High school graduates may be crossing their fingers over 2003 UAC Engineering placements, but recent survey results indicate industry experience is the number one factor in securing a job.

Outokumpu Technology has begun work on a contract won against worldwide competition for 10 high-rate thickeners for the Rio Tuba laterite nickel and cobalt mineral processing plant in the Philippines.

ABB, the global power and automation technology group, and BASF AG, a world leading chemical company, signed an agreement for the supply of DCS-Systems to BASF facilities worldwide.

Control Equipment Pty Ltd has been appointed as the sole Australian agent for the Riken Keiki brand of gas detection equipment.

Schneider sold its nuclear business, based in Grenoble, France, to Data Systems and Solutions, a joint venture formed in 1999 between Rolls Royce in the UK and Science Applications International Corporation in theUS.

Citect has been awarded a contract worth more than AUD$3 million to upgrade the baggage-handling control system at Sydney airport's international terminal.

Two of the most common challenges facing process manufacturing professionals are keeping up with/applying technology and quantifying returns on capital before investing in it. Innovative, proven technologies like Foundation fieldbus can revolutionise manufacturing economics.

Amcor has moved to consolidate its northern hemisphere closures manufacturing operations, by announcing the sale of its 65% stake of Amcor White Cap LLC for AU$66 million.

SSA GT has acquired 100% ownership of Infinium Software, which provides web-integrated enterprise business applications optimised for the IBM eServer iSeries.

A leading New Zealand's mechanical design company has designed a specialised production line machine for a manufacturing plant in Mount Wellington Auckland. The aptly named 'snapper' was developed to help fulfil a large order for TCXO's (Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillators), which are an essential component of many radio, mobile and GPS technologies.

Sandvik Steel has developed a production method for internally, longitudinally finned, cold finished tubes for use as pyrolysis tubing in the demanding environment of ethylene furnaces.

Industrial maintenance practitioners can enhance their predictive maintenance knowledge with a program of vibration analysis training courses being offered by industrial automation group Rockwell Automation Australia.

Japan's electronics maker Sony will invest AU$148 million in the construction of a liquid crystal display (LCD) plant in China, allowing the company to produce LCDs in China for the first time. The plant in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, will produce high-temperature polysilicon LCDs for digital, still and video cameras and was expected to start operating by the end of March 2004.

Three of Australia's leading galvanizing contractors have been recognised in the annual Sorel Awards sponsored by Pasminco Metals.

Recent economic and tragic events have not had a major impact on business and employment in Australia and a forecast of steady growth is expected in the next two years, according to research released by recruitment firm Hamilton James & Bruce.