The CKR Automatic Vision Inspection System has won the 2003 Advanced Imaging Award in the Machine Vision category. This is an annual US Imaging award.

ABB has signed a full service maintenance agreement with Carter Holt Harvey, an Australian-Asian forest products company. The five-year contract, worth US$10 million annually, covers all maintenance services for the Kinleith mill in Tokoroa, New Zealand.

The three major fieldbus organisations are behind an initiative to standardise an Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL).

World trade rebounded in 2002, growing by 2.5% compared to a 1% decline in 2001. But the real story is in the detailS. China and the transition economies are gaining prominence while The Americas, Western Europe, and Japan are stuck in neutral.

Global manufacturing commerce solutions provider QAD has announced a partnership with Queensland IT consultancy, F5 Systems Integration.

The Australian Information Industry Association and Gilbert + Tobin have launched the Software Legal Guide. Written in layman's terms the guide provides a broad overview of both the legal and business issues involved in running a software business.

Industry trials are about to get under way for a CSIRO fully-automated, inline rheometer to be used in the production of paints and inks, and foods such as sauces and edible oils.

Promise, an international R&D project aimed at ensuring sustainable recyclability for electrical and electronic products has been launched under the IMS (Intelligent Manufacturing Systems) program.

GE Industrial Systems, a unit of the General Electric, has acquired International Fiber Systems, a provider of advanced, digital fibre optic transmission products and systems for electronic security and intelligent transportation systems.

Recent events in the Australian manufacturing sector have raised the focus upon end-to-end quality assurance requirements and how the transparency of plant floor operations affects boardroom decision-making.

Four key Asia Pacific air freight carriers have launched an Internet-based cargo portal.

Sandvik is intensifying its focus on high value-added products. As part of this effort, the organisational structure within the Sandvik Specialty Steels business area has changed. In line with the ongoing shift in the business area's focus, it has changed the name to Sandvik Materials Technologies.

ABB has announced the opening of a new variable speed drive production line in Finland.

The Automatic Data Capture Association (ADCA), which are a leading reference source for automatic data capture technology in Australia, has announced that a new automatic data capture technology exhibition will be launched in Melbourne during September.

After successful 2002 seasons in Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne, Rockwell Automation Australia's travelling trade show and seminar series, Complete Automation on the Move, is coming to Sydney and Perth in 2003. The two-day free event will be held on May 7-8 at the Sydney Showgrounds at Homebush (Southee Pavilion), and on June 4-5 at the Burswood Convention Centre in Perth.