WBF, the forum for automation and manufacturing professionals, is looking for innovative, forward-thinking industry representatives to present original papers at its 2006 North American Conference to be held March 5 ? 8 in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel near the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. According to WBF Chairman Maurice Wilkins, Manager of Process Automation and Control Systems at Millennium Specialty Chemical, a Lyondell Company, the conference theme is "Manufacturing & Automation¾Jazzing It Up."
As the recognized leader in supporting the process automation and operations needs of the technical and management professionals in process manufacturing, WBF plans to offer a highly diversified, multi-level program in 2006. There will be some dual tracks that will provide fresh, advanced technical information in the form of clinics to keep experienced manufacturers on the cutting edge of technology and also address the needs of people who are new to the world of ISA-88 and ISA-95. Newcomers to manufacturing will also have the opportunity to take tutorials and listen to more fundamental papers on applications and schemas. This broad-based approach spells opportunity to individuals who are interested in presenting papers.
Program Chairman for the 2006 North American Conference is Bill Stewart, Jr., Regional Engineering Leader¾West Virginia/Pacific for Dow Chemical. Bill is responsible for all program activities and is available for questions ([email protected]). The Conference is open to both WBF members and non-members who are interested in learning, networking and sharing success stories on how to improve manufacturing processes, increase quality and share valuable information throughout the enterprise.
Abstracts of papers (200 words or less) are due at WBF Headquarters by October 3, 2005. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to the following:
- Using the ISA-88 model in continuous or discrete operations: Make2Pack
- Application of the WBF XML Schemas: Supply chain examples; ERP/MES integration
- Real-world examples of the impact of ISA-88 & ISA-95 on manufacturing processes
- Case Studies: Cost savings, operational savings, problems & successful solutions
- Project execution process: Accelerating the design process from concept to implementation
- Practical aspects of operator training
- Regulatory compliance: 21 CFR Part 11, Electronic Batch Records, Validation & GAMP
- Life-cycle analysis: Product & process life cycle analysis and improvements
- Manufacturing automation and the factory life cycle: Concept, planning, design, implementation, testing & operation
- Automation and data integration requirements for lean manufacturing
- Process improvements using Six Sigma in an automated manufacturing environment
- New manufacturing paradigms: Collaboration, outsourcing & virtual manufacturing
- Turning manufacturing information into knowledge to improve operations
- Object-oriented design for re-use - modular design
- Risk-based approach for validation
- Life cycle analysis to include migration engineering
- Batch contextual (semi-continuous & continuous as well) data at the enterprise level to drive real-time performance
WBF will notify presenters of acceptance by October 17, 2005. All papers are subject to peer review. Submission of full papers and PowerPoint presentations are due December 5, 2005. Final notification will be given to authors by January 9, 2006. Final versions of papers and PowerPoint presentations are due January 30, 2006.
The 2006 abstract and paper guidelines are available on the homepage of www.wbf.org or you may contact Sylvia Heidemann at [email protected].
