Editorial archive;
News - ABB set to acquire Thomas & Betts 31/01/2012
With the aim of increasing its share of the North American low-voltage products market, ABB has announced that it is to acquire Thomas & Betts.
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Case Studies - IE3 motors promise impressive energy savings for odour control facility 20/12/2011
High-efficiency, IE3 class motors look set to save a UK-based pet food manufacturer around £26,000 per year on energy costs for a new odour control facility.
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Case Studies - ABB retains leading distributed control system market share worldwide for 2010 01/11/2011
An ARC study into DCS states that new projects in heavy process industries, power generation contributed to overall market growth.
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Features - ABB retains leading distributed control system market share worldwide for 2010 01/11/2011
An ARC study into DCS states that new projects in heavy process industries, power generation contributed to overall market growth.
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Case Studies - ABB to conduct major electrical service of Transocean drillship 06/10/2011
ABB has won an order from Transocean Nigeria to conduct a major service of the electrical generation sets on its 46,000 ton drillship GSF Jack Ryan.
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Sponsored content - ABB secures major contract with Spirax Sarco 19/09/2011
ABB has secured its single largest UK OEM account to date for ABB PLC and HMI products following the signing of a two-year agreement with Spirax Sarco.
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Case Studies - ABB aids particle research at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory 26/07/2011
An ABB controller is helping cutting edge research into high energy physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), in Oxfordshire.
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Features - Reducing drive harmonics: a look at the options 28/06/2011
Nick Brown, of ABB Ltd, explains the different options for reducing harmonics caused by AC drives.
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Products - Reducing drive harmonics: a look at the options 28/06/2011
Nick Brown, of ABB Ltd, explains the different options for reducing harmonics caused by AC drives.
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Case Studies - ABB introduces UK’s largest Energy Appraisal Team 31/03/2011
ABB has launched a 50-person Energy Appraisal Team that can provide industry and commerce, within half-a-day, an analysis of the energy saving potential within a plant’s motor-driven applications.
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News - ABB completes testing facilities for oil and gas drive systems 15/02/2011
ABB has completed its electromechanical equipment test facilities at CESI’s headquarters in Milan, Italy. The facilities will be used to test the load capacity and reliability of large motors and medium voltage drives used in a range of oil and gas applications, from offshore platforms to remote production sites.
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Products - Cabinet designed crane drive lifts productivity and safety 08/02/2011
A compact AC drive with built-in crane control functions has been introduced by ABB for side-by-side installation within crane cabinets.
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Case Studies - ABB drives cut costs for dryer users 10/01/2011
Operational and capital costs are significantly reduced following the installation of ABB variable speed drives (VSDs) by drying machinery maker, Simon Dryers.Full story
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News - ABB to acquire Baldor Electric Company 30/11/2010
In a bid to become a global leader in industrial motion ABB has announced that it is to acquire Baldor.
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News - ATG joins ABB’s System Integrator partner programme 15/11/2010
Automation specialist, ATG, now has access to the ABB industrial drives portfolio, having joined the ABB System Integrator partner program.
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News - Campaign aims to make motor management manageable in the UK 11/11/2010
ABB, is launching a scheme in the UK to encourage the process industry to take a closer look at the true cost of running electric motors. Research by the company has revealed that industry is failing to efficiently manage its motor inventory, thereby incurring millions of pounds of unnecessary downtime, repair and energy costs.
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Products - ABB drives cut £25,000 off energy costs 09/11/2010
Over £25,000 of energy costs per year are being saved by an asphalt production plant following the fitting of ABB variable speed drives. Read more
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Features - Efficiency confusion 26/10/2010
New international standards for measuring and categorising efficiency of low voltage motors are now in place. Steve Ruddell, division manager of discrete automation and motion at ABB, argues for more clarity in the marketplace.
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Features - More drives save Leixlip Water Treatment Works €500,000 a year 18/10/2010
The Leixlip Water Treatment Works in Co. Kildare is the second largest water treatment facility in Ireland. With a capacity of 175,000 m3 a day, it supplies over 30% of the drinking water requirements of the Greater Dublin Region.
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News - ABB tool demonstrates the power of variable speed drives 14/09/2010
ABB is promoting energy efficiency with a simple tool its says can demonstrate potential energy savings. The company’s slide rule demonstrates the savings that can be made when a direct-on-line motor is replaced by variable speed drive control.
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Features - Trelleborg overhauls energy inefficient hydraulic power packs 10/08/2010
An aerospace manufacturer claims to have cut its energy bill by £12,000 (€14,000) after implementing ABB variable speed drives. Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has designed the drives into hydraulic systems at its Burton-on-Trent, UK plant.
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News - Power plant produces more electricity using variable speed drives 12/07/2010
A Swedish energy company has increased the amount of energy it can sell by 35 GWh/year thanks to the installation of medium voltage drives.
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Case Studies - ABB swappage scheme aids ISO14001 compliance 08/07/2010
The new ABB swappage scheme is supported by a recycling programme that this year recycled 13 tonnes of waste variable speed drives, recovering over 90 per cent of their component materials by weight. The ABB swappage scheme offers at least 17.5 per cent off the list price of a new ABB drive and will swap out incumbent drives from any manufacturer. Read more
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Case Studies - ABB drives cut £18,000 recurring costs 22/06/2010
ABB drives have cut the need for a manufacturer of specialist chemicals to replace gears on its product kiln, saving £18,000 each time. Thermphos UK Ltd. is a manufacturer of special chemicals used in a wide range of applications, including pharmaceuticals, hygiene, industrial cleaning, household cleaning, food additives and feed additives. Read more
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Case Studies - ABB launches drives and motors swappage scheme by offering to pay your VAT 27/05/2010
ABB launches its drives and motors swappage scheme, allowing companies to trade in their old products from any manufacturer for new ABB drives and motors. Read more
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News - ABB first for IECEx 29/03/2010
ABB is the first motor manufacturer in the world to be granted a license to use the IECEx Conformity Mark which allows ABB to display the IECEx Conformity Mark on products covered by an IECEx Certificate of Conformity, as well as on packaging and promotional materials. Read More
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Case Studies - Major UK System Integrator becomes an ABB partner 02/03/2010
ABB has signed a system integrator agreement with MacDonald Humfrey Automation (MHA), one of the UK’s largest privately owned system integrators. Read more
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Features - Ginsters cuts costs at Cornish bakery 12/11/2009
Ginsters is saving approximately 17 per cent a year on its chilled water energy bill at its Callington bakery in Cornwall, UK. The food manufacturer cut its costs after installing eight ABB standard drives for its chiller pumps.
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News - ABB guide tackles Machinery Directive 22/10/2009
ABB is addressing the new EU Machinery Directive with the publication of a guide to functional safety for machine builders. The guide, which is available as a PDF, explains the practical steps required for compliance and describes the applicable standards, background and theory.
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Features - Driving efficiency 15/10/2009
Once a valuable tool for dynamic process control, variable speed drives are increasingly being seen as a means to energy saving. Anna Mitchell talks to ABB’s Steve Ruddell about the industry’s changing attitudes.
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News - ABB bolsters UK and Ireland service network 14/07/2009
ABB has added four locations to its network of Ex motor repair workshops throughout the UK and Ireland. Workshops in Sittingbourne, Hertfordshire, Cookstown and Dublin join Central Electrical in Liverpool as certified ABB Motor Service Partners.
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News - ABB’s ‘next generation’ of industrial drives 05/05/2009
ABB’s drive module ACS850 was introduced at the SPS/IPC/Drives show in Nuremberg, and exhibited at Hannover Messe this year. It features a built-in energy saving calculator, embedded Modbus and drive-to-drive link, intelligent user interface with a series of assistant wizards, integrated safety functions, modular hardware and software, and a removable memory unit.
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News - Oil at $40 per barrel? Not for long 13/04/2009
The steep decline in oil prices may have sent sighs of relief through Europe, especially among those who drive automobiles. But most of us who know something about manufacturing know that this price level won’t last for long.
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Products - ABB standard drive family becomes first to hit one million units 03/03/2009
The one millionth ABB standard drive has rolled off the production line, marking a historic milestone as the first of an ABB drive range to hit this significant figure.
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Features - Kemsley mill boosts efficiency 26/02/2009
St Regis Paper Co. has overhauled automation and production equipment at its Kemsley Mill in Kent, UK. ABB will be involved in the project after it won the upgrade contract that included automating a new stock preparation plant that feeds recycled fibre to the mill’s PM6.
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Features - McKechnie energy drive 25/02/2009
McKechnie Automotive and Engineered Plastics, a manufacturer of engineered plastic assemblies, embarked on a drive to save energy at its Pickering, North Yorkshire, plant, turning its attention on an inefficient injection moulding machine.
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News - OPC targets pharmaceutical industry 20/02/2009
The OPC Foundation has released the draft Analyzer Devices Integration (ADI) Specification, providing the pharmaceutical industry with a common method for data exchange for analyser data models for process and laboratory analysers. The specification was developed as a logical extension of the OPC UA specifications and serves as an information model for analyser devices.
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News - UK manufacturing show: industry giants take the stage 17/02/2009
The Advanced Manufacturing Shows in Birmingham, UK have added a seminar line-up to their repertoire, boasting speakers from ABB, Emerson, Honeywell, Siemens and Yokogawa. Speakers at the March 25 and 26 show, held at the NEC, will take the stage in the Industrial Networking Theatre.
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Products - ABB’s new ProcessMaster calculator 06/02/2009
Find out how you could make your process more efficient by using ABB’s new online ProcessMaster calculator.
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Features - Paper plant ups productivity, cuts errors 12/01/2009
St. Regis Paper boosted production 17 per cent and cut errors by 63 per cent at a UK mill after implementing a new process control solution, according to the solution provider, ABB. The production increase at the Wansbrough site was achieved without increasing machine speed.
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Products - Dedicated crane control program 06/01/2009
Crane control software that brings increased safety, reliability and improved performance to industrial, harbour and tower cranes has been developed by ABB for use with its variable speed drives.
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News - MTEC pushes for common wireless standard 23/12/2008
Speakers at MTEC will propel the industry towards a common wireless standard, according to Canon Communications, which has organised an education programme titled ‘Wireless Solutions for Automation. The event, to be held on March 25, 2009, will feature speakers from ABB Instrumentation, Emerson Process Control, Honeywell, Siemens and Yokogawa.
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News - ABB revamps 22-year old excavator at LaFarge Cement in Germany 12/12/2008
An energy-efficient ABB drive system was put into place to reduce the machine’s operating costs by 15 per cent and at the same time, it substantially extends the equipment service life
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Features - Lafarge cements reliability with drives 24/11/2008
UK cement manufacturer, Lafarge Cement has boosted reliability of its cement kiln pre-heater fans with ABB drives. The two 1.8MW drives were installed at the company’s Hope, UK plant which produced 1.2 million tonnes of cement a year.
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News - Wireless under discussion as Frost & Sullivan announce workshop 24/11/2008
Frost & Sullivan will host a one-day event on the Adoption of Wireless in Industrial Automation to discuss the latest trends in the industry. The workshop will be held on February 5, 2009 at the Moevenpick Hotel, Frankfurt, Germany.
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News - FDI achievement result of co-operation with process control suppliers 14/11/2008
The FDI (Field Device Integration) team has completed the draft architecture and inventory of use case analysis, describing the achievements as a milestone. The Steering Committee of the EDDL Co-operation Team has worked closely with the FDT Group to advance a common solution for field device integration.
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News - OPC Foundation to release analyser devices integration draft specification 22/10/2008
OPC Foundation members representing process analytical technology (PAT) and laboratory industries are extending OPC UA capabilities to enable multivendor interoperability for analyser devices. Progress has been made on the goals of a common method for data exchange, and a data model for process and laboratory analysers. OPC Foundation says it will release the OPC Analyser Devices Integration (ADI) draft specification for review in December 2008.
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Features - ABB, Eskom shore up South Africa's electricity network 25/09/2008
ABB and Eskom have signed an agreement, worth $75 million, which covers the supply and installation of ABB circuit breakers to the South African national electricity provider.
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Products - ABB first with Ex motor repair shop certification 24/09/2008
ABB has become the first manufacturer in the world to receive certification for its qualification programme of service facilities for hazardous area motors.
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Features - ABB thermowells head for Nigeria 24/09/2008
Shell Oil is measuring process temperatures on its Bonny Island refinery in Nigeria with products from the UK.
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Features - PolymerLatex cuts maintenance costs 16/09/2008
UK Polymer producer PolymerLatex says it has cut maintenance costs by 10 per cent.
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Features - Upgrading Control: Migration or Evolution? 12/09/2008
When a process control platform needs upgrading, the answer can be an incremental change, a system-wide rip and replace, or anything in between. Users have more options than ever.
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Features - Messier Dowty keeps instruments in check 04/09/2008
Messier Dowty has ordered instrumentation from ABB for five new ovens at its Staverton, UK site. Used in the production of aircraft landing gear the ovens will be fitted with temperature controllers and videographic data recorders, amongst other instruments.
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News - Guide from ABB tackles PPC regulations 02/09/2008
An application fact file covering pH measurement in the dairy industry has been released by ABB covering a real-life example of a dairy plant. The guide is designed to help the monitoring of wastewater prior to discharge.
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Features - Standardisation of temperature transmitters 19/08/2008
Following the installation of an ABB TTF3000 temperature transmitter more than a year ago, Rugby cement has decided to use the products as standard throughout its Warwickshire, UK based plant.
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Products - Free Instant Guide provides starting step for improved energy management 19/08/2008
Companies facing spiralling energy bills can now take advantage of ABB’s latest Instant Guide.
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Products - ABB’s IndustrialIT System 800xA sales exceed 4,000 since introduction 18/08/2008
Extended automation provides integration foundation to improve productivity
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News - Fieldbus Foundation: Better Device Descriptions, Device Coupler Test Spec, board member 08/08/2008
Fieldbus Foundation has streamlined fieldbus development for device and system suppliers by enhancing its Device Descriptions (DD). In separate announcements, the organisation released the final Device Coupler Test Specification and named a DuPont executive to its board.
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News - ABB scoops Swiss power order 06/08/2008
Kraftwerke Linth-Limmern AG (KLL) has shored up regional power supplies with refurbishment and expansion at its Tierfehd hydro power plant in Switzerland. The expansion included a $31 million (€20 million) order from ABB, incorporating two turnkey substations and auxiliary power equipment.
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News - MP to speak at industry awards 06/08/2008
Ian Pearson MP will be the keynote speaker at the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) award ceremony. On November 3, 2008 the institution will celebrate products, technologies and processes at its Innovation Awards in London, UK.
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News - Fieldbus heads for Wembley 04/08/2008
Fieldbus Foundation is to host its next UK roadshow at Wembley Stadium, London, UK, following similar events in Reading, Manchester and Middlesbrough. Presentations and practical demonstrations will aim to demonstrate how Foundation fieldbus technology can be used as part of a single plant-wide solution.
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News - ABB scoops Indian smelter contract 30/07/2008
Automation and electrical systems, worth $113 million (€72 million) and described as ‘the backbone’ of an Indian smelter plant, will be supplied by ABB. Vedanta Aluminium has made the purchase as part of a greenfield expansion of an aluminium smelter plant in Jharsuguda, in the eastern state of Orissa.
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News - ABB to acquire US transformer company 21/07/2008
ABB hopes to expand it power products portfolio in the Americas with the acquisition of a US transformer company. Kuhlman Electric Corporation will be bought, for an undisclosed amount from The Carlyle Group.
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Features - Application case study: Upgrading flowmeter stabilises control of process slurry flow 18/07/2008
Replacing a faulty magmeter with new advanced design helped eliminate erratic flow signals, resulting in improved control of catalyst slurry flow.
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Products - ABB shares Functional Safety expertise with release of new guide 14/07/2008
A new guide explaining all you need to know about Functional Safety is now available from ABB.
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News - ABB scoops Turkish steel contract 14/07/2008
ABB will provide power systems equipment to a Turkish steel plant in a deal worth $28 million (€18 million). The power and automation specialist was chosen by MMK-ATAKAS, a joint partnership between Turkey’s Atakas Metallurgy and Port Management and Russian company, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK), to ensure a reliable power supply for the plant.
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News - ABB commissions gearless mill drive system at Peru’s largest gold mine 09/06/2008
ABB announced it has successfully completed commissioning of a 16.5 MW gearless mill drive (GMD) system for a SAG (semiautogenous) mill at Minera Yanacocha. The mine, located in Cajamarca, Peru, is the largest gold producer in Latin America.
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Features - RAC drafts in ABB to ease information access 21/05/2008
RAC Autowindscreens has simplified access to production information with a videographic recorder from ABB. At its Chesterfield, UK factory, the SM1000, with batch functionality, has eliminated the need for RAC to sift through paper charts.
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Features - Wireless: Bluetooth vs. Bluetooth 25/04/2008
Most industrial applications require more than a standard Bluetooth wireless solution concerning robustness, optimised performance and enhanced reliability. Further, the implementation should be flexible enough to configure for a specific application by optimising throughput, latency, power consumption, range, or a combination.
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Features - Kiln of the Castle 23/04/2008
Birmingham headquartered Castle Cement has brought ‘kiln 4’, at its Padeswood works in north Wales, into operation with speed control from ABB industrial drives. The drives and control specialist has installed two, 300 kW drives in master-follower arrangement.
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Features - Glenfiddich measures up for energy cuts 15/04/2008
ABB has supplied eleven swirl meters in a bid to cut energy consumption at a Scottish whisky distillery. To achieve the savings William Grant required accurate data on current levels of steam consumption at its Glenfiddich distillery in Dufftown, Scotland.
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News - ABB signs Motion Control Products 05/03/2008
Motion Control Products is targeting machine builders following the signing of a deal that saw it become the first national distributor of the new ABB machinery drive.
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Features - Trends: The ever-shrinking ac drive 01/09/2007
The attitude of end users towards ac drives has shifted over the past ten years. Today they want drives that are simple to buy, install, start-up, commission, and to own and run.
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