Research Triangle Park, NC (July 10, 2006) - ISA's website now gives users the ability to preview ISA standards. Overviews, tables of contents, scopes, definitions, and other informative sections of the standards are now available to visitors. "We think it's important to make the scopes and overviews of our standards available to the public. This feature gives automation professionals around the world a chance to get a sneak peek at ISA's standards and provides a framework for understanding variety of standards that we offer," said Ian Verhappen, ISA's Vice President of Standards and Practices.
ISA is globally recognized as a standards writing organization, developing consensus standards for automation, security, wireless, safety, batch control, control valves, fieldbus, environmental conditions, measurement, and symbols. Accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), ISA has published more than 150 standards, recommended practices, and technical reports, through the dedicated efforts of a network of industry experts.
Noteworthy Standards Updates
- The Enterprise-Control System Integration committee, ISA-SP95, is currently conducting a final review and voting on Part 5 of its widely used series of industry standards, focusing on Business-to-Manufacturing Transactions.
- ISA's Manufacturing and Control Systems Security standards committee has completed a first round of voting on the first and second parts of the ISA-99 series of standards, and is reviewing input comments.
- ISA recently formed a new standards development committee on human-machine interface or HMI.
- ISA's SP100 committee, Wireless Systems for Automation, was formed in 2005 to establish standards, recommended practices, technical reports, and related information that will define procedures for implementing wireless systems in the automation and control environment with a focus on the field level.
The ISA-95 standards help to reduce the costs, risks, and errors associated with implementing enterprise systems and manufacturing operations systems so that they interoperate and easily integrate.
The standards may also be used to reduce the effort associated with implementing new product offerings.
The Part 1 standard, "Security for Industrial Automation and Control Systems: Concepts, Terminology and Models," defines the concepts, terminology, and models of industrial automation and control systems security, establishing the basis for the remaining standards in the ISA-99 series.
The Part 2 standard, "Establishing an Industrial Automation and Control Systems Security Program," provides guidance for developing a program for the security of industrial automation and control systems.
It will offer detailed guidance on process activities and key elements for establishing a cyber security management system.
The ISA-SP99 committee addresses industrial automation and control systems whose compromise could result in any or all of the following: impact on national security, endangerment of the public or employees, loss of proprietary or confidential information, violation of regulatory requirements, and economic loss.
ISA established SP101 as a result of input from industry users citing a need for HMI guidelines and standards.
Establishing a set of industry standards in this arena could reduce operator mistakes and misinterpretations via clear and intuitive representations of conditions and operator control interfaces; reduce learning curves for new operators, and allow operators to move from one system to another (often within the same plant) with minimal retraining.
HMI guidelines could also assist communications and reduce errors between geographically dispersed groups, and reduce costs of re-invention.
Wireless sensor systems have the potential to help industry use energy and materials more efficiently, lower production costs, and increase productivity.
The committee is made up of over 200 automation professionals around the world, lending their expertise from a variety of industrial backgrounds.
Since its inception, the SP100 committee has made significant progress in achieving its objectives.
Major achievements include the definition of industrial wireless application classes, creation of taxonomy to describe SP100 work products, and the formation of a range of technical, administrative and educational workgroups within the SP100 structure.
About ISA
Founded in 1945, ISA is a leading, global, nonprofit organization that is setting the standard for automation by helping over 30,000 worldwide members and other professionals solve difficult technical problems, while enhancing their leadership and personal career capabilities.
Based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, ISA develops standards; certifies industry professionals; provides education and training; publishes books and technical articles; and hosts the largest conference and exhibition for automation professionals in the Western Hemisphere.
ISA is the founding sponsor of The Automation Federation.
