Two major players in the control and automation market have combined forces in an effort to improve the financial visibility associated with manufacturing processes. Sean Ottewell reports. The launch of in-plant Smart Wireless solutions that enable manufacturers to boost mainstream applications to the next level of reliability and operational performance is the latest offering from Emerson Process Management. Adkins Energy, Badger State Ethanol and East Kansas Agri-Energy are the latest group of USA-based ethanol producers to invest in modern process control technology in order to improve their productivity and efficiency. Avecia Biologics is a contract manufacturing organisation for active pharmaceutical ingredients produced by a process of fermentation, separation and purification High purity process applications requiring precise gas flow measurement will benefit from the FlexMASSter ST98 Flow Meter Series from Fluid Components International, which features a 316L stainless steel thermal mass flow sensing element with an all-welded, wetted surface in a 10 or 15 Ra electro-polish finish. Simon Lo looks at how to study flow process using computer simulation. The networking of intelligent field devices from different manufacturers via an open communication interface offers users significant advantages. Plasmac, based in Aylesbury, England, manufactures recycling extruders that are designed to meet with the varying demands of the thermoplastic industry to convert plastic scrap into a high quality reusable granule. BOC Edwards is extending its range of high-speed, high-capacity dry vacuum pumps with the launch of the IDX1000. The hydroxy monomers produced by Cognis at Hythe in England are reactive intermediates that are sold globally and used primarily in high performance automotive paints and high-gloss product lacquers. Joseph D Smith outlines how the effective use of computational fluid dynamics has become an indispensable tool in helping meet tighter environmental regulations. Florence Diss looks at how one company has used electronic sourcing solutions to continuously improve its relationships with suppliers. A group of leading manufacturing companies and software vendors have endorsed the Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society's (ISA) ISA-95 Enterprise-Control System Integration standards and World Batch Forum's (WBF) Business To Manufacturing Markup Language (B2MML) for the standard's implementation. BASF, one of the world's leading chemical companies, has signed a long-term license agreement to deploy AspenTech's integrated engineering solution which is based on the Aspen Zyqad collaborative engineering environment. Vinavil is a household name in Italy, synonymous with a wide range of high quality glues. next