Integration and Software
Integrating systems and communications is now fundamental to automation. While some
who work in a specific area of automation may have been able to avoid a good under-
standing of these topics, that isolation is rapidly coming to an end.
In fact, integration and communications are such an important part of automation
that, in some companies, automation responsibility has been turned over to the informa-
tion technology (IT) departments. While that may solve the integration issue, it usually
does not deal with the unique real-time and security issues in automation, and it totally
ignores the plant floor issues.
What is really needed is a good coupling of IT know-how with a broad knowledge of
plant floor automation—either by having IT systems specialists learn plant floor controls, or
by having automation professionals learn more about integration, or both.
Functionality and integration of the shorter time frame operating systems with both
plant floor controls and with company business systems is called by several names.
However, manufacturing execution systems (MES) is the most common.

The concepts of what functions to do and where and when data flows occur, has been wrestled with for a couple of decades since the computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) work of the 1980s. It has continued with the tireless work led by Theodore “Ted” J. Williams, the now retired Purdue University professor and 1968 ISA President. Now, with the ISA- 95—Manufacturing Enterprise Systems Standards series, real standardization has arrived in this area. The ISA- 95 standards have been adopted by some of the biggest names in manufacturing and business systems. While a large percentage of automation professionals do not know really what MES is, this topic, like integration in general, cannot be ignored any longer.

No topic is hotter today than Network Security—including
the Internet. Any automation professional who is working in
any type of integration must pay attention to the security of
the systems. Operator Interface, Data Management, and
other types of software are also now basic topics for
automation professionals, and they fit in this category better than anywhere else.
Packaged automation software that is open with respect to OPC covers a significant
portion of the needs of automation professionals; custom software is still needed in
some cases. That custom software must be carefully designed and programmed to
perform well and be easily maintained.

A Guide to the Automation Body of Knowledge, 2nd Edition Vernon L. Trevathan, Editor This 2nd edition gives you comprehensive information about all major topics in the broad field of automation. Edited by Vernon Trevathan with contributions from over 30 leading experts from all aspects of automation, this book defines the most important automation concepts and processes. You will turn to this book again and again as the ultimate source on what is encompassed by automation.

Format: Hardbound Book – 2006 ISBN: 978-1-55617-984-6 Length: 506 pages; Weight: 3 lbs. Member: $109.00; List: $129.00 www.isa.org/autobok