December contains Control's look at the process automation economy. Who are the Top 50 vendors? What does 2013 look like? Maybe like a swan: All serene on the surface, but underneath, paddling as fast as he can.

I am attending the SPS/IPC-Drives exhibition in Nuremberg, Germany this week. It never ceases to amaze me (and every other American journalist attending) how huge this exhibit is, and how crowded. Very much unlike the US scene where salesmen can roll bowling balls down the aisles with no fear of hitting a customer. This exhibition started out as a PLC and drives exhibit, for OEM and machine automation, so there are many exhibitors that specialize in factory automation. But there are also many process automation exhibitors as well, including ABB, Rockwell Automation, Iconics and others.

You may have seen this elsewhere, but just in case, BP today announced Nov. 15 that it’s “agreed with the United States government, subject to court approval, to resolve all federal criminal charges and all claims by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against the company stemming from the Deepwater Horizon accident, oil spill, and response.”

In the November issue of Control Sr. Technical Editor Dan Hebert says advanced process control "ain't easy." The rewards of a successful implementation can be huge, but getting there isn't necessarily half the fun. Greg McMillan warns us to beware of imposter control valves, and we explore how Europe's largest copper mine used an integrated EAM system to improve operator fault reporting.

Tonight is our last night of live coverage here at Rockwell Automation Automation Fair. Read all the details.

This was an extra story for the 2012 Automation Fair Show Daily, but it was too good not to write and use. This is from the Water and Wastewater Industry Forum. World-class manufacturing talent meets water and wastewater plants with pretty spectacular results.    Standardization Leads to Optimization

 

Here are the headlines from our second day of live coverage from Rockwell AutomationAutomation Fair 2012. If you couldn't attend the event but want to know all the details, we have the indormation you need.

 

In an interview yesterday, Rockwell Automation CEO Keith Nosbusch told me that he's briefing his board and analysts and media on the health of his process initiative (PlantPAx) later this week and will tell them that the business is on target to double its current size by 2017. In my view, that's a bold goal, but not a stretch goal. I believe that they ARE on target to do that. God willing and the creek don't rise, I don't see any problems with their making that level of business happen.

Are you looking for Rockwell Automation Automation Fair 2012 news? We have what you are looking for. Our editors are there, covering the event live. Here are today's headlines.

In the Middle Ages, after the collapse of the Roman Empire, commerce got started again at large meetings that they called fairs. The huge German manufacturing and automation show, Hanover Messe (Hanover Fair) is a direct descendant of these mercantile fairs-- from which many of the great cities of Europe grew.