Benchmark report shows technology adoption precedes compliance improvement for regulated manufacturers

January 16, 2007 — /MasterControl Inc./ — A recent survey of more than 340 regulated manufacturers throughout the world shows that those adopting an integrated, technology-based approach to compliance and traceability are 65 percent more likely to achieve “Best in Class” status and attain a competitive advantage. The study titled “Compliance and Traceability in Regulated Industries: Benchmark Report,” was conducted by the Aberdeen Group and co-sponsored by MasterControl Inc.

Report Summary:
“In almost every case we’ve examined, technology adoption precedes improved performance of compliance and traceability initiatives,” said Matthew Littlefield, a manufacturing research analyst at Aberdeen Group.

Among others, research results show that:
* 93 percent of manufacturers surveyed still relying on manual processes to manage compliance and traceability programs were unable to achieve “Best in Class” status.
* 73 percent of “Best in Class” manufacturers have integrated compliance and traceability solutions with other enterprise applications.
* Best-in-class companies are five times as likely to measure performance in real time than other manufacturers.

Aberdeen Group surveyed manufacturers in pharmaceutical, medical device, food and beverage, chemical, aerospace, automotive, and other industries. Survey participants included Pfizer, Roche, and Wyeth.

About MasterControl
MasterControl Inc. has been at the forefront of providing innovative electronic quality management systems since 1993. Over 400 companies worldwide use MasterControl(tm) integrated quality management solutions to consistently meet FDA regulations, ISO standards, and other regulatory requirements. In addition to providing off-the-shelf products, MasterControl also offers comprehensive technical and customer support, including product training, installation, implementation, and validation services. For more information or additional white papers, visit www.mastercontrol.com.

January 16, 2007 — /MARKET WIRE/ — EINDHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS — OTB Display BV (www.otbdisplay.com), a subsidiary of OTB Group BV, today announces that it is able to produce thin film encapsulated OLED devices that meet the shelf-life requirements for commercial use. Not only are these displays manufactured on OTB’s in-line mass manufacturing equipment, but also the deposition of the thin film encapsulation has been proven to render the same optical performance as the conventional, more expensive glass-can encapsulated devices.

Barry Young, senior vice president at DisplaySearch, states: “Compared to conventional glass can encapsulation methods, thin film encapsulation substantially reduces costs by eliminating expensive parts such as glass cans, getters and epoxies. Furthermore, thin film encapsulated devices are much thinner, lighter and make more efficient use of the glass substrate, providing the most viable route towards flexible OLED displays.”

Bas van Rens, CEO of OTB Display, explains: “Our integrated in-line mass manufacturing equipment now routinely produces displays which pass the accelerated shelf life of 504 hrs at 60 degrees C / 90% humidity. In our development program we observe rapid progress and we expect to be able to announce shelf lifes exceeding 1000 hours at 85 degrees C/ 85% this year.”

OLED devices, which are considered the display technology of the future, are currently used as displays for MP3 players, cell phones and other small/mid-sized applications. Compared to LCD, they combine superior viewing angles and response times with lower power consumption and higher color saturation. In general OLED devices degrade when exposed to air and water, hence a hermetic sealing from the environment is required. OTB uses a multilayer stack for this sealing, which enables low cost mass-production of OLED displays.

About OTB
OTB Display designs and manufactures in-line production equipment for OLED (PLED and smOLED) display manufacturing. Additionally, OTB Display offers turn-key solutions comprising equipment processes, display designs and a wide variety of services. The in-line equipment makes cleanrooms obsolete and guarantees high yields with low tact time and minimal operator requirements. This leads to significantly lower production costs as well as reduced upfront investments. OTB Display offers its turn-key solutions globally through sales and service organizations in Europe, USA and Asia.

For additional information, please contact OTB Display or your local OTB Display Sales/Service office.

Bas van Rens, CEO, OTB Display
tel. +31 40 2581 622
fax. +31 40 2509 872
[email protected]
www.otbdisplay.com

SOURCE: OTB Display

January 11, 2007 — /FDA News/ — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is proposing to limit the materials used in some medical products in order to keep them free of the agent thought to cause mad cow disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE.

This is the latest in a series of BSE safeguards that would bar material that has been found to harbor the highest concentrations of this fatal agent in infected cattle. These materials would be prohibited from use as ingredients in medical products or elements of product manufacturing.

The proposed rule would cover drugs (prescription, over-the-counter, and homeopathic), biologics (such as vaccines) and medical devices intended for use in humans as well as drugs intended for use in ruminant animals like cattle and sheep. Cattle can get mad cow disease, while sheep can get a similar disease known as scrapie.

“These measures build on a series of barriers FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have erected to further protect humans from exposure to the fatal agent linked to BSE,” said Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D., Commissioner Food and Drugs. “This proposed rule adds one more safeguard that will reduce the risk of transmission even further.”

The cattle materials prohibited in the proposed rule are those that pose the highest risk of containing infectious material and include:

* the brain, skull, eyes and spinal cords from cattle 30 months and older;
* the tonsils and a portion of the small intestines from all cattle regardless of their age or health;
* any material from “downer” cattle–those that cannot walk;
* any material from cattle not inspected and passed for human consumption;
* fetal calf serum if appropriate procedures have not been followed to prevent its contamination with materials prohibited by this proposed rule;
* tallow that contains more than 0.15 percent insoluble impurities if the tallow is derived from materials prohibited by this proposed rule and;
* mechanically separated beef.

To ensure that companies comply with these prohibitions, FDA proposes to require that records be kept to demonstrate that any cattle material used as an ingredient in these medical products or as part of their manufacturing process meet the rule’s requirements.

Since 1996, strong evidence has accumulated for a causal relationship between ongoing outbreaks of mad cow disease in Europe and a disease in humans called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob (vCJD) disease. Both disorders, which are thought to be caused by an unconventional transmissible agent, are invariably fatal brain diseases with incubation periods typically measured in years. Transmission of the BSE agent to humans, leading to vCJD, is believed to occur via ingestion of cattle products contaminated with the BSE agent; however the specific products associated with this transmission are unknown.

About 200 cases of vCJD have been identified worldwide, including three cases in the U.S. However, there is no evidence that those three patients contracted the BSE agent in the U.S.

FDA and USDA’s efforts to help protect the public from vCJD have included several other significant steps such as the FDA’s 1997 ruminant feed regulation, which forbids the use of certain mammalian-origin proteins in ruminant feed. Also, a 2005 interim final rule bans the use of certain high-risk cattle material in food, dietary supplements and cosmetics.

Media Inquiries:
Karen Riley, 301-827-6242

Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

January 12, 2007 — /FDA News/ — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that it has moved closer to identifying the source of illness for the Taco John E. coli outbreak. FDA and the state of California, working in conjunction with state health officials in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, have DNA-matched the strain of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria associated with the outbreak with two environmental samples gathered from dairy farms near a lettuce growing area in California’s Central Valley.

The investigation is ongoing, including obtaining additional samples, to determine if and how material from the dairy farms may have contaminated the lettuce growing area.

FDA has no indication that any lettuce currently on the market, including iceberg lettuce, is connected with any consumer illnesses. This outbreak is not connected to any previous outbreak.

The outbreak sickened approximately 81 individuals in November and December of 2006. Illnesses were reported in Minnesota (33), Iowa (47), and Wisconsin (1). Twenty-six people were hospitalized, and two suffered hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication of E. coli O157:H7 infection that can cause permanent kidney damage and death. No deaths have been associated with the outbreak. No new cases of illness are being reported and the outbreak is now considered over.

Taco John’s is headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and has franchises in more than 25 states; however, the outbreak was associated only with Taco John’s restaurants located in Iowa and Minnesota.

Epidemiological studies by Minnesota and Iowa health officials had previously identified shredded iceberg lettuce served in the restaurants as the likely vehicle of transmission in the outbreak. FDA was able to focus on specific lettuce growing regions based on the traceback from records obtained from the lettuce processor. The recent DNA match provides a clue as to one possible source of the contamination for the lettuce, although others may exist. It has yet to be determined how the E. coli contaminated the lettuce. The traceback investigation is ongoing and will hopefully yield further insight into how this contamination occurred.

In the wake of recent outbreaks of consumer illness connected with fresh produce, FDA will accelerate its efforts to address produce safety, including consideration of new regulations, if appropriate, to reduce risk of contamination by pathogens.

In the near future, FDA plans to announce public meetings specifically to involve all stakeholders in identifying and initiating measures that will improve the safety of fresh produce marketed in U.S. commerce.

Media Inquiries:
Michael Herndon, 301-827-6242

Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

January 15, 2007 — /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — CLEVELAND — Parker Hannifin (NYSE:PH) , the world leader in motion and control technologies, today announced the acquisition of the business of Airtek, a leading provider of drying and filtration equipment for compressed air. The Lancaster, New York-based company employs approximately 130 and had revenues of $18 million in 2006. Earnings are expected to be accretive to Parker in the first full year. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Airtek will operate as part of Parker’s global filtration business with results reported within the company’s Industrial North America segment. John Oelslager, President of Parker’s Filtration Group, said, “Airtek significantly adds to our ability to provide customers with a complete compressed air treatment package from the compressor to the point of use. The acquisition also creates additional demand for filters, replacement elements and accessories in the aftermarket segment of our business. We welcome our colleagues from Airtek and look forward to their future performance as part of Parker.”

Airtek Chief Operating Officer Mike Arno added, “Parker is the ideal partner to help take Airtek’s business to the next level. We believe Parker’s proven track record of successfully integrating acquisitions bodes well for both our employees and customers. We look forward to continued profitable growth.”

The treatment of compressed air is vital, as contaminants and water vapor within the air become concentrated during the compression process. Failure to clean and dry the air prior to entering a process distribution system can result in damage to air operated equipment, decreased production, corroded pipes, spoiled product, ruined processes, and higher energy costs.

With annual sales exceeding $9 billion, Parker Hannifin is the world’s leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of commercial, mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company employs more than 57,000 people in 43 countries around the world. Parker has increased its annual dividends paid to shareholders for 50 consecutive years, among the top five longest-running dividend-increase records in the S&P 500 index. For more information, visit the company’s web site at http://www.parker.com/, or its investor information site at http://www.phstock.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements
Forward-looking statements contained in this document and other written reports and oral statements are made based on known events and circumstances at the time of release, and as such, are subject in the future to unforeseen uncertainties and risks. All statements regarding future performance, earnings projections, events or developments are forward-looking statements. It is possible that the Company’s future performance and earnings projections of the Company may differ materially from current expectations, depending on economic conditions within both its industrial and aerospace markets, and the Company’s ability to achieve and maintain anticipated benefits associated with announced realignment activities, strategic initiatives to improve operating margins and growth and innovation initiatives. A change in economic conditions in individual markets may have a particularly volatile effect on segment performance. Among other factors which may affect future performance are: changes in business relationships with and purchases by or from major customers or suppliers, including delays or cancellations in shipments, or significant changes in financial condition, uncertainties surrounding timing, successful completion or integration of acquisitions, threats associated with and efforts to combat terrorism, competitive market conditions and resulting effects on sales and pricing, increases in raw material costs that cannot be recovered in product pricing, the Company’s ability to manage costs related to insurance and employee retirement and health care benefits, and global economic factors, including manufacturing activity, air travel trends, currency exchange rates, difficulties entering new markets and general economic conditions such as interest rates. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date of this Report.

FCMN Contact: [email protected]
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990816/PHLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, [email protected]

Source: Parker Hannifin Corporation

CONTACT: Media, Christopher M. Farage, Vice President, Corp.
Communications, +1-216-896-2750, [email protected] , or Financial Analysts,
Pamela Huggins, Vice President – Treasurer, +1-216-896-2240,
[email protected] , both of Parker Hannifin Corporation

Web site: http://www.phstock.com/

January 10, 2007 — /IEST/ — ROLLING MEADOWS, IL — Online registration is now open for ESTECH 2007, the 53rd annual technical meeting and exposition of the Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (IEST). The event will take place April 29?May 2 at the Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale, Illinois (northwest suburban Chicago). Learn from industry experts through tutorials, seminars, and working group meetings, as well as state-of-the-art displays in the exhibition. Register and review the complete program with information on tutorials, seminars, working group schedules, and the exhibition at www.iest.org . Early bird registration ends
March 30, 2007.

A special seminar topic for contamination control professionals is available this year. Compounding Sterile Pharmaceuticals, presented by members of the 797 committee and CleanRooms magazine, will focus on US Pharmacopeia (USP) Chapter 797, Pharmaceutical Compounding: Sterile Preparations. The presentations will provide the latest information on the areas of contamination control implementation in the standards.

Contamination control professionals will have the opportunity to attend two new tutorial certificate programs: Consumables Tutorial Certificate and Sterilization Tutorial Certificate. The Consumables Tutorial Certificate Program will be comprised of three tutorials that will focus on garments, gloves, swabs, wipes, mops, and the practical applications for each of these consumables. The Sterilization Tutorial Certificate will cover sterilization methods used in the medical device and pharmaceutical industry.

Also new this year, professionals in the design, test, and evaluation/product reliability industry will have the chance to receive an Advanced Environmental Testing Tutorial Certificate. The certificate program will cover four tutorials: Weather Encounter Testing; Pyroshock Testing; Multi-Actuator Testing and Control; and Shock Analysis Using the Pseudo-Velocity Shock Spectrum. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a number of new seminar topics including Vacuum Testing; Chemical and Biological Defense; and Vibration/Shock Test Equipment Technology.

A great networking opportunity will kick off the IEST annual technical meeting and exposition on Sunday, April 29, 2007, the ESTECH 2007 Golf Outing at the world-renowned Blackhawk Trace Golf Course at Indian Lakes Resort. Golfers will tee off with their friends, colleagues, and prospective clients in a scramble format starting at 1:00 p.m. The following evening, prizes will be given during the Presidential Welcome Reception for the lowest scoring team, closest to the pin, longest drive, and other accomplishments. Do not miss out on this opportunity to network with industry experts. Space is limited.

Contact IEST with any other questions at (847) 255-1561 or [email protected] . For more information about advertising at ESTECH 2007, e-mail Heather Dvorak, Marketing Associate, [email protected] .

Founded in 1953, IEST is an international technical society of engineers, scientists, and educators that serves its members and the industries they represent (simulating, testing, controlling, and teaching the environments of earth and space) through education and the development of recommended practices and standards.