ISA NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Jennifer Infantino
(919) 990-9287
jinfantino@isa.org
Multi-Industry Collaboration Launches Manufacturing Interoperability Initiative
Research Triangle Park, NC (11 May 2006) - In a continuance of the OAGIS(r) and ISA-95 standards convergence effort announced in December of 2005, a key working meeting took place recently at ISA offices in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The meeting, which was held April 26 through 28, was attended by many end user and solution providers in addition to representatives from the standards organizations. The purpose of the meeting was to delve into the important detailed technical work necessary to achieve the convergence goals for the OAGIS(r) and ISA-95 standards.
The Manufacturing Interoperability Guideline Working Group is led by five principal member organizations - OAG, OPC, MIMOSA, WBF, and ISA - which together represent end-users and suppliers from across the process, discrete, and mixed-mode manufacturing industries. In addition, the Manufacturing Interoperability Standards Customer Advisory Council (IOpCAC), representing major manufacturing organizations from across industry, is a key participant in the initiative.
In recent years, all five of the principal member standards bodies have found themselves addressing some aspect of the same problem and created an informal effort to work together know as the OpenO&MTM Initiative, which included a Manufacturing Joint Working Group in addition to Facility and Military (Fleet) joint working groups. From device communication protocols to manufacturing execution to enterprise strategy and supply chain coordination, all serve an underlying business need for interoperability among the many disparate systems and disciplines within and between enterprises.
Rather than setting out to write yet another standard, those organizations decided to develop and align themselves around a guideline that all could use to focus their efforts and minimize conflicts. The Manufacturing Interoperability Guideline Working Group provides a formal agreement between the original OpenO&M Initiative Manufacturing Joint Working Group members and the IOpCAC.
The harmonized guideline will reflect a convergence of the manufacturing interoperability standards in use or under development by the principal member organizations. The guideline will facilitate development of reusable integration software objects and components, and provide a foundation for additional alignment of manufacturing interoperability architectures in the future.
This first meeting focused on initial mapping of key existing interoperability specifications and business process scenarios, election of officers, and planning for future activities.
Gary Sullivan (IOpCAC Chair and BWX Technologies ITI Manufacturing Project Manager) was elected as chair of the working group. Dave Connelly (OAGi President) and Dennis Brandl (ISA-SP88 Chair and BR&L Consulting Founder) will serve as vice chairs, and Jay Jeffreys (Wonderware Marketing Director) will serve as secretary for the group.
"The working group is off to a strong start," stated Gary Sullivan, "but we have our work cut out for us. We have established an aggressive schedule of milestones to complete the guideline by our stated deadline of May 2007. This goal is achievable, but will require thorough follow-through on commitments by all participants."
Members of the working group include the following:
Gary Sullivan representing IOpCAC
Dennis Brandl and Keith Unger representing ISA (www.isa.org) Ken Bever and Alan Johnston representing MIMOSA (www.mimosa.org) Dave Connelly and Frank Heinrich representing OAGi
(www.openapplications.org)
Tom Burke and Jim Luth representing OPC Foundation
(www.opcfoundation.org)
Rick Bullotta and Dave Emerson representing WBF (www.wbf.org)
The next meetings of the working group are in late May and late June.
More information about the working group is at www.isa.org/mnfginterop.
Please contact Gary Sullivan (ghsullivan@bwxt.com, 434-522-6371) for more information or to contribute to the effort.
About ISA
Founded in 1945, ISA (www.isa.org) is a leading, global, nonprofit organization that is setting the standard for automation by helping over 30,000 worldwide members and other professionals solve difficult technical problems, while enhancing their leadership and personal career capabilities. Based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, ISA develops standards; certifies industry professionals; provides education and training; publishes books and technical articles; and hosts the largest conference and exhibition for automation professionals in the Western Hemisphere. ISA is the founding sponsor of The Automation Federation (www.automationfederation.org).
About WBF
WBF provides an open forum for the exchange of information related to the management, operation, and automation of manufacturing processes. Created in 1994, members of the non-profit, professional organization include end-users, vendors, consultants and academics. WBF provides organization, management, and structure to facilitate networking among its members and sharing of knowledge and information related to manufacturing processes. WBF documents best practices and guidelines for implementation of standards that apply to batch control and the exchange of batch data, as well as conducting technical conferences and technical training programs. WBF is a founding charter member of The Automation Federation (www.automationfederation.org). More information about WBF is available at www.wbf.org.
About OMAC
OMAC–The Open Modular Architecture Controls Users’ Group (www.omac.org) is an affiliate organization of ISA- The Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Society- and works to collectively derive common solutions for both technical and non-technical issues in the development, implementation, and commercialization of open, modular architecture control (OMAC) technologies, and to facilitate the accelerated development and convergence of industry and government developed OMAC technology guidelines to one set that satisfies common use requirements. OMAC has about 500 member representatives from end-user companies, OEM's, and technology providers and integrator companies. OMAC currently operates three Work Groups: Packaging Machinery, Manufacturing Infrastructure, and Machine Tool. OMAC is a founding charter member of The Automation Federation (www.automationfederation.org).
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