The metals industry has a special place in my heart. I spent 14 years working in that trade — well, I should clarify that I was chief editor of several magazines and books about metal forming and fabricating, I didn’t work in a production facility. Although I did take a hands-on course to learn the basics of how to weld, and after that, oh man, do I appreciate welders!
In those 14 years, I learned a lot about metal producing and fabricating (I still bore friends in Home Depot when I excitedly tell them how something like a piece of piping was made). And I’ve been with The Journal for almost 15 years. Why does this matter?
Two reasons. First, The Journal is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year! In 1994, people were discovering the Internet, can you believe that? That year, Rockwell Automation, then called Allen-Bradley, launched the magazine to educate professionals in the industrial automation industry. In this April 2019 issue, you can learn about how the industry and the publication have evolved.
The second reason my metals background matters is that in this issue, we’re covering some pretty cool metals company success stories about how manufacturing execution systems (MESs) have helped firms get better production management, visibility and plant-business office connectivity to optimize the workforce, equipment and materials. For example, you can see how a steel producer used an MES to eliminate manual data processes and boost yield.
Thank you to everyone past and present who supports The Journal, and we’ll continue supporting you. Until next time …
Theresa Houck
Executive Editor
The Journal From Rockwell Automation and Our PartnerNetwork™
The Journal From Rockwell Automation and Our PartnerNetwork™ is published by Putman Media, Inc.
