business Meeting and Officer Elections
6:45pm - 7:30pm Technical Presentation by Curt Miller of Exida

Where:

The Reynolds Company
9701 Metric Blvd, Suite 250
(in the building behind 9801 Metric Blvd, come to the middle of the 2nd building)

Cost:

No charge for ISA Members. Everyone must RSVP to Terry Hight at tehight@reynco.com or 512-507-9896.

Details:

Protecting critical industrial processes from attack has become a growing priority for many companies. Facilities have become more vulnerable as proprietary systems have evolved to open systems that use commercial technologies and, in turn, leave control systems exposed to the same viruses, worms and trojans that impact office environments. With both the number and seriousness of security incidents on the rise, plant operators face increasing pressures to develop security programs for their plant, and equipment manufacturers need to meet the growing customer demand for products that are "secure-by-design."

Are you concerned about the cyber security of your control or safety systems? Are you wondering if the automation products you supply meet the latest cyber security standards? Or are you simply interested in learning more about what you’re reading about in all the trade magazines regarding control system security? If so, please tune into this presentation providing an overview control system cyber security. Attendees will learn why control system cyber security is important, what the US and other governments are doing to support industry, the status of ISA SP 99 and other control system security standards, and where to learn more about cyber-security.

September 2009

What:

Considering Wireless for I/O, Data, Ethernet ? Things you should know….

When:

Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009
5:30pm – 6:15pm Food and Networking
6:15pm – 7:15pm Presentation by Jim Massey, Project Engineer – Phoenix Contact

Where:

San Gabriel Room at the Georgetown Municipal Complex -
300 Industrial Ave, Georgetown TX 78626

Cost:

No charge for ISA Members. Everyone must RSVP to Wayne Hachenberg at wayne.hachenberg@graybar.com or 512-426-4561.

Details:

Our kickoff meeting we will introduce our new officers and announce the scholarship awards and discuss upcoming meetings for the year (Golf Tournament too). Please join us and bring a colleague.