This cooperation acknowledges the growing integration of process and packaging technologies in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical and personal care industries.
A review of the ISA and Plug-and-Pack conference tracks (www.isa.org/pcc) will reveal notable synergies between the two disciplines. For example, OMAC’s PackML guideline has strong links to ISA S95 and World Batch Forum state models. Conference topics will include S95, S88, guidelines for control technologies, business justifications for automation, current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) for FDA compliance, integration of Manufacturing Execution Systems with automation, and a tutorial on IEC 61131-3 programming.
The Valley Forge location will also be the venue for the spring Plug-and-Pack Workgroup general meeting, where the latest proposed guidelines will be reviewed. The next scheduled general meeting will be at Pack Expo 2003.
Information on attending the conference is contained in a .pdf downloadable here and at www.isa.org/pcc. Information on the Plug-and-Pack Workgroup is available at www.omac.org.
Background
OMAC stands for Open, Modular Architecture Controls. The OMAC Plug-and-Pack Workgroup, enabled by the support of the Louisiana Center for Manufacturing Sciences and ARC Advisory Group, is in the process of refining its mission and vision to address business requirements through a broader range of advancements in packaging automation. Input from the packaging machinery community is being sought with regard to these refinements.
The OMAC Plug-and-Pack Workgroup has also been known as the OMAC Packaging Workgroup.
OMAC Users Group was founded in 1997 by manufacturing technology leaders in automotive, aerospace and related metalworking industries to create an organization through which companies could work together to promote development and adoption of open automation controls.
OMAC Users Group membership is open to all manufacturing automation users, suppliers, system integrators, and technology providers. Current members of the OMAC Plug-and-Pack Workgroup include some of the world’s most progressive packagers, packaging machinery manufacturers, control technology providers, educators, trade associations and analysts.
They include General Mills, Hershey Foods, Nestle, Pharmacia, Procter & Gamble, SAB Miller, Unilever and a host of automation and machinery providers from the US, Europe and Japan. There is no cost for membership, but members are obligated to participate actively toward achievement of the group’s objectives.
For information, please visit www.omac.org. Or contact Keith Campbell, Executive Director, telephone 717/838-5511 or email [email protected].
