Report from Sales Force Training Seminar in Belgium

Our Benelux Marketing Committee recently held a sales force training seminar in Brasschaat, Belgium.  Looks like an extremely successful seminar was held with presentations from both an end user and a major EPC.  Sales force training is an ongoing initiative at the Fieldbus Foundation and we are very happy to extend this concept to the EMEA market.  Many salespeople simply do not receive adequate training in fieldbus and even a one day seminar can be greatly informative.  Here is the report from Belgium:

"Fieldbus Foundation Benelux continuously looks for different and new ways to close the gap between the members marketing/sales forces and end users. Three years ago FFBenelux actively added End-Users as special member to the Benelux marketing committee. This year Fieldbus Foundation Benelux again has organised a new type of seminar which took place October 31st at the new Acta education centre in Brasschaat (Belgium).  What was new? This time the targeted audience (Sales forces of member companies) enjoyed during a late afternoon masterclass lectures of End-Users and experienced EPCs.

One of Our Most Well Attended Sales Force Training Seminars

The aim of the seminar was to provide salespeople with more background information and technology. Field experiences of contractors and end-users were shared. Presentations of Fluor and BP gave a sneak preview of the decision time line for ‘smart instrumentation’ for project engineers. The seminar was closed after a live demonstration of replacing a field device .

Facility Tour

Why a seminar for salespeople?

Suppliers in the Benelux do not only supply Foundation Fieldbus instruments, but also offer a lot of other smart instrumentation for Profibus, WirelessHart and more. Sometimes, it is difficult to advise the end-user properly about the right technology at the right moment. By giving field sales people more background information, they can better advise their customer in the decision of the best solution for their respective applications."

Report on the Seminar in Brunn, Austria

The Fieldbus Foundation Central and Eastern European Marketing Committee (FFCEEMC), together with fieldbus experts from the Fieldbus Foundation headquarters in Austin, Texas, and trainers from the certified training centers in Brielle (Netherlands) and Miskolc (Hungary), hosted a fieldbus sales training and end user seminar at the Austria Trend Hotel in Brünn, Austria from October 21-22.  The events were hosted by Mr. Jürgen George (Chairman – FFCEEMC) and members of the FFCEEMC.  Larry O’Brien, marketing manager of the Fieldbus Foundation was in attendance as well as Dr. Bindert Douma (certified FOUNDATION trainer – STC Group, Brielle, the Netherlands) and Mr József Subert and Victor Füvesi (certified FOUNDATION trainers – University of Miskolc, Hungary).

Demo Unit from University of Miskolc

Juergen George does an excellent job organizing and executing these seminars across Central and Eastern Europe. Bindert Douma from STC Brielle has years of experience engineering fieldbus projects and is one of our certified trainers under the FCTP program. It was a great chance to hear him share his experience on fieldbus projects.  József Subert did excellent presentations on how to design a fieldbus system and take advantage of control in the field. It was also good to connect with various end users and suppliers, roughly 40 attendees from all over CEE, not just Austria. We have many FOUNDATION fieldbus installations throughout CEE, including the MOL refinery in Hungary. Our trainers from the University of Miskolc FOUNDATION Certified Training Program partner had a nice demonstration set up where they showed access to diagnostic data, control in the field, and more.  

Audience Members

With a program specifically designed to support sales representatives and internal sales support staff responsible for fieldbus products, services and projects, the sales force training session took place on the afternoon of October 21st and included the following topics:

• FOUNDATION fieldbus overview
• Implementing FOUNDATION fieldbus projects
• How salespeople can most effectively approach end users
• Value of selling FOUNDATION fieldbus (from the sales person’s perspective)
• Open discussion and question & answer session

The end user seminar took place on Tuesday 22 October from 09.30 until 16.00. The end user seminar program offered attendees a comprehensive agenda of technical presentations and the opportunity to share end user experiences. It offers a good opportunity for local fieldbus partners to spend the day with customers and other interested parties and fieldbus experts. The presentations at the End User Seminar day included:

• Introduction to the FFCEEMC
• Update on activities at Fieldbus Foundation and resources for training and education
• Strategies for managing data from fieldbus devices
• Planning the fieldbus infrastructure (including explosion protection and safety instrumented functions)
• Commissioning the hardware; implementing fieldbus projects; diagnostics and trouble-shooting
• End user experience
• Open discussion and question & answer session

For more information on FFCEEMC seminars and activities go to their web pages.

Last Seminar of the Year next month being held in the Houston Area - Sign up today!

Next month (November 6-7th to be exact) will be the last seminar of the year in North America and we'll be in the Houston area. One of our prestigious certified training centers, Lee College in Baytown, TX has chosen to host us for our event. We look forward to this really great opportunity.

Lee College offers certified training courses of varying lengths and depths of study and is the only one in the Southern united states to offer this type of vendor-neutral excellent training.

Our day-long seminar on November 6th will focus on the applications side of FOUNDATION technology and how the technology unlocks more power for your process so you can spend more time at operational efficiency and less time in unexpected shutdown. In case you have not ever attended one of our seminars, you definitely don't want to miss it. Some of the best and brightest minds in FOUNDATION fieldbus are in attendance sharing their knowledge and experience. The best part of it too is that it's completely FREE for all attendees. You can find out more information as well as register on our website: http://www.fieldbus.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=136&Itemid=371

Typical seminar format

Following the end user oriented seminar, we have a Sales Force Training seminar on November 7th that is geared towards salespeople of FOUNDATION fieldbus. The class is a half day training session on the latest news of the technology and how it can be a major part of a customers next installation. The course gives market data and figures for FF as well as some great resource material to help guide you and your customer on every aspect of FOUNDATION technology. Learn how the latest FOUNDATION for Remote Operations Management can help your customers see further into their process by reaching out to remote assets and integrating them into their control systems and how they can integrate wired HART, WirelessHART and ISA100.11a into their existing FF infrastructure! Also come hear about our latest announcement on Project Gemstone and how FOUNDATION fieldbus is the only open system out there focusing squarely on making the user experience easier and more intuitive, including device replacement.

We understand how valuable salespeople's time is so we'll have everyone out of the training day before noon so you can still make customer calls and site visits. Sign up today to refresh yourself on the latest FOUNDATION fieldbus has to offer!
http://www.fieldbus.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=136&Itemid=371

Be sure to check out our Twitter page for announcements on the seminars @FieldbusEvents. You can also view videos from previous seminars on our YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/FieldbusFoundation.

FOUNDATION for ROM at Automation 2013 Mumbai

We had a great week in Mumbai, India last week as we unveiled our FOUNDATION for ROM demonstration at the Automation 2013 trade show.  India has one of the largest installed bases of FOUNDATION fieldbus on a country by country basis.  Reliance refinery in Jamnagar, for example, is our largest installation in the world, with over 30 thousand fieldbus devices, many thousands of segments, all done with nearly flawless project execution in cooperation with major engineering and construction partners like Bechtel. Many other industries in India have FOUNDATION fieldbus installed as well, including metals, power chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and more.  This is one of the primary reasons the Fieldbus Foundation held our General Assembly in India in 2011.

The ROM demonstration was great but that was only part of the picture.  Monday September 23rd was the first day of the show and included keynote presentations from Dr. Peter Martin of Invensys, Dr. Gunther Kegel, CEO of Pepperl+Fuchs (also chairman of the board of the Fieldbus Foundation), Larry O'Brien, global marketing manager of Fieldbus Foundation,  and Mr. Nandakumar, founder of Chemtrols, a major Indian solution provider to the process industries.

Tuesday we began to discuss FOUNDATION for ROM and overall FOUNDATION fieldbus technology in earnest with a full day seminar that attracted close to 200 attendees, most of them end users, from the Indian process automation business.  Mr. B.R. Mehta, senior vice president of Reliance Industries and Chairman of the FOUNDATION Fieldbus India End User Council, began the seminar with some opening remarks about the significant presence of FOUNDATION fieldbus in India. Other presentations included the effect of fieldbus on cyber physical systems by Dr. Gunther Kegel and the FOUNDATION for ROM business value proposition, development roadmap, and demo program by Larry O'Brien.  Several presentations from our key supplier sponsors for our live demo project were also given, including Ravi Venkatramana of Invensys, Jonas Berg from Emerson Process Management, Prasad Samudrala from Honeywell, and Andre Fritsch from Stahl.

Wednesday and Thursday we delivered presentations on ROM at the booth, which included a live demonstration of FOUNDATION for ROM technology with the full range of devices integrated, including WirelessHART devices, ISA100.11a devices, H1 devices and electric actuators, remote I/O, the ROM devices themselves, and the wireless backhaul network based on HSE, all hooked up to an Invensys host DCS.

We were also very fortunate to win the Technology Advancement Award at the show for our ROM booth!

You can access my presentations from Automation 2013 at the Fieldbus Foundation Slideshare account here:

http://www.slideshare.net/Fieldbus-Foundation/foundation-for-rom-2013-14-presentation

http://www.slideshare.net/Fieldbus-Foundation/automation-mumbai-2013-fieldbus-update

http://www.slideshare.net/Fieldbus-Foundation/automation-mumbai-2013-presentation

A big thanks to our FOUNDATION Fieldbus India Committee (FFIC) for helping us organize this event. Thanks to our FOUNDATION for ROM sponsor companies for helping us get the booth organized.  Thanks to IED Communications for helping organize the show, and our very active end users in India who are the reason we are doing all this in the first place!

Link to Flickr Photoset of ROM Booth and Seminar at Automation 2013 Mumbai

FOUNDATION™ Technology Study Day – Middlesbrough, 2 October, 2013

Middlesbrough, UK – 18 September, 2013 - The Fieldbus Foundation UK Marketing Committee (FFUKMC) is finalising its plans for the third of its 2013 schedule of end user events – a FOUNDATION Technology Study Day to be held in Middlesbrough on Wednesday 2 October, 2013.

With a morning session focused on an introduction to FOUNDATION technology, a lunch break with tabletop displays and additional presentations, and an afternoon session offering a more advanced programme, delegates will be able to tailor the day to suit their own requirements. Delegates may choose to attend either the morning or afternoon session or they are welcome to attend both. There is no charge to attend and the lunch and lunchtime sessions are open to all delegates.

Following registration and coffee, the morning session, from 10.00-12.30, will include an introduction to FOUNDATION technology and solutions, and an insight into the lifecycle economics of the system.

The afternoon session, from 13.30-16.00, will present a more in-depth programme of presentations and practical workshops with a focus on supporting a FOUNDATION installation through asset management; device replacement; calibration and recommended maintenance practices.

All registered attendees are invited to the complimentary lunch during which Fieldbus Foundation member companies will be available to discuss and demonstrate their Foundation products and services.

Also available during the lunch break are update presentations on Foundation for Remote Operations Management (F-ROM) and Foundation for Safety Instrumented Functions (FF-SIF).

Richard Barnes, chairman of the FFUKMC is looking forward to welcoming current or potential end users, system integrators, EPCs, and all personnel with an interest in FOUNDATION fieldbus systems or a need to gain an understanding of the technology. “The FFUKMC has tried and tested this new approach to its end user seminars – we understand the need for differing levels of information to suit individuals in differing roles within the process automation enterprise. The study day format which we adopted for our recent events in London and Aberdeen allows everyone to gain high quality information whether it’s at an introductory level or an advanced level.” He continued, “There will also be several opportunities throughout the day for networking with other users and potential users, as well as industry experts and suppliers of the systems, devices and components that make up a FOUNDATION system.”

The event will be held on Wednesday 2 October at the Emerson Process Management offices, 2, Eggleston Court, Startforth Road, Riverside Park, Middlesbrough, TS2 1RU. Delegates are invited to register their names, company, email address and session preferences with the UK Committee, email: uk_info@fieldbus.org.

The FOUNDATION Technology Study Days will continue to be held at locations around the UK. The next scheduled event will be announced in due course.

About the Fieldbus Foundation UK Marketing Committee

The FFUKMC was formally established in 1999 to promote an increased awareness and adoption of FOUNDATION™ technology throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland through a range of end user focused activities including technology seminars and roadshows, technical demonstrations and support, and trade show and conference participation.

The FFUKMC membership now includes: ABB, Beamex, Beka Associates, Emerson Process Management, Endress+Hauser, Honeywell, MTL –Cooper Crouse-Hinds, Moore Industries, Pepperl+Fuchs, Rockwell Automation, Rotork, R.Stahl, Smar, Turck, Vega and Yokogawa.

For more information about the Fieldbus Foundation UK Marketing Committee and its activities in the UK and Ireland, visit the FFUKMC webpages of the Fieldbus Foundation’s website www.fieldbus.org, or email uk_info@fieldbus.org

VirtualMarshalling IS the future of Distributed I/O

While hosted our seminar in Chicago this week, I was reminded about distributed I/O alternatives out there in the industry and it warranted a bit of discussion. For those that don't have copies of our latest Fieldbus Report (Spring 2013), you may have missed an article Larry O'Brien at the Fieldbus Foundation has recently put together a document on the future of distributed I/O. The interested thought-provoking premise behind it is that the future of distributed I/O has actually been around for quite some time with FOUNDATION fieldbus.

Why are there others who try to make physical distributed I/O smarter or better when it can be easily eliminated entirely? With FOUNDATION Fieldbus, individual physical I/O points have long been replaced by software based distributed I/O, meaning multiple signals are carried over one single H1 cable. There are no custom hardware configurations or additional hardware components to purchase. It all comes pre-canned with FOUNDATION fieldbus. Blocks can be linked together virtually in the software without the added work, cost and labor of running additional wiring. This is what we've dubbed "VirtualMarshalling". It is the future that is already available today. It's a bit like those Samsung Galaxy commercials of today that take pokes at the iPhone with their tagline "The Next Big Thing is Already Here". In the realm of industrial process control, the next big thing is already here and it is called VirtualMarshalling. 

Check out our paper on VirtualMarshalling below and learn how returning to the basics actually provides you with the competitive edge, all built-in. Remember, FOUNDATION fieldbus was built by end users wanting a better technology built specifically for Process Control that can replace the outdated 4-20 from days yore. 

Back to Basics with VirtualMarshalling

Chicago Seminar Update

We were very happy to be able to present at the ISA Will DuPage Section meeting last night in Plainfield, IL at Nevins Brewing Company. It was a great turnout at what is obviously a very well run ISA section with lots of active members.  Today we are hosting our end user seminar at the Chicago O'Hare Airport Marriott.  In fact, here is a picture of our End User Advisory Council Chairman John Rezabek delivering his presentation on the value of FOUNDATION fieldbus for end users.  You can download the presentation here.

John Rezabek, Chairman of the FOUNDATION Fieldbus End User Advisory Council

As John is fond of saying, FOUNDATION fieldbus grew out of the ISASP50 committee, which was comprised largely of end users, who asked for things like our user layer, control in the field, and standard digital communications.

YouTube Presentation from Vietnam Seminar

Here is an interesting YouTube video of a presentation by Pham Duc Hai of Emerson Process Management at our seminar in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We also have some pictures and a report from the seminar forthcoming.  Thanks to all who organized and participated in the seminar!

Come See FOUNDATION for ROM at Automation 2013 Mumbai

The FOUNDATION fieldbus India Committee (FFIC) is hard at work on creating our FOUNDATION for ROM (Remote Operations Management) demonstration to be held at the Automation 2013 trade show in Mumbai from September 23 through 26 at the Bombay Exhibition Center.  There is a great program of keynote speeches planned on the 23rd, including presentations from Peter Martin of Invensys on the value of automation. Fieldbus Foundation Chairman and President and CEO of Pepperl+Fuchs Dr. Gunther Kegel will deliver a presentation on the rise of Cyber Physical Systems in manufacturing.  Fieldbus Foundation marketing manager Larry O'Brien will be delivering a presentation on the impact of digital communications on process automation, and Mr. K Nandakumar of Chemtrols Industries Limited will be delivering the keynote address.

We have a full day FOUNDATION for ROM seminar planned at the show for September 24th.  Details of the agenda will follow, but will include presentations from Larry O'Brien, Dr. Gunther Kegel, and B.R. Mehta, Senior Vice President of Reliance Industries (the Reliance Jamnagar Refinery is the largest FOUNDATION fieldbus installation in the world).  

Automation 2013 Mumbai

Come to our End User and Sales Force Training Seminars in Chicago!

Our Chicago end user and sales force training seminars are right around the corner.  We will be hosting our end user seminar on September 18th at the Chicago Marriott O'Hare hotel, and our sales force training seminar will occur on Thursday September 19th at the same venue.  You can access complete agendas and registration information here.

End User Seminars

Our end user seminars are geared toward taking the mystery out of FOUNDATION fieldbus and making end users and systems integrators realize the true lifecycle benefits of the technology. Whether you are a new user contemplating your first fieldbus project, an experienced user trying to get the most out of your installation, or a systems integrator that wants to implement fieldbus successfully, these seminars are designed for you. The best part is that through the support of our many sponsors, we are able to hold these seminars at no charge.

In addition to live demonstrations, you will also hear from some of the best and most advanced trainers, end users, and experts in the world of fieldbus. Dave Lancaster has helped implement countless FOUNDATION fieldbus projects around the world, and is also one of our certified instructors at Trine University in Indianapolis. John Rezabek of Ashland Chemical is Chairman of our End User Advisory Council and has years of experience using FOUNDATION fieldbus on a day-to-day basis. We often also call upon Herman Storey who is now an independent consultant after retiring from Shell Global Solutions recently. Herman is extremely knowledgeable and intimately familiar with the Fieldbus Foundation and its processes while approaching everything from his end user perspective.


This year, we are making our sessions more interactive than ever. Come and see how getting the real lifecycle cost savings of FOUNDATION fieldbus is easier than you thought, and learn about how “in a world of choices, FOUNDATION brings it all together.”

Sales Force Training Seminars

Intended to provide a greater understanding of the operational improvements and business benefits delivered by the FOUNDATION automation infrastructure, the sales training seminars will be presented by leading experts in fieldbus technology. The seminar content is designed to be vendor-neutral, addressing key topics of interest for salespeople involved with control and instrumentation products. In particular, the seminars aim to dispel myths about FOUNDATION technology and provide hard facts and data salespeople can rely upon.

These sales force training seminars are also free of charge and every attendee leaves with the FOUNDATION fieldbus sales force playbook.

Chicago End User Seminar on September 18th, O'Hare Airport Marriott

Chicago Sales Force training Seminar September 19th, O'Hare Airport Marriott

Report from the Edmonton Seminar

The Fieldbus Foundation held its first North American seminar of 2013 in Canada at the Radisson Edmonton South hotel from June 5-6.  The end user seminar on June 5 attracted close to 75 attendees.  Presentations included Lifecycle Benefits of FOUNDATION technology by Fieldbus Foundation global marketing manager Larry O’Brien, Successful Project Design by Mike Clark of BusCorp, Segment Design by Talon Petty, and Reducing Cost and Effort in Installation and Commissioning by End User Council Chairman John Rezabek. Several successful demonstrations of the technology were given on our demo units and included Steve Tiller from Invensys demonstrating installation and commissioning of fieldbus devices, Ray Azizian from Yokogawa demonstrating device diagnostics, and Al Dewey from Emerson Process management demonstrating control in the field.  Ed Williamson, lead instructor from Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) was also on hand to talk about the value of investing in training and the Fieldbus Foundation Certified Training Program (FCTP).  On Thursday June 6, we held our sales force training where we had about ten sales professionals show up.

Our purpose at these seminars to take the mystery out of fieldbus and show people in a hands on way just how easy the technology can be.  Our thanks go out to the supplier and user volunteers that made this seminar happen and to all those that showed up.  Our next North American seminars will take place in Chicago at the Marriott O'Hare on September 18 and at Lee College in Baytown, Texas on November 6.  You can register and view the agendas here.  We have also posted several of the presentations from the seminar at our Slideshare account.  Hope to see you at the next seminar!

The New Fieldbus Report Is Here!

The Spring 2013 Fieldbus Report is here and available for download from our web site.  This issue was a little later than usual because we had a lot of new content to add, like a full write-up of our first ever live field demonstration of FOUNDATION for ROM at Petrobras, our General Assembly in Shanghai, and our recent seminars around the world.  You can also read about our launch of Project Gemstone, which is designed to make fieldbus easier for end users.  With all the talk about the new generation of smarter marshaling solutions for process control, Fieldbus Foundation has now joined the discussion and you can read about the benefits of VirtualMarshallingTM in the new report as well.

Another new and ongoing feature is "People in Fieldbus".  Our spring issue profiles fieldbus pioneer Terry Blevins.  We are truly grateful to have so many dedicated people that have worked hard to make fieldbus a success and we look forward to profiling new people in every issue.

Spring 2013 Fieldbus Report

Australia Seminar Highlights New Developments in Fieldbus

The Fieldbus Foundation, in cooperation with our supplier sponsors and the Institute for Instrumentation and Control Australia (IICA), held very successful end user and sales force training seminars at the Rydges Hotel in Perth on May 15 and 16 The seminars offered a detailed look into new developments in FOUNDATION technology and what it takes to execute a successful fieldbus project. Among the presenters were several of the key fieldbus end users in Australia from companies such as the KJV Gorgon oil and gas joint venture in Northwest Australia to leading Australian ammonium nitrate producer CSBP. 

Australia was one of the first countries to adopt FOUNDATION fieldbus, and the end users there have learned a lot about what it takes to make a project successful. Nirmal Nandakumar from KJV Gorgon and Vinod Verma froom CSBP both shared many valuable insights. Fieldbus Foundation marketing manager Larry O’Brien shared the current market landscape and new developments in FOUNDATION fieldbus technology. Jonas Berge of Emerson Process Management provided a good presentation on what the Fieldbus Foundation and its member suppliers are doing to make fieldbus technology easier to use. 

The seminar also featured several good presentations on how to use and implement fieldbus technology. Andreas Agostin of MTL provided a thorough presentation on best practices for FOUNDATION fieldbus installation and commissioning. Arasu Thanigai, business development manager of Pepperl+Fuchs, covered fieldbus installation practices, and Jonathon Soanes of Endress+Hauser did a very good presentation on how FOUNDATION fieldbus turns diagnostic data into useful information.

Day 2 featured a sales force training seminar with unique content specifically directed at salespeople, including presentations from Ambrose Hagan of CSBP on popular myths and misconceptions about fieldbus.  Allen Tighe of SEACOVE Systems discussed the value of FOUNDATION fieldbus from the end user perspective.  

Check out our Upcoming and Free End User Seminar in Edmonton!

The first of our North American seminar series for 2013 will take place at the Radisson Edmonton South Hotel on June 5, with a mini sales force training seminar the next day from 8 AM to 12 PM.  You can register at our CVent registration site.   Our end user seminars are design to take a hands on approach to many of the basics surrounding FOUNDATION fieldbus throughout the plant lifecycle. Our sales force training seminars are specifically designed to address the requirements of the salesperson.  Come join us in Edmonton!

FOUNDATION Fieldbus Seminar - June 5th - Edmonton, AB 

FOUNDATION Fieldbus Sales Force Training - June 6th - Edmonton, AB

FOUNDATION™ Technology Study Day – Aberdeen, Scotland, 21 May, 2013

Aberdeen, Scotland – 7 May, 2013 - The Fieldbus Foundation UK Marketing Committee (FFUKMC) is finalising its plans for the second of its 2013 schedule of end user events – a FOUNDATION Technology Study Day to be held in Aberdeen on Tuesday 21 May, 2013.

With a morning session focused on an introduction to FOUNDATION technology, a lunch break with tabletop displays and additional presentations, and an afternoon session offering a more advanced programme, delegates will be able to tailor the day to suit their own requirements. Delegates may choose to attend either the morning or afternoon session or they are welcome to attend both. There is no charge to attend and the lunch and lunchtime sessions are open to all delegates.

Following registration and coffee, the morning session, from 10.00-12.00, will include an introduction to FOUNDATION technology and solutions, and an insight into the lifecycle economics of the system.

The afternoon session, from 14.00-16.00, will present a more in-depth programme of presentations and practical workshops with a focus on supporting a FOUNDATION installation through asset management; device replacement; calibration and recommended maintenance practices.

All registered attendees are invited to the complimentary lunch during which Fieldbus Foundation member companies will be available to discuss and demonstrate their Foundation products and services.

Also available during the lunch break are update presentations on Foundation for Remote Operations Management (F-ROM) and Foundation for Safety Instrumented Functions (FF-SIF).

Richard Barnes, chairman of the FFUKMC is looking forward to welcoming current or potential end users, system integrators, EPCs, and all personnel with an interest in FOUNDATION fieldbus systems or a need to gain an understanding of the technology. “The FFUKMC is trying a new approach to its end user seminars – we understand the need for differing levels of information to suit individuals in differing roles within the process automation enterprise. The study day format which we adopted for our recent event in London allows everyone to gain high quality information whether it’s at an introductory level or an advanced level.” He continued, “There will also be several opportunities throughout the day for networking with other users and potential users, as well as industry experts and suppliers of the systems, devices and components that make up a FOUNDATION system.”

The event will be held on Tuesday 21 May at the Yokogawa UK offices, Unit 33 Abercrombie Court, Arnhall Business Park, Westhill, Aberdeen AB32 6FE. Delegates are invited to register their names, company, email address and session preferences with the UK Committee, email: uk_info@fieldbus.org.

Additional FOUNDATION Technology Study Days are scheduled to be held at locations around the UK including the central belt and north of England.

About the Fieldbus Foundation UK Marketing Committee

The FFUKMC was formally established in 1999 to promote an increased awareness and adoption of FOUNDATION™ technology throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland through a range of end user focused activities including technology seminars and roadshows, technical demonstrations and support, and trade show and conference participation.

The FFUKMC membership now includes: ABB, Beamex, Beka Associates, Emerson Process Management, Endress+Hauser, Honeywell, MTL –Cooper Crouse-Hinds, Moore Industries, Pepperl+Fuchs, Rockwell Automation, Rotork, R.Stahl, Smar, Turck, Vega and Yokogawa.

For more information about the Fieldbus Foundation UK Marketing Committee and its activities in the UK and Ireland, visit the FFUKMC webpages of the Fieldbus Foundation’s website www.fieldbus.org, or email uk_info@fieldbus.org

The Fieldbus Foundation Middle East Marketing Committee To Host End User Technology Seminars in Saudi Arabia and Qatar – June 2013

The Fieldbus Foundation Middle East Marketing Committee (FFMEMC) and Fieldbus Foundation End User Council – Middle East (FFEUC-ME) will be hosting two evening end user seminars from 5.30pm - 8.30pm, followed by a complimentary dinner on:

• June 4^th: Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia
• June 5^th: Doha, Qatar

Registration has opened for the FOUNDATION™ Fieldbus Technology Seminar – Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, to be held on Tuesday 4^th June, 2013. The event will be held at the Mövenpick Hotel – Al Khobar, Prince Turki Street, Al Kourneesh, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

For full information, agenda and online registration for the Saudi Arabia event, click here:

http://www.cvent.com/d/ycqthm

Registration has opened for the FOUNDATION™ Fieldbus Technology Seminar – Doha, Qatar, to be held on Wednesday 5^th June, 2013. The event will be held at the Radisson Blu Hotel – Doha, Salwa Road, Doha, Qatar.

For full information, agenda and online registration for the Qatar event, click here: http://www.cvent.com/d/1cqb4q

These end user seminars aim to take the mystery out of FOUNDATION fieldbus and allow end users and systems integrators to realise the true lifecycle benefits of the technology. Whether a user is new and contemplating their first fieldbus project, an experienced user trying to get the most out of their installation, or a systems integrator that wants to implement fieldbus successfully – then these seminars are ideal. The events are supported by Fieldbus Foundation member sponsorship and there is therefore no charge to attend.

The comprehensive agenda includes overviews and updates about the latest technology developments and initiatives from FOUNDATION experts, an insight into FOUNDATION system design and implementation, and a presentation from an end user of FOUNDATION technology.

Question & answer sessions offer an open forum for the sharing of end user experiences and queries and are always a very valuable aspect of these end user events. Delegates will have the opportunity to meet representatives from the sponsoring members of the FFMEMC and review the technical catalogues of FOUNDATION fieldbus products and services that they offer.

All attendees are invited to stay for a complimentary dinner – providing a valuable opportunity for questions & answers or general discussions with fellow delegates, presenters and FOUNDATION fieldbus experts.

The FFMEMC enjoys a close working relationship with several ISA groups across the region and is pleased to be cooperating with the ISA Saudi Arabia and Qatar Chapters to host the events. Similarly, the FFMEMC is delighted to be working with members of the Fieldbus Foundation End User Council – Middle East (FFEUC-ME).

The FOUNDATION Fieldbus Technology Seminar series 2013 is sponsored by Fieldbus Foundation member companies: ABB, Azbil, Emerson Process Management, Endress+Hauser, Honeywell, Metso Automation, MTL, Pepperl+Fuchs, Rockwell Automation, Samson, Siemens, R.Stahl, Turck and Yokogawa.

For more information about the Fieldbus Foundation Middle East Marketing Committee and its activities, visit the Middle East pages of the Fieldbus Foundation website www.fieldbus.org.

FOUNDATION Technology Seminar Series Visits Oman and Kuwait

Our new media partners at ControlGlobal have just published a nice report on our seminar series in the Middle East.  We held seminars on December 11, in Muscat, Oman, and on December 12, in Kuwait City, Kuwait. I would like to recognize the hard work of our marketing committee in the Middle East in getting these seminars accomplished.  Thanks to their efforts, we reached out to over 140 people in the Middle East.  Read the whole report here:

Automation Educational Programs: FOUNDATION Technology Seminar Series Visits Oman and Kuwait

Fieldbus Foundation Middle East Marketing Committee

FOUNDATION Technology Study Day – London, 26 February, 2013

London, UK – 15 January, 2013 - The Fieldbus Foundation UK Marketing Committee (FFUKMC) has announced the first of its 2013 schedule of end user events – a FOUNDATIONTechnology Study Day to be held in London on Tuesday 26 February, 2013.

With a morning session focused on an introduction to FOUNDATION technology, a lunch break with tabletop displays and additional presentations, and an afternoon session offering a more advanced programme, delegates will be able to tailor the day to suit their own requirements. Delegates may choose to attend either the morning or afternoon session or they are welcome to attend both. There is no charge to attend and the lunch and lunchtime sessions are open to all delegates.

Following registration and coffee, the morning session, from 10.00-12.00, will include an introduction to FOUNDATION technology and solutions, and an insight into the lifecycle economics of the system.

The afternoon session, from 14.00-16.00, will present a more in-depth programme of presentations and practical workshops with a focus on supporting a FOUNDATION installation through asset management; device replacement; calibration and recommended maintenance practices.

All registered attendees are invited to the complimentary lunch during which Fieldbus Foundation member companies will be available to discuss and demonstrate their Foundation products and services.

Also available during the lunch break are update presentations on Foundationfor Remote Operations Management (F-ROM) and Foundationfor Safety Instrumented Functions (FF-SIF).

Richard Barnes, chairman of the FFUKMC is looking forward to welcoming current or potential end users, system integrators, EPCs, and all personnel with an interest in FOUNDATION fieldbus systems or a need to gain an understanding of the technology. “The FFUKMC is trying a new approach to its end user seminars – we understand the need for differing levels of information to suit individuals in differing roles within the process automation enterprise. The study day format allows everyone to gain high quality information whether it’s at an introductory level or an advanced level.” He continued, “There will also be several opportunities throughout the day for networking with other users and potential users, as well as industry experts and suppliers of the systems, devices and components that make up a FOUNDATION system.”

The event will be held at the Emerson Process Management office, Accurist House, 44 Baker Street, London, W1U 7AL. Delegates are invited to register their names, company, email address and session preferences with the UK Committee, email: uk_info@fieldbus.org.

Additional FOUNDATION Technology Study Days are scheduled to be held at locations in Aberdeen, Scotland, the Scottish and central belt and the north of England.

About the Fieldbus Foundation UK Marketing Committee

The FFUKMC was formally established in 1999 to promote an increased awareness and adoption of FOUNDATION™ technology throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland through a range of end user focused activities including technology seminars and roadshows, technical demonstrations and support, and trade show and conference participation.

The FFUKMC membership now includes: ABB, Beamex, Beka Associates, Emerson Process Management, Endress+Hauser, Honeywell, MTL –Cooper Crouse-Hinds, Moore Industries, Pepperl+Fuchs, Rockwell Automation, Rotork, R.Stahl, Smar, Turck, Vega and Yokogawa.

For more information about the Fieldbus Foundation UK Marketing Committee and its activities in the UK and Ireland, visit the FFUKMC webpages of the Fieldbus Foundation’s website www.fieldbus.org, or email uk_info@fieldbus.org

Report from the Seminar in King of Prussia, PA

We held our end user and sales force training seminars in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania last week, just outside of Philadelphia.   We had a very good crowd for both the end user seminar on Wednesday and the sales force training seminar on Thursday.  It has been a long time since we visited the Pennsylvania/New Jersey/Delaware area, but we have many fieldbus end user sin this area from the life sciences industry to chemicals and refining, as well as a some large suppliers including ABB, Honeywell, and Siemens.

For those of you that have not been to one of our end user seminars, we include presentations from some of the leading voices in fieldbus. David Lancaster of our FOUNDATION Certified Training Program partner Trine University and formerly of Bechtel does a series of presentations on engineering, installation, and commissioning.  John Rezabek of Ashland Chemical and chairman of our End User Advisory Council provided excellent presentations on the value of the FOUNDATION fieldbus user layer, control in the field, and  how to use FOUNDATION fieldbus diagnostics.   Following the presentations, our host system demo sponsors step in and do a real life demonstration of the technology, these include a Yokogawa host system demonstration of how to commission a device, an Invensys host system demo of control in the field, and an Emerson host system demonstration of device diagnostics.  The demonstrations follow the phases of the fieldbus project lifecycle, from engineering and design through installation, commissioning, operations and maintenance.

Special thanks go out to the local ISA chapter, who really helped us get the word out to potential attendees. We presented ISA Philadelphia Section President Bill Dugary with a certificate of appreciation and offered one time discounts on ISA fieldbus related books for the seminar attendees.  We look forward to our next visit to the Philadelphia area.

Fieldbus Foundation Presents a Certificate of Appreciation to ISA Philadelphia Section
Left to Right, Brian Ivey and Bill Dugary (President) of ISA Philly Section
Larry O'Brien and Talon Petty of Fieldbus Foundation

Dave Lancaster of Trine University Talks About Engineering a FOUNDATION fieldbus Project

Register Now for the FOUNDATION Fieldbus Seminars in Oman and Kuwait

The Fieldbus Foundation Middle East Marketing Committee (FFMEMC) and Fieldbus Foundation End User Council - Middle East (FFEUC-ME) are hosting the first in its series of four end user seminars across the Middle East region on December 11 at the Golden Tulip Seeb hotel in Muscat, Oman.  On December 12 our seminar tour continues with a stop in Kuwait City, at the Al Manshar Rotana hotel.

These end user seminars aim to take the mystery out of FOUNDATION fieldbus and allow end users and systems integrators to realise the true lifecycle benefits of the technology. Whether you are a new user contemplating your first fieldbus project, an experienced user trying to get the most out of your installation, or a systems integrator that wants to implement fieldbus successfully – then these seminars are designed for you. The events are supported by Fieldbus Foundation member sponsorship and there is therefore no charge to attend.

The comprehensive agenda for both seminars includes overviews and updates about the latest technology developments and initiatives from FOUNDATION experts, an insight into FOUNDATION system design and implementation, and a presentation from an end user of FOUNDATION technology.

Question & answer sessions offer an open forum for the sharing of end user experiences and queries and are always a very valuable aspect of these end user events.Delegates will have the opportunity to meet representatives from the sponsoring members of the FFMEMC and review the technical catalogs of FOUNDATION fieldbus products and services that they offer.

All attendees are invited to stay for a complimentary dinner - providing a valuable opportunity for questions & answers or general discussions with fellow delegates, presenters and FOUNDATION fieldbus experts.

The FFMEMC enjoys a close working relationship with several ISA groups across the region and is pleased to be cooperating with the ISA Saudi Arabia Chapter and ISA Kuwait Chapter to host the events in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Similarly, the FFMEMC is delighted to be working with members of the Fieldbus Foundation End User Council - Middle East (FFEUCME) in Qatar, KSA, Kuwait and Oman.

E-Register for Muscat, Oman Seminar

E-Register for Kuwait City, Kuwait Seminar