The Bacou-Dalloz Hearing Safety Group will be showcasing several new hearing protection offerings at the National Safety Council 2006 Annual Congress and Expo, at the San Diego Convention Centre on 6-8 November. The company will occupy Booth #2911. The Bacou-Dalloz Hearing Safety Group will be featuring their redesigned Howard Leight AirSoft earplugs which include new material, new design features and new engineering technologies that provide even better fit, comfort and performance.

First introduced nearly 30 years ago, AirSoft was the first earplug to use an internal air pocket.

Offering the industry's highest noise reduction rating (NRR 27), AirSoft quickly became an industry standard and the flagship product of the Howard Leight line.

Key to the success of the original AirSoft and to the redesigned product is its internal air pocket design.

The improved design incorporates a series of patented, noise-blocking fins within the pocket that interweave as the air pocket compresses in the ear canal, creating a noise-blocking barrier that facilitates more dependable attenuation from one user to another.

A fourth flange has been added to AirSoft's profile, and the centre shaft has been stiffened to facilitate insertion and removal, and to assure a more consistent fit.

The new flange design creates a better seal in the ear canal and is more tapered to increase comfort.

As a result, AirSoft fits more comfortably in a wider range of ear canals, eliminating the necessity for multiple sizes.

The original PVC material in AirSoft has been replaced with a more user-friendly TPE which also increases comfort, especially during long-time wear.

AirSoft is available in corded and uncorded versions, and at NRR 27, provides the industry's highest attenuation available in a multiple-use earplug.

'In recent product testing, safety managers unanimously endorsed these AirSoft improvements, citing better fit, comfort and enhanced protection,' said Bill Sokol, Vice President Strategic Marketing for the Bacou-Dalloz Hearing Safety Group, parent company of Howard Leight.

Also on display will be a number of other new products and innovations, including the Bilsom Hi-Visibility Radio earmuffs, as well as the new Impact Pro and and Impact Sport earmuffs.

Since its beginnings as a one-man operation more than 30 years ago, Howard Leight Industries has grown into one of the largest manufacturers of in-ear hearing protection in the industrial market and is widely recognized as an innovator in protection and fit.

Since 2001 Howard Leight has been a part of the Bacou-Dalloz Hearing Safety Group.

Bilsom was founded in Sweden in 1968 and leads the industry in developing innovative sound management technologies that are used in some of the most challenging environments in the world.

Combining the innovation and expertise of Howard Leight Earplugs and Bilsom Earmuffs, the Bacou-Dalloz Hearing Safety Group is a world leader in hearing safety.

Bacou-Dalloz is the world leader in the design, manufacture and sale of personal protective equipment, offering a comprehensive range of safety products designed to protect people from hazards in the workplace.

The Group specialises in head protection equipment (eye and face, respiratory and hearing protection), body protection equipment (clothing, gloves and footwear) and fall protection equipment.

Procter Machinery Guarding, the UK's leading supplier of modular and bespoke machine guards, is publishing a third edition of its ever-popular free guide to machinery guarding standards. Available as a PDF document for printing by the recipient, the third edition of 'On Your Guard' has been updated to reflect recent changes in standards. It also has an entirely new section on 'Useful Resources'.

Now running to eight pages, the latest edition of 'On Your Guard' gives machine designers, health and safety managers, health and safety representatives and guarding specifiers the basics, as well as information about how they can find out more on specific topics.

Machinery guarding is essential if a machine is to operate safely, but many people are unaware of the full range of regulations and standards that are applicable.

This guide not only helps in that respect, but it also indicates what the current versions of the standards are so that users do not inadvertently continue working with out-of-date standards.

As a leading supplier of machinery guarding, Procter Machinery Guarding is fully aware of the applicable standards in the UK, Europe and beyond, so is ideally positioned to share some of this knowledge.

'On Your Guard' explains the importance of guarding and the ways in which well-designed guards can enhance productivity while ensuring operator safety.

It then goes on to describe the requirements of machinery guarding in relation to the Machinery Directive and CE Marking (often an area of confusion and misunderstanding), before listing the main standards that apply to machinery guarding and conveyor guarding.

In addition to providing information about standards, the guide also offers advice on how to approach the design of guarding and the specification of the access control system (interlock switches, for example).

This will aid the creation of cost-effective guard designs that will deliver an appropriate level of safety and help to avoid the dangerous practice of operators and maintenance personnel attempting to bypass the safety measures.

A new feature in the third edition of 'On Your Guard' is a section on Useful Resources.

This tells readers how they can request further free items such as a Risk Assessment Calculator, a Safety Distance Calculator and, for forward-thinking managers planning for every eventuality, a Machine Accident Investigation Kit.

At the rear of the guide there are contact details for a variety of sources of further information, including the HSE, BSI and DTI.

Many of these have been updated to reflect changes that have occurred since the last edition of 'On Your Guard' was published.

Copies of 'On Your Guard' can be requested free of charge from Procter Machinery Guarding.

The Wolf ATEX range of safety torches now has UL Approval to add to its ATEX European Certification and IEC Approval, obtained just last year through TestSafe in Australia. These torches, now considered to be the leading 2-cell safety flashlights in the world, have certification levels that are acceptable in virtually every country. Particularly designed for personal illumination by firefighters, oil engineers, hazardous area technicians, marine engineers, health and safety and environmental officers, they are also used by a whole host of other engineering and technical professionals working in potentially explosive atmospheres.

The right angle TR-24+, and its sister product the TS-24+ straight torch, are the only primary cell safety torches with a low battery indicator.

This not only maximises personnel safety by indicating how much power is left, but also proves a very practical method of preventing batteries being discarded needlessly.

The Wolf USA distributor, Safety Lamp of Houston, sees great potential for these safety torches in the US oil, gas and refining industries, where only the highest levels of certification are permitted.

As market leader in their field, these ATEX safety torches, together with the rest of the Wolf product range will be on show at a major National American Exhibition in San Diego this autumn, run by the National Safety Council of the USA.

Background

Gallium arsenide (GaAs) is a compound semiconductor: a mixture of two elements, gallium (Ga) and arsenic (As). Gallium is a by-product of the smelting of other metals, notably aluminium and zinc, and it is rarer than gold. Arsenic is not rare, but it is poisonous. Gallium arsenide's use in solar cells has been developing synergistically with its use in light-emitting diodes, lasers, and other optoelectronic devices.

GaAs is especially suitable for use in multijunction and high-efficiency solar cells for several reasons:

· The GaAs band gap is 1.43 eV, nearly ideal for single-junction solar cells.

· GaAs has an absorptivity so high it requires a cell only a few microns thick to absorb sunlight. (Crystalline silicon requires a layer 100 microns or more in thickness.)

· Unlike silicon cells, GaAs cells are relatively insensitive to heat. (Cell temperatures can often be quite high, especially in concentrator applications.)

· Alloys made from GaAs using aluminium, phosphorus, antimony, or indium have characteristics complementary to those of gallium arsenide, allowing great flexibility in cell design.

· GaAs is very resistant to radiation damage. This, along with its high efficiency, makes GaAs very desirable for space applications.

One of the greatest advantages of gallium arsenide and its alloys as PV cell materials is the wide range of design options possible. A cell with a GaAs base can have several layers of slightly different compositions that allow a cell designer to precisely control the generation and collection of electrons and holes. (To accomplish the same thing, silicon cells have been limited to variations in the level of doping.) This degree of control allows cell designers to push efficiencies closer and closer to theoretical levels. For example, one of the most common GaAs cell structures uses a very thin window layer of aluminium gallium arsenide. This thin layer allows electrons and holes to be created close to the electric field at the junction.
Drawbacks and Opportunities

The greatest barrier to the success of GaAs cells has been the high cost of a single-crystal GaAs substrate. For this reason, GaAs cells are used primarily in concentrator systems, where the typical concentrator cell is about 0.25 cm2 in area and can produce ample power under high concentrations. In this configuration, the cost is low enough to make GaAs cells competitive, assuming that module efficiencies can reach between 25% and 30% and that the cost of the rest of the system can be reduced. Researchers are also exploring approaches to lowering the cost of GaAs devices, such as fabricating GaAs cells on cheaper substrates; growing GaAs cells on a removable, reusable GaAs substrate; and even making GaAs thin films similar to those of copper indium diselenide and cadmium telluride.
High-Efficiency Concepts and Concentrators

High-efficiency solar cells based on gallium arsenide (GaAs) and related "III-V" materials have historically been used in space applications. Current goals are to take this technology a step further by developing it as a concentrator technology and expanding it to include triple-junction devices. Devices are also being investigated using low-cost substrates (such as glass). The long-term objective for researchers is to establish III-V materials as a competitive terrestrial PV technology by developing the materials science, advancing related science and engineering, coordinating relationships with industry and university partners, and facilitating commercialisation.
Developing Multijunction Technology

Although the gallium indium phosphide (GaInP)/GaAs tandem cell has achieved an efficiency of 30% and is now commercially available for space applications, the cells have not yet been integrated into a concentrator system.

Background

TiO2 films are extensively studied because of their interesting chemical, electrical and optical properties.

TiO2 is a high bandgap semiconductor that is transparent to visible light and has excellent optical transmittance. TiO2 has high refractive index and good insulating properties, and as a result it is widely used as protective layer for very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuits and for manufacture of optical elements. Additionally TiO2 films have potential uses for a number of electronic device applications such as dye-sensitized photovoltaic cells as well as antireflective (AR) coatings, gas sensors, electrochromic displays, and planar waveguides. The high dielectric constant of TiO2 allows its consideration as an alternative to silicon dioxide for ultrathin gate oxide dielectrics used in memory and logic devices.

Several methods have been used to prepare titania films, and these include chemical vapour deposition (CVD), pulsed laser deposition, reactive sputtering and sol-gel deposition. The sol-gel technique has emerged as one of the most promising techniques as this method produces samples with good homogeneity at low cost.

To achieve optimum performance it is important to characterise the optical constants and thicknesses of thin TiO2 layers accurately. In this note, we show how the Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (SE), non-destructive optical technique is particularly suitable for thin film characterisation.
Characterisation of TiO2 Thin Films

For this work TiO2 films were prepared using a sol-gel technique, by spin coating on a pre-treated glass substrate (CNRS-LIMHP - Université Paris 13).

The work was performed using a Jobin Yvon UVISEL NIR Spectroscopic Phase Modulated Ellipsometer, with an automatic goniometer. To achieve this characterisation both reflection and transmission ellipsometry were performed. Ellipsometric measurements were collected at an angle of incidence of 70° across the spectral range 310-1700 nm, with spectroscopic transmission data acquired at normal incidence.

Jobin Yvon DeltaPsi2 (DP2) software allows the measurement and use of multiple data types, and the simultaneous analysis of these two models was achieved by the Bound Multimodel function.

The New Amorphous dispersion formula was used to model the refractive index for TiO2. From the simultaneous analysis of all data, both refractive index and film thicknesses were obtained without ambiguity.

Background

Arsenic is a semi-metallic element. Arsenic and its compounds are known to be toxic.

Arsenic has two forms. The grey metallic version has a density of 5.73g/cm3 and the yellow form that has a density of 1.97g/cm3.
Discovery

While arsenic has been in use since ancient times, in applications such as the hardening of bronze, its discovery has been attributed to Albertus Magnus in 1250AD. He isolated arsenic when he heated soap and orpiment (arsenic trisulphide, As2S3).
Occurrence

Although arsenic can be found in elemental form, it is most commonly found in minerals such as Mispickel (arsenopyrite, FeSAs) which is found in France, Germany, Italy, Romania, Siberia and North America.

Arsenic is also found in other minerals such as:

· Realgar As4S4

· Orpiment As2S3

· Arsenolite As2O3

· Loellingite FeAs2
Production

Arsenic is produce by heating arsenic-bearing minerals in the absence of air. E.g.

Key Properties

· Arsenic and its compounds are known to be toxic

· Arsenic does not melt, it sublimes, going directly from a solid to a gas



Property





Value

Symbol





As

Atomic Number





33

Atomic Weight





74.92

CAS Number





7440-38-2

Density





5.73g/cm3

Melting point





817˚C

Boiling Point





617˚C

Specific Heat





330J/kg.K

Electronegativity





2.18

Applications
Metallurgy

Arsenic is used as an additive for metallurgical purposes due to its semi-metallic properties. Examples include: adding 2% to lead to produce lead shot where the addition increases sphericity; a 3% addition to lead alloys increases mechanical properties and high temperature properties; and 0.15-0.50% addition to copper for high temperature applications.
Semiconductors

Arsenic compounds are used as semiconductors. In particular gallium arsenide (GaAs) is used in diodes, transistors and lasers. Indium arsenide (InAs) is used in infrared detectors and Hall effect applications.
Pesticides and Herbicides

Lead hydrogen arsenate is used as a herbicide and pesticide. Similarly chromated copper arsenate or Tanalith is used to treat timber and wood products.

Australia's Consolidated Minerals Friday reported higher manganese, nickel and chromite production for the quarter ended June 30 compared with the same year-ago period.

Quarterly manganese output at the company's Woodie Woodie mine in Western Australia rose 11% to 214,720 metric tons, while full-year output increased 46% to 888,432 tons.

Fiscal year manganese ore sales rose 35% to 855,112 tons, it said, adding lower Chinese ore imports in the first five months of the year reflects supply cutbacks "which are expected to underpin continued strengthening of the market."

Manganese prices slumped in the second half of last calendar year due to Chinese alloy overproduction. Besides alloys, manganese is used to make low-cost stainless steel.

ConsMin's Coobina operation, also in Western Australia, produced 65,633 tons of chromite during the quarter, a 12% increase from the same period last year, while full-year production climbed 4% to 252,867 tons.

At the company's Kambalda nickel operations, the Beta Hunt mine produced 45,091 tons at 2.37% nickel for 1,071 tons of contained nickel in the quarter versus 816 tons in the same quarter of 2005.

Beta Hunt's full-year result came in at 4,445 tons contained nickel.

The company said early results of a new ore sorter at Kambalda confirm an increase in ore grade delivered to the concentrator through waste rejection.

Meanwhile ore production from the East Alpha mine "continues to increase to a target level of 5,000 tons a year, on an annualized basis, by the end of 2006," it said.

ConsMin acquired the Kambalda nickel operations last year and plans to double output to 10,000 tons and ultimately reach 25,000 tons.

The company said a A$70 million convertible note issue closed oversubscribed June 29, proceeds from which will provide greater flexibility to pursue its growth strategy.

After purchasing 50% of 'Russian Chromium 1915' in February 2006, over a short time Chrome Chemical Ltd managed to cardinally change the economic situation at the enterprise. Every month 'Russian Chromium' increases production volumes and improves financial statements.

In January-July this year plan of potassium bichromate production was exceeded by 8.3% – 536 tons (+ 27.6% against 2005), plan of chromium oxide production was exceeded by 1.4% – 3.48 thousand tons (+ 43.9% against 2005). Last year figures were also improved for sodium bichromate (up 4.5%), sodium monochromate (up 4.4%) and chromium hardener (up 2.4%).

An ABB SM series videographic data recorder is currently being put to the ultimate test in an application 30 metres underground. Installed on a tunnel boring machine (TBM) currently mining a 1400 metre tunnel through chalk under Margate, the SM3000 is providing fault-free recording despite continuous exposure to high temperatures, humidity, vibration and chalk dust. The TBM is being used to construct a tunnel to carry foul and treated water pipes, as part of a project being undertaken by Costain on behalf of Southern Water.

The tunnel is required to carry the pipes under residential areas and roads, where open cut work would not be feasible.

The ABB SM3000 was initially ordered by the chartered electrical engineer at Costain, Martin Godfree, to record data from pressure and other transducers in the TBM hydraulic propulsion and articulation rams.

'Driving the TBM with the information that the SM3000 provides on the screen enhances the driver's ability to avoid undue stressing of the main bearing.

If the bearing should fail, it costs many thousands of pounds to replace and could take twelve or more weeks to fit,' says Godfree: 'To carry out these repairs would mean that the TBM would need to be brought to the surface either by dismantling it and withdrawing the parts through the construction, or by sinking a shaft in front of the TBM and lifting it out.

Either option is no small task.

We decided to install the SM3000 to provide the driver with enhanced information and to record the TBM behaviour'.

By collecting and analysing the data, Costain can identify abnormalities in the various parameters recorded and take steps to improve them.

With 36 recording channels, the SM3000 is also allowing data to be collected from the TBM laser distance finder, its rpm indicator and steering transducers.

All the information is relayed to the site workshop on the surface via a UTP cable from the SM3000 built-in Ethernet connection.

The SM3000 transmits real-time data on the TBM progress and course via the cable which is dispensed from a drum at the TBM axial speed of up to 4mm per second whilst mining.

'We previously assessed progress by counting the concrete rings installed and noting the time taken,' says Godfree.

'With the SM3000 Ethernet connection, we can now have an at-a-glance overview of the machine progress as it's happening'.

A Software Rental scheme from Quality Systems International (QSI) provides a new and unique way for clients to enjoy the benefits of LIMS without depleting their precious cash reserves. QSI Software Subscription Contracts, launched in December 2005, brought full functionality WinLIMS to users for a typical outlay of around GBP400 a month. This new scheme has been introduced for customers not wishing to commit to the fixed term of a Subscription Contract.

Said Clive Collier of QSI: 'IT solutions like WinLIMS bring real quality improvement benefits - less errors, time savings and improved efficiency - to any small laboratory or manufacturing business.

QSI Software Rental provides a minimal risk route to achieving that competitive edge.

We've included installation programmes, tutorials and training aids to virtually eliminate set-up costs, but because clients can cancel the rental at a month's notice, we know we will still have to maintain the highest levels of service and support! This scheme gives customers a unique opportunity to prove the benefits of LIMS to their business without the usual significant commitment of resources'.

The new Kurt Manufacturing KurtUSB MLX (Multifunctional LVDT eXtra) modular building block processes input from various electrical signals with high speed and accuracy and can provide programmable responses for automatic operation: it is ideally suited for stepper motor, guaging systems, automation, and PLC applications. The MLX module is the most versatile of the KurtUSB modules. At its core is a powerful CPU that processes electrical signals with amazing speed and accuracy.

Because of this processing power, signals from different types of sensors can be processed by software allowing the MLX to easily be configured to work with several different types of devices including: LVDT probes, air to electric transducers, temperature sensors, eddy current sensors and custom software may be available for unique applications.

With an internal programmable logic controller (PLC) the MLX can be programmed, with industry standard ladder logic, to respond to inputs and can control complex automated equipment through discrete outputs, stepper motors, analogue outputs, or remote DeviceNet devices (future firmware revision).

Utilising USB 2.0 communications enables high speed data transfers between MLX modules and a personal computer.

MLX to personal computer update speed or data rates up to 40,000 times per second are possible.

Support for other communication protocols, such as DeviceNet and CAN, is planned for a future release.

MLX Specifications.

* USB 2.0 connectivity for LVDT data rates up to 10,000 x 4 readings/sec.

* 4 MultiPort Channels each include.

* Analogue Input: +/- 10 volt DC/AC(up to 30kHz).

* Analog Output +/- 12 volt DC/AC(up to 30kHz) - 500mAmax.

* 1 Footswitch input - Contact closure only - non-isolated.

* Control Interface Includes.

* 8 Discrete Inputs - 5-24VDC.

* 8 Discrete Outputs - 5-24VDC at 1 amp - auto-reset fused.

* Quadrature Encoder Input - 5-24VDC.

* Stepper Motor Driver - Unipolar Stepper Motor Driver - 1 amp, 5-24VDC.

* DeviceNet Communications Port - Slave and Master Device (Future Revision).

* eCAN 2.0 Communications - (Future Revision).

* Integrated Programmable Logic Controller (PLC).

* Ladder Logic Processing.

* PC-Based Human to Machine Interface (HMI) available.

Portable data collection and scanning devices are now used at almost every point in a supply chain, from manufacturing, maintenance, 'goods-in' inspection, retailing, fast food outlets and hospitals

Portable data collection and scanning devices are now used at almost every point in a supply chain, from field services and manufacturing through to equipment maintenance checks, 'goods-in' inspection, warehousing, retailing, fast food outlets and hospitals. The 'Eagle IT7000', a new handheld data terminal launched recently by M.A.C Solutions (UK) , meets these challenges with unparalleled power, performance and flexibility - at a cost effective price. Setting a new standard for data collection devices, the 'Eagle IT7000' is a portable data collection terminal, which combines compactness and robust performance with a handheld design that is built to adapt to a company's changing data collection requirements.

The device is an industrial strength, personal digital assistant (PDA) ideally suited to the demanding needs of mobile applications.

A scanner or imager can be added to the device, enabling the unit to capture data in the office or out in the field.

OEMs can purchase one PDA to fulfil all their end user data collection requirements.

They simply buy one Eagle IT7000 unit and then download the appropriate software applications to the device for each customer application.

Applications are numerous.

In production, manufacturing and warehousing environments, the device can be used for parts and material 'goods in/out' control; for daily production information on a final assembly line; for materials/parts and production plan checks; for service, maintenance and repair tasks; final inspection and quality control checks; or for shipment and delivery management.

In public utility management applications, such as gas, electricity or water, engineers can use the device to read meters and issue receipts.

The customer's account number can be keyed in or scanned, the latest consumption data calculated, then a receipt issued.

Retail establishments can use the device to make stock checks and control their inventory, or for managing price changes on goods.

The 'Eagle IT7000' is also ideal for restaurants, hotels, fast food outlets and bar staff, who can take customer orders and transfer the data directly to the point-of-sale or kitchen via LAN.

In medical applications, doctors, nursing staff and inspection teams can use the device to eliminate errors.

Patient data, for example, can be transferred to a main database or host smoothly and accurately.

Medical data can be downloaded from a hospital's main database to the Eagle IT7000, data collected from the patient, then transferred back to the host.

Voice communication between the host and the Eagle IT7000 is also an option.

For parking enforcement or traffic police support teams, a driver's information can be input to the device.

Even pictures can be taken using the integrated digital camera.

Penalty tickets can be issued via a printer and official letters can be issued with picture evidence, to a traffic court.

TRUSTED CORE TECHNOLOGIES.

At the core of the new Eagle IT7000 lies a host of trusted technologies and user-requested features.

Built around the Intel XScale PXA255, 400MHz processor and running on Microsoft Windows CE .NET, the Eagle IT7000 provides enough processing power to deploy mobile applications anywhere in an organisation.

Superior power management capabilities provide extended battery life.

With an IP64 rating, tolerance to 1.2m repeated drops to concrete, and a wide operating temperature range from -10C up to 50C, the Eagle IT7000 withstands the harshest of environments.

The unit measures just 187mm (l) x 91mm (w) x 58/43mm (h) and weighs just 590g.

The unit has a super-bright, high contrast colour screen, that works equally well indoors and outdoors, while an integrated touch screen provides pen-based input and handwriting recognition.

A user-accessible Compact Flash (CF) slot and a Secure Digital (SD) slot means the unit is flexible and easy to upgrade.

Customers can add numerous options to the core device, including a single slot dock, which enables serial or USB communication between the Eagle IT7000 and a host PC.

The cradle also charges the terminal with a standard battery and a standard spare battery stored in the cradle.

LEDs indicate when the spare battery and terminal are fully charged.

For users who need to scan at a high rate, a rugged, ergonomic pistol grip is available.

A scan trigger can be attached to this so that the user has a dedicated data collection terminal.

Or an RFID reader card can be slotted in, giving users the latest in high-tech data collection capabilities.

There's also an Ethernet module which enables Internet communication through a single-slot docking unit.

A belt holster comes as standard on the IT7000, which secures the device on the user's waist, but there's also an optional adjustable shoulder strap.

A vehicle dock mount unit is available, which has two options: the 'VD1' enables charging and serial communication; and the 'VD2' is for charge-only applications.

Tim Ricketts, General Manager at M.A.C Solutions (UK) , comments: 'The Eagle IT7000 is perfect for companies that don't want to keep buying different handheld devices or PDAs for each application.

One Eagle IT7000 device can handle all of a customer's data collection and scanning needs in a single piece of hardware.

The customer or OEM simply downloads the appropriate software for each individual application, which is far more cost effective for the customer'.

Marco Weighing have installed the first stage of a Trac-IT MES weighing and traceability system for Maple Leaf Bakeries at their recently expanded bagel plant near Rotherham. The Trac-IT system plays a key role in Maple Leaf's Six Sigma 'doing things right' philosophy at the site, focussed on quantitatively understanding and consistently meeting critical customer needs by minimising waste throughout the entire value chain. Canadian owned Maple Leaf make bagels at the site - lots of them! With a capacity of over 60,000 fresh and frozen bagels an hour, the company is Europe's largest producer of this iconic American snack, supplying all the major supermarkets and retail outlets with private and New York Bagel Co branded goods.

The Marco system comprises a goods-in PC based module and printer, three DataMaster terminals, two DataMaster recipe workstations in the recipe make-up room, two DataMaster workstations in the main mixing area and strategically placed waste monitoring stations.

All these communicate via the robust RF LAN and are fitted with wireless interfaced RF bar code scanners.

Given the three-shift, quick turnaround manufacturing environment, it was imperative that the Marco system kept production downtime to an absolute minimum during installation and commissioning.

The company has extensive experience in managing such projects and understand the problems and reservations that can arise.

Their solution is to set up a cross department team from the client, which works closely with Marco personnel throughout the planning, training and implementation stages.

The team from Maple Leaf was made up of representatives from five key departments.

By their own admission, it was more involved than they expected but everyone is delighted with the outcome, as team leader Charlotte Wood explains: 'I don't think any of us fully understood what was involved but it was well worth the effort.

Although it was hard work, we can now appreciate what the system can do for us.

By involving different department champions, we ensured that all commercial, IT, planning and production aspects were ironed out prior to the system going live.

Probably the most crucial input was from the factory floor which highlighted important issues the rest of us hadn't considered.

Getting all departments to 'buy into' the system has ensured everyone can see the benefits not the downside'.

Trac-IT starts work when goods arrive at the stores.

Here all raw materials are checked in against outstanding orders and labelled.

The system automatically checks that the supplier is approved and that the use by date is appropriate.

The system generates a bar code for each individually packed product and pallet module.

Stacked items are stored in 'use by' date order so that the products for current use are at the bottom of the racks as part of the strict FIFO (First In First Out) regime.

Any deboxing is recorded within the system ensuring a traceability continuum throughout.

Bagels are made from unbleached, protein rich, high gluten flour, lightly seasoned with a range of ingredients including special flours, malt, salt, sugar and yeast.

The base flour and water are supplied to the mixer in bulk but the smaller amount of 'special' ingredients, which determine the bespoke nature of the dozens of different bagel types for specific customers, are weighed out by hand.

Dry ingredients are moved around the plant in permanently numbered and bar code labelled mobile bins, which act as individual traceability modules.

An important part of the overall process relates to certain key ingredients which must be sieved on-site prior to recipe make up.

The Trac-IT system highlights these products, together with the necessary sieve sizes and does not allow the product to be used until this has been carried out and recorded.

The additional dry ingredients for a particular batch are made up into sub mixes in the main recipe room using the two DataMaster workstations where the whole process is based on a check-control-measure regime.

The DataMaster industrial pc screens provide clear prompts, which guide the operators through the recipe process ingredient by ingredient.

Works orders downloaded to the station identify batch sizes for a particular mix together with target ingredient weights.

Before each ingredient can be added, its bin is scanned.

The system checks that the correct one has been selected and that it has the shortest use by date, again checking, where applicable, that sieved products are being used.

An important feature of the screen is the dynamic coloured bar graph, which changes from amber through to the green acceptance zone as product is added to the bin on the scale.

As the weight approaches the preset target, the graph expands to allow optimum dosing accuracy.

If the operator adds too much product, the graph changes to red and the operator cannot progress without supervisor intervention.

After each ingredient has been added, the system resets to zero and the process starts again.

The completed sub mixtures now progress to the main mixing room.

Here the system lists the bins required for a particular mix, ensuring that all relevant bins are collated and added.

Additional workstations installed here are used for weighing out wet ingredients including oils.

Waste monitoring is a key part of the process for Maple Leaf and the Marco system keeps a close eye on waste and any permissible rework, recording data throughout the process including final packing.

The next stage of the project will integrate the bulk flour and water weighing systems as well as further integration with Maple Leaf's ERP software system.

As Charlotte Wood concludes: 'The current installation is already bringing measurable improvements to our process and has initiated an important traceability chain.

We are confident the completed Trac-IT MES (Manufacturing Execution System) will further ensure that factory floor data is optimised in real time to provide a dynamic measure-control-improve environment.

This will continue to minimise waste through spoilt or inconsistent batches and optimise equipment efficiency.'

La Tortilla Factory, headquartered in Santa Rosa in California, has chosen Deacom Accounting and Enterprise Resource Planning Software to integrate its entire food manufacturing operations in order to maximise productivity and profitability. La Tortilla Factory, the first baker to introduce fat-free and low-carb tortillas to the market, will use the Deacom ERP software system to control inventory levels, access sales order information online, manage formulas, and reduce existing manual processes, such as EDI order imports and customer relationship management (CRM). 'With all the growth in the past few years, our manual process control systems have become cumbersome and not very cost effective,' explains Stan Mead, CFO of La Tortilla Factory.

'We need the integrated Deacom software system to improve and automate process control in sales, purchasing, inventory, lot tracking, and accounting.

With the outstanding Deacom track record of service and support, we are confident that we'll reach our goal'.

As a complete business solution for process and mixed-mode manufacturers, the Deacom software system manages the unique business process issues faced by food and beverage manufacturers.

Jay Deakins, President and Founder of Deacom, says, 'Deacom is designed to be an intuitive software system for batch process manufacturers.

That's why it works so well for the food and beverage manufacturing industry - it offers all the ease-of-use, security, and scalability features necessary to effectively formulate, produce, and distribute a highly-regulated product.

We are pleased to help La Tortilla Factory in their mission to cultivate an efficient and successful operation.' The Deacom ERP system is set to achieve full implementation by September of 2006.

Air Liquide Engineering has selected Yokogawa as a strategic preferred system supplier of process control systems for their air separation units and Syngas (HYCO) systems

Yokogawa Electric Corporation has announced that it has been selected by Air Liquide Engineering as a strategic preferred system supplier of Process Control Systems for their air separation units and Syngas (HYCO) systems. This agreement can be used by all Air Liquide affiliates. Yokogawa products and services covered by this new agreement include the Centum CS3000 integrated production control system, the ProSafe-RS safety system, software solutions, and system integration engineering and maintenance services.

'We have become a trusted partner of Air Liquide over the past seven years by demonstrating our global capabilities and the strength of our service support organization.

We have helped build and improve a dedicated business model that significantly reduces their total cost of ownership (TCO) and meets their ever more diversified needs, making them more competitive.

This successful partnership was undoubtedly a factor in our selection', said Teruyoshi Minaki, Director and Executive Vice President of the Yokogawa International Business Headquarters.

'We chose Yokogawa again as our strategic preferred control system supplier through an intensive year-long technical and commercial evaluation process.

We have been fully satisfied with the quality of their products, cutting-edge technologies, integrated system solutions, smooth project execution and outstanding global service support.

We intend to build a stronger business partnership than ever before with Yokogawa globally based on this newly signed agreement', said Leonardo Caroli, Procurement Vice-President, Air Liquide Engineering.

Yokogawa is pleased to have been selected by Air Liquide, and regards this agreement as being key to maintaining its leading position in the gas and the chemical market.

The agreement helps pave the way for Yokogawa to become Number 1 in the global industrial automation market by 2010.

Host Ken Rayment of Better Process Podcast, a process manufacturing news show that reports on topics ranging from United States manufacturing to manufacturing technology, recently interviewed Jay Deakins, President, and Susan Shaw, Marketing Coordinator, of ERP-producer Deacom to discuss the major challenges facing small and mid-size process manufacturers. According to Deakins, today's top manufacturing issues include the efficient coordination of activities, such as pricing changes, and the growing need for process manufacturers to provide exceptional customer value. He explains that manufacturers can control these challenges by streamlining and simplifying their operations through the use of comprehensive tools and procedures.

Completely integrated business software systems, for example, are utilised 'so all the information is available in a single spot,' says Deakins.

'It really helps them to organize, plan for change, and to be much faster to the market for new products, new technologies, as well as just normal price increases'.

To listen to the full Better Process Podcast interview with Deacom, visit www.podcasternews.com.

To learn more about the DEACOM integrated accounting and ERP software system, or to schedule a free web demonstration, please visit the Deacom website.

At this year's Plastics Design and Moulding (PDM) show in Telford, Barco will showcase its Plantmaster Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for discrete plastics manufacturing

At this year's Plastics Design and Moulding (PDM) show in Telford, Barco will showcase its Plantmaster Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for discrete plastics manufacturing. Building upon more than 20 years of Barco experience in plastics processing and related industries, Plantmaster features wireless technology for data collection, together with support for the latest machine communication protocols such as Euromap 63 and OPC. Using the Microsoft Windows operating system and Oracle relational database, Plantmaster offers a collaborative suite of application modules and seamlessly integrates with the customer's ERP system.

Typical applications include real-time production monitoring, scheduling, tool management, statistical process control (SPC) and maintenance management.

Recent projects have included integration of RFID tags for operator tracking and material/parts traceability.

With spiralling energy costs being a concern for all manufacturers, Plantmaster offers energy monitoring and reporting at the sub-metering level (eg per machine) of the requirements for an aMT (automatic Monitoring and Targeting) system.

Process parameter monitoring has been introduced direct from the system 'Plant View' screen, providing immediate alarm and control/warning limit reports for temperatures, pressures etc.

The Plantmaster scheduling system supports Kan-Ban production methods and features a 'tool configurator' which allows the planner to configure his tool on the spot, using available tool frames and inserts.

For 2006 Plantmaster will also provide scheduling for secondary resources such as peripheral equipment (chillers, robots, re-grinders etc) and operators (direct, indirect), as well as family tools (frames, inserts etc).

The range of wireless Barco machine data units is extended with the introduction of Bluetooth capability for the latest Touch Screen Data Unit (TSDU).

System installation is now simplified with a 'plug and play' approach supporting all standard connection protocols via a choice of cabled or wireless infrastructure.

Plantmaster monitors and synchronises manufacturing activities both for individual operations and global networks of plants.

Plantmaster enables continuous improvement and is especially effective in a lean/six sigma manufacturing environment, meeting the needs of activities such as plastic processing, engineering and assembly operations.

As such Plantmaster offers a powerful and flexible management tool that provides managers with real time visibility on all Key Performance Indicators (KPI), enabling them to achieve operational excellence.

Look out for Barco at PDM 2006 in the Telford International Centre, Hall 1 Stand J32, from 26-28 September.

The conventional explanation for minibasin subsidence is that it is driven by gravity— that minibasins exist because their fill is dense enough to sink into the underlying evaporites, expelling salt into the adjacent salt highs. This explanation is valid if the average density of the sediments is greater than the density of the salt, but it cannot account for subsidence of thin, less dense clastic sequences into salt. Seismic thrusts, and (3) postthrusting, in which sand bodies may extend across the entire minibasin. Understanding minibasin evolution can there- fore improve prediction of reservoir continuity in supra-salt plays.
Seismicdata show that many minibasins started sink-ing into salt when their siliciclastic fill was much thinner than the 1.5- to 2-km thickness necessary for compaction to invert the density contrast. For such minibasins, some mech- anism other than gravity must be involved.
We investigated mechanisms of minibasin subsidence using a 3,600-km2 prestack depth-migrated 3D seismic dataset near the Sigsbee Scarp, northern Gulf of Mexico. This dataset covers 27 minibasins of varying size and thickness. These data indicate that mini- basin initiation was synchronous with shortening, as indicated by the presence of thrust faults in the deeper parts of many minibasins (Figure 1). A compressional origin of mini-basins is also consistent with finite-element models showing that laterally shortened minibasins will subside even if their fill is less dense than the salt but it cannot account for subsidence of thin, less dense clastic sequences into salt.
Figure 1. Thrust faults affecting the deep section in many minibasins indicate that these basins formed in compression. Reservoir distribution within the minibasin depends on whether the sands were deposited prethrusting, synthrusting, or postthrusting. Data © Veritas Marine Surveys, Houston, Texas.
The sedimentary fill of compressional mini- basins can be divided into three stages (Figure1): (1) prethrusting, which is typically shale- prone and may predate the existence of a basin, (2) synthrusting, in which sands are deposited in synclinal subbasins between thrusts, and (3) postthrusting, in which sand bodies may extend across the entire minibasin. Understanding minibasin evolution can therefore improve prediction of reservoir continuity in suprasalt plays.
The specific cause of shortening that led to minibasin formation is currently unknown. The orientation of thrust structures is highly variable. Their pattern suggests that shortening was parti- tioned by flow boundaries defined at shallow levels within and above the salt sheet. If so, suprasalt processes may have been an important control.
Biographical Sketch

The oceans and their underlying sediments and rocks act as natural laboratories that record the Earth's dynamic processes from past to present. Scientific deep-ocean drilling, sampling and borehole measurements collected during the past 40 years are enhancing our knowledge of the Earth, giving clues to the distribution of mineral resources, to global climate change and to potential natural disasters. While some technologies used in the oil and gas industry are deployed for scientific research, other methods and tools developed specifically for deep-ocean drilling are also finding applications in the energy industry.

About the ODP Drilling Program
We asked Jeff Fox about the history of the Ocean Drilling Program and he referred us to several websites and written summaries of the drilling program. Basically, it all began in 1961, with "Project Mohole" which unsuccessfully attempted to drill to the mantle in 11,700 ft of water with a record 29,860 ft of drill string off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. (reference: Horton, EE, "Preliminary Drilling Phase of Mohole Project 1" AAPG Bulletin 45, no 11, Nov 1961 pages 1789-1992.) The Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) began in 1968, using the Glomar Challenger drillship. The DSDP project is famous for the information it provided on the study of the Gulf of Mexico seafloor. The first mission in August 1968, drilled in Sigsbee Knoll, GOM, and found a shallow salt dome with oil shows, a discovery quickly noted by the oil and gas exploration community.
The DSDP program was originally funded by the U.S., but in 1976, expanded to include scientists from other countries including France, Japan, the Soviet Union, the UK and West Germany. In 1974, on DSDP Leg 39, drilling found core evidence of the Earth’s 24,000 year processional cycle and opened up the study of long term global climate change. Other achievements of DSDP program include the DSDP Leg 60- drilling of the Mariana Trench, Pacific Ocean, in 23,079 ft of water, and recovering a core of gas hydrate of the Coast of Costa Rica in 1982.

In 1985, the scientific deep ocean drilling program entered a new technological stage when the Glomar Challenger was replaced by the drillship JOIDES Resolution, and the program was placed inside an multinational organization called managed by JOI (Joint Oceanographic Institutions, composed of 18 U.S. organizations). JOIDES stands for Joint Oceanographic institutions for Deep Earth Sampling. The JOIDES Resolution is a converted oil and gas drillship that has seven floors of onboard laboratories to sample and examine and test deep sea cores. The drillship can house up to 50 scientists and 65 crew members. The Resolution both stores cores and contains geophysical equipment that studies the earth’s magnetic record, and seafloor topography.
The 20-plus year-old JOIDES Resolution ship was upgraded in 2003, and is still undergoing renovations to upgrade its capabilities and enable it to continue coring until about 2013. The next step in the IODP drilling program is the introduction of a new drillship, the Japanese ship Chikyu, which will be flexible enough to drill in 13,000 ft using a riser, and 39,000 ft of water without using a riser (see explanation below). The Chikyu could start operations in a few years, but is not ready for expeditions now. One area of research the Japanese vessel will concentrate on is seismically active zones. The program will place permanent monitors to track tilt, strain, and stress in Pacific earthquake zones. Key nations that support the research include Japan, Australia, Canada, Korea, and European nations including France, Germany, the UK and Iceland. Fox said in an interview that more nations want to enter the scientific alliance: particularly India, Brazil, and Russia. There are a few areas of the world the IODP would like to expand coring programs, like the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, S. Vietnam, Philippines and the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, but political problems have intervened.