Adelaide-based Tytronics and Tekelek have merged their businesses in an attempt to become a major competitor in the specialist electronics service sector.

It is easy to understand why in the past decade there has been a heightened interest in PC-based control for industrial automation.

The international Weidmuller Group has acquired the Sydney process automation component manufacturer, Mann Industries International Pty Ltd.

Honeywell Process Solutions has announced that it has received a US$3.2 million contract to automate control systems for hydro power stations and hydraulic dams for Korea Water Resources Corporation (KOWACO).

Adelaide-based specialist pipe fittings manufacturer, Philmac is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year with a range of events and promotions planned for the next 12 months.

The Automatic Data Capture Australia (ADCA) forum is pleased to announce its first networking functions for 2004 to be held in Sydney and Melbourne in March and April. We hope you and your guests will attend what promises to be topical and timely seminars.

One of Australasia’s most prestigious engineering honours, the Institution of Electrical Engineers’ Sir Lionel Hooke Award, has been won by TransGrid Chief Executive and Managing Director, David Croft AM.

ABB said it has received a US$20 million contract from China’s Jiangsu Shagang Group Co Ltd to supply all drive systems and power supply equipment for a ‘greenfield’ heavy plate rolling mill.

PTC, the product development company, has announced that Toyota Motor Corporation has signed a joint research and development agreement to expand the solutions available to powertrain product and process designers. The agreement includes development of capabilities designed to optimise Toyota’s powertrain development process.

The DCS market in China is expected to grow at a very robust 15.1% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next five years. The market is $531 million in 2003 and is forecasted to be $1074 million in 2008, according to a new ARC Advisory Group study.

Many companies are getting far from their best value out of their controllers. They largely limit their use in the main to that of the pure engineering function and miss out totally on their additional use as a key component in the drive for process improvements in the plant. As such they are sub-optimising the value that they are receiving from their investment and making it harder for their continuous improvement teams to show significant progress.

Following the rapid growth of Heatcraft Asia Pacific through acquisition to dominate as a significant player in the refrigeration manufacturing market, a business re-engineering project was undertaken to bring together the new organisations that comprised Heatcraft into a more cohesive operational unit. As part of this re-engineering effort, 22 projects were commenced, including one to retain a single ERP system for Heatcraft Asia Pacific. SSA PRMS was chosen as the ERP application for the new entity.

The $20 million Varanus Gas Expansion Project (VGEP) contract won by a consortium of Western Australian owned companies comprising PCT Engineers (PCT), HPS Technology Pty Ltd, and Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd is under way with construction already beginning on the third gas processing train on the Varanus Island.

The Weidmuller Group has acquired the Sydney process automation component manufacturer, Mann Industries International.

Sun Microsystems has signed fifteen new Linux partners and experienced increased sales in its Linux-based Sun Fire V60x and V65x, signifying an increasing move to adopt open source platforms.