ISA chalks up another symposium success

A joint conference of the International Society of Automation (ISA) and the Machinery Failure Prevention Technology (MFPT) Society attracted more than 200 attendees last week to learn about the latest advances in instrumentation and mechanical failure prevention, and to discover practical synergies between the two long-standing professional associations.

The theme of the conference—ISA’s 59th International Instrumentation and MFPT 2013—focused on sensors and process measurement and control systems designed to improve reliability, safety and affordability, particularly in aerospace, oil and gas, chemical and manufacturing. A strong emphasis was placed throughout the technical program on avoiding and significantly reducing hazardous situations and accidents.

In total, more than 120 technical papers and presentations were delivered, 58 through ISA and 62 through MFPS. Other highlights of the event included three high-level keynote presentations, three tutorials, an ISA training course on industrial wireless technology, two technical discussion groups, a panel session, an exhibit (featuring products and services from 19 vendors), technical tours, networking opportunities and social functions.

“Collaborating with ISA on our annual MFPT conference was a huge success,” remarked Chris Pomfret, MFPT’s Executive Director. “The attendees enjoyed a broader and synergistic technical scope, the exhibitors had access to a larger audience, and the networking value for everyone was raised. With so many conferences being offered and too little time and resources for attendees to participate in all of them, it’s essential that entities like ISA and MFPT collaborate to create successes like this one.”

Ruth Sikorski, the Chair of ISA’s 59th International Instrumentation Symposium (IIS), emphasised that the conference gave ISA and MFPT the opportunity to educate and prepare technical leaders for the challenges of the future.

“As technical societies, we have an obligation to help train our successors--the ones who will be implementing the next phase of our progression toward a more knowledge-based, net-centric industrial base,” she says.

The symposium - the first collaborative venture in the history of ISA’s IIS - was organised by ISA’s Aerospace, Test Measurement, Process Measurement and Control divisions and the MFPT Society. Valuable technical content was provided by the Propulsion Instrumentation Working Group (PIWG).