Editorial. Instrumentation - New Frontier in...
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ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
EDITORIAL
May 1959, Vol. 3 1, No. 5 APPLIED JOURNALS, ACS 1 155 Sixteenth St., N.W. Washington 6, D. C. Director o f Publications, C. B. Larrabee Ediforial Director, Walter J. Murphy Execufive Editor, James M. Crowe Production Manager, Joseph H. Kuney ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY Editor, Lawrence 1.Hallett Managing Editor, Robert 0. Gibbs EDITORIAL HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON 6, D. C. 1 1 55 Sixteenth St., N.W. Teletype W A 23 Phone REpublic 7-3337 Associate Editors: 0. Gladys Gordon, Stella Anderson, Katherine 1. Biggs Assistant Edifors: Robert J. Riley, Robert 1. Kelley, Ruth M. Howorth, Eugenia Keller, Sue M. Solliday, Malvina B. Preiss, Ruth Reynard Editorial Assidants: Katherine H. Ginnane, James H. Carpenter, Virginia E. Stewart Layout and Production: Melvin D. Buckner (Art); Paul Barchowsky, Betty V. Kieffer, Roy F. Narh, Clarence 1. Rakow BRANCH EDITORIAL OFFICES CHICAGO 3, ILL. Room 926 36 South Wabash Ave. Teletype CG 725 Phone Slate 2-5148 Associate Editors: Howard J. Sanders, Chester Placek, Laurence J. White HOUSTON 2, TEX. 718 Melrose Bldg. Teletype HO 72 Phone FAirfax 3-7107 Associate Editor: Bruce F. Greek Assistant Editor: Earl V. Anderson NEW YORK 16, N. Y. 2 Park Ave. Phone ORegon 9-1646 Teletype NY 1-4726 Associate Editors: William Q. Hull, Harry Stenerson, David M. Kiefer, D. Gray Weaver, Walter S. Fedor Assisfont Edifor: Louis A. Agnello SAN FRANCISCO 4, CALIF. 703 Mechanics’ Institute Bldg. 57 Post st. Phone EXbrook 2-2895 Teletype SF 549 Associate Editors: Richard 0. Newhall, David E. Gushee EASTON, PA. 20th and Northampton Sts. Phone Blackburn 8-91 11 Teletype ESTN Pa 48 Associate Edifor: Charlotte C. Sayre Editorial Assistants: Joyce A . Richards, Elizabeth R. Rufe, Carol M. Dingfelder EUROPEAN OFFICE Bush House, Aldwych, London Cable JIECHEM Phone Temple Bar 3605 Associafe Editor: Albert S. Hester Contributing Editor: R. H. Muller Advisory Board: R. M. Archibald, W. H. Beamer, F. E. Beamish, H. 0. C a d d y , W. D. Cooke, J. I. Hoffman, M. 1. Kelley, C. 1. Luke, W. M. MacNevin, W. J. Mader, John Mitchell, Jr., N. H. Nachtrieb, E. J. Rosenbaum, R. G. Russell, F. H. Stross Advertising Management: REINHOLD PUBLISHING CORP. (For Branch Offices see page 123 A)
Instrumentation-New Frontier in Industrial Plant Management Modern instrumentation is the essential element in future growth of our economy
I n modern instrumentation lies our hope for the extra hands to do the work, the extra effort t o make our work effective, the extra energy t h a t will be needed t o power our entire economy in a n upward climb.” So stated Henry B. du Pont, vice president and director, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., a t the Executives’ D a y Program of the Instrument Society of America. Topic of the program was Management’s Status in Instrumentation. The major significance of instrumentation development is not scientific or economic, but social, he said. The kind of a world we will live in 20 years from now will depend on the degree of expansion of instrumentation. Today, with a working force of 65 million out of a population of 180 million, each employed person is supplying goods and services for himself plus tivo other persons. If our living standard continues its present rate of increase, in 20 years each person will require double the present day amount of goods and services. To attain this goal, productivity niust increase proportionately. Since the labor force in manufacturing and agriculture is expected to increase by no more than 20% over 20 years, the increase in productivity can come only through longer working hours, fewer persons in service industries, advances in technology, or advances in instrumentation. The only alternative is a drop in living standards. Since advances in technology can not be expected to produce the required rate of growth, only through modern instrumentation can the goal be reached. T o be most effective, instrumentation must be applied a t the four major levels of business. These are the control of: process variables, production units, plants, and business. Considerable progress has been made already in effecting control of process variables and production units. Over-all plant control and control of a business are exceedingly complex and still present a major challenge t o instrumentation experts. Even though the scientists and engineers develop needed instrumentation, it is essential t h a t management recognize the necessity of adopting it. This will require integration of the skills and abilities of those developing these tools with those on the management team. The analytical chemist is playing a major role in this fundamental change in our way of life. Even today, the chemical industry is in the forefront in instrumentation applications. Whole processes in some chemical plants are now wholly continuous and fully automatic. Many of the contributions to such automation are the product of the analytical chemist. These efforts, generally aimed a t getting results faster or more economically or improving quality, take on a greater significance when it is realized t h a t our future is linked directly t o the success or failure of those who are advancing the field of instrumentation.
VOL. 31, NO. 5, MAY 1959
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