ARC's forum explores e-manufacturing

Orlando, Fla.— More than 450 engineers and executives discussed ideas and actual successes in e-manufacturing at the ARC Manufacturing Strategies Forum presented by the ARC Advisory Group (Dedham, Mass.) on Feb. 19-20. Andy Chatha, ARC's president, reported that Internet- and web-based technologies are driving collaborative manufacturing, which must use data from automation for enterprise...

Gary Mintchell, Senior Editor

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Orlando, Fla.— More than 450 engineers and executives discussed ideas and actual successes in e-manufacturing at the ARC Manufacturing Strategies Forum presented by the ARC Advisory Group (Dedham, Mass.) on Feb. 19-20. Andy Chatha, ARC's president, reported that Internet- and web-based technologies are driving collaborative manufacturing, which must use data from automation for enterprise applications. Robert Pigford and Ray Walker, of DuPont, stated their collaborative design and implementation effort with ABB Automation (formerly Elsag-Bailey) required establishing trust at all levels, resolving people problems, and encouraging cultural changes. Dale Calder, president of eMation (Mansfield, Mass.), unveiled its Device Relationship Manager, which allows devices to initiate network communications via XML, rather than using potentially vulnerable embedded web servers. ARC vp Dick Caro reported that networking is converging on Ethernet TCP/IP; wireless networking will grow quickly with the IEEE 802.11 standard; and warned not to discount limited-range Bluetooth because it enables a network of "piconets" that allow large LANs made of local nodes.