HOW to transform information to knowledge is a challenge that managers and engineers face every day. Rapidly advancing technology, the ever-increasing flow of information, and pressures on enterprise cost-effectiveness and competitiveness all present complex technical problems that need to be solved.
Decisions made on the shop floor have a direct influence on strategic decisions in the boardroom.
Recognising this “need for knowledge” at all strategic levels, the Institute of Instrumentation Control and Automation (IICA) is providing a platform for continuing education for industry professionals who use, manage and specify instrumentation, control and automation systems, at their inaugural conference IICA2005: From Sensors to the Boardroom.
From the conservative presentation of a discourse on the control of air compressors to the innovative topic of “Pragmatic process optimisation: from crude oil distillation to chocolate-biscuit manufacturing”, IICA2005 covers a wide area base.
Ian Gibson, IICA2005 paper coordinator, explains that the breadth of topics to be presented “range from the education of future engineers through to ‘nuts and bolts’ – instrumented ones, of course. We have the makings of enough heated discussions to keep the delegates talking and communicating for months, not just the few minutes between sessions. One of our aims is to bring people with widely differing views into contact, to amplify from heat to light.”
A variety of safety related subjects will be presented: from Heinz Gall’s (TÜV Rheinland) discussion on the current and developing safety standards required in almost every process plant across numerous industries to General Motors exploring how to provide better user road safety systems.
Other international speakers from Norway, The Netherlands and Singapore will discuss developments in a range of safety systems.
“SIS and BPCS: Separated or Integrated” will explore to what level it is permissible to combine control and safety systems.
To maintain systems, appropriate data needs to be collected and collated, relying on sensor and control techniques. This is explored in “Vibration Monitoring and the Look Towards the Future”, which discusses the easy integration of vibration monitoring with other control systems and extensive diagnostic capabilities.
“Paperless Electronic Batch Records (EBR) for the Pharmaceutical Industry” discusses the current requirements for automated record keeping (and offers thought for applications in other industries).
Donald Yates’ presentation of a novel concept, called “strain gauge washers”, of applications in the mining industry, has wider interest. Applying and maintaining correct tension in major bolting systems is a problem for installation and maintenance engineers in power generation and gas compression systems as well.
In addition to presenting topics on process and integrated management, financial management discussions will be undertaken.
Delegates will be presented with “Monitoring the Return on Net Assets” and “Plant Asset Management – More Than Just the Theory”. Esso Australia will provide insight into “Lifecycle of the Measurement System in a Production Operation”.
New product developments will also be presented at the conference, with ABB using it to launch its 800xA Information Management software series – an industrial IT system that enhances the usefulness of data from all operations.
Visit www.iica.org.au to view the conference program - or contact Joanne Alderman on +61 3 9370 6470 or via conference@iica.org.au.