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."

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.

Full Schedule of FOUNDATION Developer Training Offered in 2013

Device developers may require assistance in implementing FOUNDATION™ technology in their instrumentation product line. That is why the Fieldbus Foundation established a complete Developer Training curriculum. Automation suppliers can put their fieldbus product development programs on the "fast track" by attending one of these informative courses.

The remaining 2013 Developer Training schedule concludes with classes in Frankfurt, Germany and Pune, India:

Introduction to FOUNDATION Fieldbus
Pune, India:	October 22 (Early Reg. Deadline 8/27, Final Reg. Deadline 10/1)
Frankfurt, Germany:	November 12 (Early Reg. Deadline 9/17, Final Reg. Deadline 10/22)
Advanced Principles of FOUNDATION Fieldbus
Pune, India:	October 23-25 (Early Reg. Deadline 8/28, Final Reg. Deadline 10/2)
Frankfurt, Germany:	November 13-15 (Early Reg. Deadline 9/18, Final Reg. Deadline 10/23)

The vendor-neutral "Introduction to FOUNDATION Fieldbus" course is intended for developers, marketing professionals, applications engineers, system integrators and others interested in obtaining a fundamental knowledge of FOUNDATION technology. Students will become familiar with the basic concepts and new terminology related to the FOUNDATION integrated architecture. They will understand the key strategies for wiring and installation of a fieldbus network. Special emphasis will be placed on design issues such as power requirements, device types and topologies.

The "Introduction to FOUNDATION Fieldbus" course assumes little or no prior knowledge of FOUNDATION technology, but students should already be familiar with process control and existing 4-20 mA technology found in present-day installations.

The vendor-neutral "Advanced Principles of FOUNDATION Fieldbus" course is intended for manufacturers and developers of fieldbus hardware and software. The course is best suited for development engineers, test engineers, and all who wish to understand the detailed inner workings of a fieldbus device. The "Introduction to FOUNDATION Fieldbus" course is a prerequisite for this advanced class. Students should be familiar with the basic terminology of FOUNDATION technology, and have a general understanding of its communications protocol, function block execution, linkages and DDs.

Fieldbus Foundation Middle East Marketing Committee Supports ISA Automation Conference 2013, Saudi Arabia – December 2013

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 16 September, 2013 - The Fieldbus Foundation Middle East Marketing Committee (FFMEMC) is pleased to announce its support of the forthcoming ISA Automation Conference and Exhibition – Europe, Middle East and Africa 2013, to be held at the Sheraton Dammam Hotel & Towers, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 8-12 December, 2013. In addition to being an official supporter of the conference and exhibition, the FFMEMC and member companies will be active participants throughout the event.

Organised by the Saudi Arabia Section of ISA (International Society of Automation) and DMS Global, the global marketing specialist for the energy sector, the ISA Automation Conference and Exhibition will be dedicated to process automation with the theme ‘Experience the Future’. ISA Automation 2013 will include a comprehensive technical conference programme, product exhibition, technical training sessions and workshops, and technology panel discussions throughout the five day event.

Industry sponsors of the event include: Saudi Aramco (titanium host sponsor); ABB (diamond sponsor); Al Abdulkarim, Auma, Azbil, Emerson Process Management, Invensys, SKF and Yokogawa (gold sponsors). The event is also supported by the FDT Group.

As part of the technical conference programme, the FFMEMC will give a technical presentation entitled “The Benefits of High Speed Ethernet (HSE) and FOUNDATION for Remote Operations Management (F-ROM)”. FOUNDATION™ fieldbus has been adopted extensively across the Middle East region in almost all the greenfield and the majority of the brownfield sectors of the region’s refinery, petrochemicals, chemicals, upstream and gas plant applications. Remote Operations Management is one of the fastest growing segments of the process automation industry today. The F-ROM solution enables end users to diagnose the condition of their automation assets either locally or remotely and then optimise predictive and preventive maintenance strategies.

The FFMEMC will also be conducting a ½ day technical tutorial session which will include practical insights into the implementation of FOUNDATION fieldbus systems in a range of applications with hands-on training and hints for successful system design, physical layer considerations, device commissioning, diagnostics, trouble-shooting and asset management.

As Head of ISA Saudi Arabia Section and ISA Automation 2013 Conference Chairman, Luay H. Al-Awami, Instrumentation Consultant at Saudi Aramco, commented, “The technical conference programme promises to be outstanding – we have been overwhelmed by submissions from industry leaders and subject matter experts. The selected papers explore the latest products, innovations and technologies and offer a unique opportunity for all participants to learn and discover.”

Luay H. Al-awami - Saudi Aramco

Al-Awami continued, “The conference will include several training sessions and workshops as a key aspect to enable automation engineers to get better exposure and some real hands-on experience with the products and technologies that they have installed or are considering for their applications – practical tutorials with technology experts are one of the most valuable ways to learn.”

Representatives from several FFMEMC member companies will participate in themed panel discussions that will address and discuss topical issues and challenges within the process industry – the full programme will follow in due course.

In addition, representatives from the sponsoring member companies will showcase their fieldbus products and services at the trade show enabling delegates to discuss their applications and view the technologies and solutions available.

Mehul Vaidya, Chairman – FFMEMC, welcomes the opportunity to be so actively involved in the event. “The FFMEMC enjoys a close working relationship with several ISA groups across the Gulf region and is particularly pleased to support the ISA Saudi Arabia Technical Committee in the organisation of ISA Automation 2013. This conference brings many technologies and facets of automation to a common platform. FOUNDATION fieldbus is definitely one of the leading technologies in the market and the FFMEMC is keen to engage in such an event.”

Mehul Vaidya - Chairman FFMEMC

Mehul continued, “Similarly, the FFMEMC has developed a strong partnership with Saudi Aramco as a major contributor to the Fieldbus Foundation Middle East - End User Council, and we are extremely grateful for the personal efforts of Luay H. Al-Awami in his role as FFME-EUC Chairman for several years. ISA Automation 2013 promises to be a unique opportunity for all parties involved with process automation to share or gain the latest technical knowledge and applications experiences from industry experts, suppliers, and end users from around the globe.”

ISA Automation 2013 is the first event of its kind in the region but Mohammed Loch, President & CEO – DMS Global, is confident that it will become a cornerstone event in the Middle East Process Automation calendar. “There are many mega energy events in the Middle East.  However, the ISA Automation Europe, Middle East, Africa Conference & Exhibition 2013 is the first major event to be dedicated to the Automation Sector. We are thrilled to have the official support of the Fieldbus Foundation Middle East Marketing Committee as it shows that it is not just an ISA event but a platform for the whole industry.”

For more details about ISA Automation Europe, Middle East, Africa Conference and Exhibition 2013, visit www.isa-emea-expo.org or email isa@dmsglobal.net.

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.

About the Fieldbus Foundation Middle East Marketing Committee

The Fieldbus Foundation Middle East Marketing Committee was formally established in 2004 and currently has 15 members including ABB, Azbil, Emerson Process Management, Endress+Hauser, Honeywell, Invensys, Metso Automation, MTL, Pepperl+Fuchs, Rockwell Automation, Samson, Siemens, R.Stahl, Turck and Yokogawa.

The FFMEMC is fully supported by the Fieldbus Foundation EMEA Steering Committee that implements the directives and strategies of the Fieldbus Foundation EMEA Executive Advisory Council (EAC). Since its establishment in February 2005, the FFEMEA EAC aims to ensure the funding and availability of human resources to support local fieldbus marketing across Europe, Middle East and Africa.

The FFMEMC aims to host three or four technical seminars per year throughout the region and supports the Fieldbus Foundation Middle East End User Council in its activities. To view the upcoming events with the FFMEMC, visit the Middle East Events Page. 

About the Fieldbus Foundation™

The Fieldbus Foundation is a global not-for-profit corporation consisting of leading process end users and automation companies.  Within the Fieldbus Foundation, end users, manufacturers, universities and research organisations work together to develop an automation infrastructure that allows you to view your process in high definition; manage information effectively; and optimise people, processes and technology.  For more information, visit their web site at www.fieldbus.org.

About the International Society of Automation (ISA):

Founded in 1945, the International Society of Automation (www.isa.org) is a leading, global, nonprofit organisation that is setting the standard for automation by helping over 30,000 worldwide members and other professionals solve difficult technical problems, while enhancing their leadership and personal career capabilities. Based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA, ISA develops standards; certifies industry professionals; provides education and training; publishes books and technical articles; and hosts conferences and exhibitions for automation professionals. ISA is the founding sponsor of the Automation Federation (www.automationfederation.org). The Saudi Arabia Section of ISA (ISA-SAS) was officially formed on October 24, 1980 under Saudi Aramco support.

About Data Media Systems (DMS):

Data Media Systems (DMS) is a global marketing specialist for the energy sector. It has various divisions, namely the DMS Projects, DMS Publishing, DMS Events, DMS Cybernation and DMS Promostation. DMS operates globally through its operations in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, India, China, Singapore, Russia, UK, Italy, Spain, Canada & USA.  For more information please look at www.dmsglobal.net

STC Brielle: Our Certified Trainer for EMEA

I have written here before before about our FOUNDATION Certified Training Program (FCTP), and it's time to highlight our certified partner for training in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa -- STC Brielle.  I was recently in Amsterdam and had some time to take a trip to Rotterdam to see the STC campus, which is right in the port of Rotterdam.  In Rotterdam, the focus of STC is primarily on shipboard operations and training for crane and gantry operators and other technical training related to the maritime, shipping, and transportation industries.

STC Brielle Portable Training Kit

View from the Control Room of the Pilot Plant

We then took a drive over to the Brielle campus, which is where the process automation training is done.  Brielle also serves as the location of the pilot plant, which is comprised of many different units and incorporates a huge amount of FOUNDATION fieldbus devices, as well as devices compatible with other protocols. STC Brielle also has portable training kits for on site training. Fieldbus training courses are for end users, design engineers, electrical engineers and operators, and cater to specific skill and knowledge levels. The Foundation Fieldbus training courses can be combined with elements of the process control and automation courses.

Pilot Plant

The Port of Rotterdam area is very important to the Fieldbus Foundation.  Some of our most high profile installations are there, including the Shell Pernis refinery and Shin Etsu refining, which avoided at least two unplanned shutdowns because of their use of FOUNDATION fieldbus control in the field capabilities.

You can link to the STC Brielle Section of our FCTP web site here for more information.

Support End User Training in Pune, India, By Donating Your FOUNDATION Fieldbus Equipment

As you know, the Fieldbus Foundation is committed to delivering not only the best in technology, but also the essential training that allows end users to get the most out of the technology. That is why we developed our FOUNDATION Certified Training Program (FCTP), which ensures consistency and quality in training at some of the world's leading technology and industrial educational institutions around the world.

We are pleased to announce that we have added a new FCTP partner site for end user training in Pune, India, which as you know is one of the fastest growing markets for adoption of fieldbus technology. UL is a well-known supplier of automation training solutions to our industry, with an excellent reputation for quality and highly qualified personnel. 

The Foundation would like our manufacturing members to be part of the success of this important new training site by providing hosts, devices, physical layer components, and cable to properly equip the site to deliver vendor neutral, first class training to end users across a wide range of industry segments.

Think about it. Every day that an end user is in class, they are becoming more knowledgeable and comfortable with the quality products your company provides. What better way to market your automation solutions then to provide your customers and potential customers with hands on knowledge of your products? 

Many of you may know Mr. B.R. Mehta, Senior Vice President of Reliance Refining. Here is what Mr. Mehta has to say about the importance of high quality training:

"When we began our search for the automation technology essential to build the largest refinery in the world, it was obvious that to maximize our return on this significant investment, Reliance would need to educate their operating personnel in engineering, operations and maintenance. We recognized FOUNDATION fieldbus as the technology of choice, and we also recognized that for ongoing success, India needed a dedicated training institute to support an ever growing economy. The Fieldbus training site at UL Group in Pune is the culmination of that dream and the result of more and more end user demand."

Each contributing company will have their company name proudly displayed on a high visibility plaque in multiple locations within the facility. There will be no doubt as to your support and commitment of the technology and the trust you have in your products and the training center itself.

Please consider a donation of FOUNDATION-based products to our newest training center at UL Group, Pune, India. Download the equipment donation form and return it to Dileep Miskin (ff@ulepl.com) of the UL Group at your earliest convenience. If you need more information, Dileep can be reached by email or at +919970006819.

Announcing the 2013 James O. Gray Scholarship Recipients

The Fieldbus Foundation has announced the 2013 recipients of the James O. Gray-Fieldbus Foundation Scholarship Fund. The program honors the memory of James (Jim) O. Gray, a long-time leader in the Fieldbus Foundation who passed away in 2002. It establishes a perpetual $250,000 endowment fund providing scholarships to students seeking a career in the industrial automation profession.

Since 2003, the James O. Gray-Fieldbus Foundation Scholarship program has funded 29 educational scholarships for students around the world.

Fieldbus Foundation President Rich Timoney commented: "We are pleased to announce this year's recipients of the Jim Gray scholarship. These are outstanding students that have really distinguished themselves in their pursuit of fieldbus knowledge. The Fieldbus Foundation realizes that the right training is the key to the future of process automation."

The 2013 scholarship recipients include:

Váradi Gergely, University of Miskolc, Miskolc, Hungary: Váradi Gergely is a first-year Masters of Science student in electrical engineering at the University of Miskolc, and his Bachelor of Science degree has a specialization in electrical design and manufacturing. His studies included the design of electrical circuits and printed circuit boards (PCBs), manufacturing technology of the electronics industry and industrial testing methods.

Váradi Gergely

Gergely also acquired high-level knowledge of computer-controlled measurement systems programmed with National Instruments LabView development environment, and industrial process control systems. During the final year of his undergraduate studies, Gergely's senior project successfully modeled a FOUNDATION fieldbus-based control system for a chemical batch reactor, for which it was graded a five (on a five-grade scale). In his masters-level studies, Gergely plans to improve his theoretical and practical knowledge and experiences with a specialization in automation and industrial process control.

John Lima, Fieldbus Center at Lee College, Baytown, Texas USA: John Lima is working towards a degree in Instrumentation at Lee College. He is also a student assistant in the college's Fieldbus Technology Lab.  A native of Brazil, Lima worked for Bradesco Bank after completing his high school education, saving enough money to eventually fulfill his dream of "coming to America." To sustain his dream, he was employed in a number of industries, including restaurants, nursing homes, construction and business offices. Setting high expectations for himself, Lima works to excel in his studies and is a firm believer in a good education.

John Lima

Pattarapon Taosrichai, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Bangkok, Thailand: Pattarapon Taosrichai is a junior at KMITL, majoring in automation engineering. He plans to further his knowledge of FOUNDATION technology, and to communicate its importance through the Internet and social media.

Jim Gray was employed by Invensys/Foxboro for 25 years as sales and marketing manager. In addition to being very active within the Fieldbus Foundation from its inception, he held the positions of: secretary of the Board of Directors, member of the Executive Committee, and member of the U.S. Marketing Committee.

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

Fieldbus Training Center and Instructor Receive Accolades

Trine University in Indianapolis, Indiana is one of our Foundation Certified Training Program (FCTP) partners.  Trine's chief instructor, Dave Lancaster, is a long-time fieldbus professional with experience managing the world's largest fieldbus projects.  Recently, the Indiana Council for Continuing Education (ICCE) awarded Trine’s FF400 – FOUNDATION Certified Professional course as “Course of the Year” and instructor, David Lancaster, as “Faculty of the Year”.

Mr. Lancaster has developed the curriculum for both FOUNDATION Fieldbus certified courses and numerous other custom FOUNDATION Fieldbus training programs. His excellent teaching skills and profound involvement in FOUNDATION Fieldbus technology since 1999 make him a valuable asset to Trine University, the Fieldbus Foundation, and everywhere FOUNDATION Fieldbus technology is used.

Trine University offers FOUNDATION Certified Professional and Technical Specialist courses, both in hybrid format (online plus four days of hands-on training in the FOUNDATION Fieldbus lab at Trine’s Indianapolis Regional Campus), providing students with more time for hands-on learning and savings on expenses.

Registration is currently open for FOUNDATION Certified Professional course, April 22 - 25, and FOUNDATION Certified Technical Specialist course, April 15 – 18. Registration deadline is April 1. Tuition discounts are available to Fieldbus Foundation members, groups, and attendees of Fieldbus Foundation End-User Seminars.

For more information, course descriptions, or to view the 2013 course schedule, please visit Trine’s website.http://www.trine.edu/conted/foundation_fieldbus/

First Ever Open Enrollment Developer Training in Pune, India, Coming April 23-26

The Fieldbus Foundation, for the first time ever in India, will offer open enrollment training classes for FOUNDATION fieldbus product developers April 23-26 in Pune, India. The training sessions, meant for developers of FOUNDATION fieldbus products, will be held at UL Group of Companies, Katraj, Pune.

In order to keep pace with the growing adoption of FOUNDATION technology in India, as well as the increasing trend of companies moving their development sectors there, the Fieldbus Foundation plans to provide regularly scheduled developer training in the India region.

Two comprehensive developer courses will be offered in Pune: "Introduction to FOUNDATION Fieldbus" on Tuesday, April 23; and "Advanced Principles of FOUNDATION Fieldbus" on April 24-26. These courses are designed for beginning and advanced fieldbus development professionals, respectively.

The vendor-neutral "Introduction to FOUNDATION Fieldbus" course is intended for developers, marketing professionals, applications engineers, system integrators and others interested in obtaining a fundamental knowledge of FOUNDATION technology. Students will become familiar with the basic concepts and new terminology related to the FOUNDATION integrated architecture. They will understand the key strategies for wiring and installation of a fieldbus network. Special emphasis will be placed on design issues such as power requirements, device types and topologies.

The "Introduction to FOUNDATION Fieldbus" course assumes little or no prior knowledge of FOUNDATION technology, but students should already be familiar with process control and existing 4-20 mA technology found in present-day installations. The vendor-neutral "Advanced Principles of FOUNDATION Fieldbus" course is intended for manufacturers and developers of fieldbus hardware and software. The course is best suited for development engineers, test engineers, and all who wish to understand the detailed inner workings of a fieldbus device. The "Introduction to FOUNDATION Fieldbus" course is a prerequisite for this advanced class. Students should be familiar with the basic terminology of FOUNDATION technology, and have a general understanding of its communications protocol, function block execution, linkages and DDs.

Link to Fieldbus Foundation Developer Training and Registration Information

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

University of Miskolc Becomes FOUNDATION Certified Training Partner

The Fieldbus Foundation held a press conference yesterday at the University of Miskolc, Hungary, to announce that the university has been successful in the rigorous certification process required to become a Foundation Certified Training Program (FCTP) training site. This program establishes uniform standards for fieldbus educational curriculum around the globe, and defines acceptable levels of learning for students of the technology.

The University of Miskolc is now the preferred site for certified FOUNDATION fieldbus training in the Central & Eastern Europe region.  There are rigorous procedures that educational institutions must follow to gain certified training site status, and for certifying course instructors and curriculum. Certified training centers are required to maintain multiple hosts and devices onsite in order to demonstrate competence with FOUNDATION fieldbus technology. They are also audited to ensure their course material adheres to set instructional standards covering fieldbus segment limits; device replacements; commands, icons, menus and screen designs of different software packages; and communication, scheduling and function block assignments enabling configuration.

For many years, the University of Miskolc, Research Institute of Applied Earth Sciences - Department of Research Instrumentation and Informatics, has been actively involved with several research projects to use, develop, and teach industrial communication systems.

Fieldbus Training Laboratory at University of Miskolc

Three instructors at the University of Miskolc have been certified to conduct FCTP courses. József Subert, Viktor Füvesi and Ildikó Bölkény are all members of the Research Institute of Applied Earth Sciences - Department of Research Instrumentation and Informatics and, in addition to their teaching and research roles, are key members of the program and organizing committees of the annual Distributed Control Systems (DCS) meeting, a key event in Hungary for control engineers.  The press conference was given in conjunction with the DCS event this week.

The University of Miskolc will be offering the Foundation Certified Support Specialist course.

Dr. Károly Jónap, Head of Department of Research Instrumentation and Informatics, commented, “Certification is important for the University of Miskolc because we are formally recognized by the foundation as a high quality training center. This will give our customers a guarantee that the content of our courses, the course materials and the knowledge of our trainers are up to date.” He added “we are looking forward to a mutually beneficial partnership with the Fieldbus Foundation”.

Jürgen George, Chairman of the Fieldbus Foundation Central & Eastern Europe Marketing Committee (FFCEEMC), is delighted that the University of Miskolc has gained its accreditation. “One of the key objectives of the FFCEEMC is to provide technical training, support and information about FOUNDATION technology and its applications to users and potential users throughout the CEE region at a local venue and, where possible, in a local language”. He continued, “To have a certified training center here in Hungary that can support the CEE region’s technical training needs is a great achievement for all those involved.”

Around the world, institutions currently certified under the FCTP program include: Fieldbus Center at Lee College, United States; Trine University, United States; SAIT Polytechnic, Canada; STC Group - Brielle, The Netherlands, University of Miskolc, Hungary; Waseda University, Japan; and King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology, Thailand. Other training centers participating in the program include: Sinopec Yanshan, China and LEAD in Brazil.

FCTP Program

Unversity of Miskolc Industrial Communication R&D and Training Laboratory

Fieldbus Foundation at Emerson Exchange

The Fieldbus Foundation has a big presence at the Emerson Global Users Exchange this week at the Orange County Convention Center Hilton, and with good reason.  With thousands of attendees, many of them end users, the Exchange is one of the premier events in the process automation industry.  I am delivering the update presentation on our FOUNDATION for ROM program, Stephen Mitschke, our director of fieldbus products is delivering a presentation on the FDI (Field Device Integration) initiative, and Denise Lloyd, who is our director of training services, is delivering a great presentation on what it takes to develop a world class training program.

Trine University Adds Remote Learning Capabilities to its Certified Fieldbus Training

Trine University in Indianapolis, Indiana was one of our first FOUNDATION Certified Training Program  (FCTP) partners, and we are pleased to announce that they are the first FCTP partner to add remote learning capabilities to the FOUNDATION Certified Professional course using a hybrid delivery method -- classroom and hands-on lab training combined with online lectures and tests.

The FOUNDATION Certified Professional Certificate is geared toward engineers, designers, main instrumentation controls contractors, and startup and commissioning specialists wanting to increase their knowledge base of design, planning and implementation of FOUNDATION systems. Until recently, this vendor-neutral, comprehensive full-week course at Trine University was a hands-on class that covered all areas of Fieldbus instrumentation: design, installation, configuration, maintenance and troubleshooting.

Here's what Trine had to say about the need to add remote learning capabilities to their course offerings:

"In order to meet anticipated growth, make training more accessible and reduce costs for trainees, Trine is continuing to implement significant changes. By decreasing the time students spend on campus from five to four days, the latest change allows double the time for hands-on learning, which affords students a greater experience. They will learn more in the way of installation methods, diagnostic tools and troubleshooting methods. In addition, trainees can remain in the workplace while accessing lectures and tests online. Students have access to “chat rooms” to discuss points or ask questions. This hybrid delivery method is more accommodating to potential foreign and domestic students."

"The FOUNDATION Certified Support Specialist and Technical Specialist courses will also be available in the hybrid format in October 2012. A fourth FOUNDATION certified course (Installation) will be available in 2014."

"“A critical component to the success of fieldbus training at Trine University is our instructor Dave Lancaster. Through his excellence in teaching, curriculum development, and 44 years of experience in the engineering and contractor business, Dave is an invaluable asset,” said Mersiha Alic, program director. “In addition, he secured over $250,000 of donations in lab equipment from a variety of vendors, expanding the size of the new lab at Trine’s Regional Campus in Indianapolis, allowing high-quality, vendor neutral training.”"

Many end users are opting for remote learning options so they can spend more time on their plant site and reduce travel costs. The ongoing labor crunch, combined with advancements in Internet-based remote training technologies, are now making it not only possible but necessary for training institutions to add a remote component to their course offerings. We look forward to more of our FCTP partners adding remote training options to their course offerings in the future.

Trine offers new, flexible FOUNDATION™ certified courses

New Video from FCTP Partner SAIT

Our FOUNDATION Certified Training Program (FCTP) partner Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) has allowed us to upload a nice video to the FOUNDATION fieldbus YouTube channel that provides a good view into the SAIT fieldbus training center and their training capabilities. We love to show off our FCTP partner training capabilities, because we spend a lot of time auditing and certifying our FCTP partners to make sure their programs consist of a certain level of quality and consistency.  We audit the institution, the instructors, and the curriculum. We take training seriously and so does SAIT!

SAIT Video on Fieldbus Foundation YouTube Channel

PACE Article: Investment in Skills Required to Support FOUNDATION Fieldbus Systems

Australian automation publication PACE Process Control & Engineering has a good article by Kevin Gomez on the investment in training and skills development that is required to support FOUNDATION fieldbus systems.  The article quotes Rafael Koenig, head of the Process Control & Automation Division and PI Competence Centre at Tyco Flow Control. Koenig presented a white paper at the Ninth International Alumina Quality Workshop in Perth. Koenig highlights the need for better training in the process industries in general.  To achieve the true operational and maintenance cost benefits of fieldbus, users must implement a predictive maintenance strategy.

From the article:

“Industry must look at broader benefits, such as enabling sophisticated tools like predictive maintenance for intelligent asset management,” Koenig said.

A lack of training, experience and support were holding back the technology, he added.

“We need to overcome a shortage of skilled engineering resources in process control and automation,” Koenig said."

We at the Foundation couldn't agree more.  Without the investment in training and skilled people, users will have a difficult time getting the biggest benefits out of FOUNDATION fieldbus -- the implementation of a true predictive and proactive maintenance strategy.

PACE Process Investment in Skills Required to Support Fieldbus Systems

Hanover Fair, Calgary Seminar

We just returned from a busy two weeks on the road, one of them spent at Hanover Fair in Germany where we participated in the Field Communication Lounge.  Five foundations, including Fieldbus Foundation, FDT Group, HART Communication Foundation, OPC Foundation and Profibus International all shared a large booth to promote our message of digital field communications and information management.  Fieldbus Foundation showcased our demonstration units that we use for our seminars in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.  These are designed to be "hands on" demonstration units that allow users to find out for themselves that FOUNDATION fieldbus is easy to use.  The three demonstration units include hosts from Emerson, Honeywell, and Endress+Hauser and devices from a wide range of suppliers.  I also gave several presentations at Hanover highlighting our efforts in FOUNDATION for Remote Operations Management (ROM) and FOUNDATION for Safety Instrumented Functions (SIF) technology.

FOUNDATION Fieldbus Demo Units on Display at Hanover

We will return to Germany in a few weeks to participate in the Field Communications Lounge at the Achema show in Frankfurt.  Achema is the very big show that focuses on the German chemical industry.  While Hanover's focus seems to be leaning more toward factory automation, the Achema show is most definitely a process automaton affair.

Last week we were at Lee College in Baytown, Texas, which is one of our certified training centers under the FOUNDATION Certified Training Program (FCTP).  Our purpose for being at Lee was to organize our demonstrations and presentations for our series of upcoming seminars in North America.  Our first seminar will be in Calgary at the TELUS Convention Center on May 23rd.  You can register online for the seminar here.  We have made many changes this year and we welcome our new host system demonstration supplier Invensys Operations Management, as well as our returning demo suppliers Emerson Process Management and Yokogawa.  Our full list of sponsors for the seminar is available here and includes Cobalt Process, Emerson, Endress+Hauser, Invensys, MooreHawke, MTL/Cooper, Pepperl+Fuchs, Phoenix Contact, Stahl, Rockwell Automation, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Westlock, and Yokogawa.

Last Call for Developer Training in Frankfurt

We will be conducting developer training courses in Frankfurt, Germany at  BIS Prozesstechnik GmbH in May and the deadline for registration is approaching faster than a control loop executed in the field!  Introduction to FOUNDATION Fieldbus Course will be held May 8th.  Advanced Principles of FOUNDATION Fieldbus will be held May 9-11th.  If you are considering developing a FOUNDATION fieldbus product or simply need to train new developers for your existing solutions, you should attend these courses.  Registration deadline is April 17th for the Introduction course and April 18th for Advanced Principles.  You can download the full PDF with all the information you need about this year's developer courses here.  Hope to see you in Frankfurt!

STC Brielle Fieldbus Training Center Gets an Upgrade

The STC-Group in the Netherlands is one of our certified training partners. Recently, they opened new and renovated facilities at its premises in Brielle, near Rotterdam. The improved process and maintenance industry training facilities at Brielle will enhance the training experiences of delegates attending the fieldbus training courses offered by STC-Group under the FOUNDATION Certified Training Program (FCTP).

 In 2009, STC-Group’s Brielle facility was one of the first educational institutions worldwide to offer fieldbus training courses certified under FCTP. This program establishes uniform standards for fieldbus educational curriculum around the globe, and defines acceptable levels of learning for students of the technology.  You can read more about the FCTP program on the Fieldbus Foundation web site. 

Earlier this year, the Fieldbus Foundation certified Dr. Bindert Douma as a FOUNDATION certified instructor on behalf of STC-Group. Dr. Douma has an extensive process automation background at Shell Global Solutions, a leading global energy company.

Recognition under the FCTP means that FOUNDATION fieldbus training courses are taught at a certified training site, by a certified instructor, using certified curriculum. The core instructional content, developed by a team of qualified instructors from various institutions worldwide, is consistent across all the training facilities. For educational institutions, there are rigorous procedures for gaining FCTP status, and for certifying course instructors and curriculum. Certified training centers are required to maintain multiple hosts and devices onsite in order to demonstrate competence with fieldbus technology. They are also audited to ensure their course material adheres to set instructional standards covering fieldbus segment limits; device replacements; commands, icons, menus and screen designs of different software packages; and communication, scheduling and function block assignments enabling configuration.

STC Brielle Training Facilities

At its facility located in Brielle, the Netherlands, close to the Rotterdam-Europoort industrial areas, STC-Group has established a unique training centre for process control and automation. The combination of complex simulation facilities and hands-on training gives students a chance to enhance their theoretical knowledge and gain user experience by working on real fieldbus equipment and configurations. STC Brielle also offers portable fieldbus training units that can be brought to customer sites anywhere in the EMEA region. 

New YouTube Video on Lee College Fieldbus Training Center

Earlier this summer I attended a conference for our Fieldbus Certified Training Partner (FCTP) program.  This conference was held at one of our certified training centers at Lee College in Baytown, Texas.  Chuck Carter, our primary instructor at Lee College, gave us a tour of the fieldbus lab as well as their training facilities for process automation, analytical instruments and their pilot plant.  I pulled everything together in a video that you can access at the Fieldbus Foundation YouTube channel. 

YouTube Video of Lee College Fieldbus and Process Automation Training Center

Fieldbus Lab at Lee College