Polytech launches Foundation course
New Zealand industry’s growing interest in Foundation Fieldbus technology has been bolstered by the establishment of a one-day introductory course at one of the country’s leading process control training facilities – the Waikato Polytech.
 
The course – presented earlier this month for the first time – was developed by Simon White, the instrumentation tutor at the Polytech’s Department of Electrical Engineering. It was attended by eight representatives from industry and White says it will be presented at least three more times next year.
Designed to provide a general overview of Foundation Fieldbus concepts and technology, the course includes a section on cabling, layout options and configuration. It also explores a number of installation case studies and examines device functionality and the function blocks used in the technology.
 
White says the course received a jump-start thanks to the co-operation of a number of local vendors which enabled him to demonstrate the technology with a working Foundation Fieldbus system. “Quite a bit of equipment has been donated or loaned, and we were able to buy various pieces at a discounted price.”
The Polytech’s system features National Instruments’ configuration software and interface card, a Fisher-Rosemount 3051 pressure transmitter and a Fisher DVC valve positioner provided by Custom Controls.
Streat Control Agency loaned a Smar temperature transmitter and a Foundation Fieldbus to current converter. WA Fisher loaned two Foxboro pressure transmitters for the course.
 Honeywell donated its Plantscape Scada software to operate the overall system.
 
“The variety of vendor equipment on display is very significant,” says White, “because it demonstrates and reinforces the interoperability features of Foundation Fieldbus technology.”
 
One or more the courses scheduled for next year may be presented at Auckland Institute of Technology (AIT) to make them more accessible to students in Auckland. White says the two facilities have agreed to collaborate in presenting the training, and points out that AIT already has a fully-functioning Foundation Fieldbus system configured around a Fisher-Rosemount Delta-V.
 
The Polytech’s future plans include the incorporation of the course as an introductory module into the national curriculum for students studying Industrial Measurement and Control. White says the course will be adapted and developed as the installed base of Foundation Fieldbus technology in New Zealand expands.
Attendees at the inaugural course say it’s well worth it. “Good content and structure,” says Steve Gatiss, project engineer at Hamilton’s McClunie Birch consulting engineers.
The company does a lot of work with New Zealand’s dairy industry, and Gatiss says while the DeviceNet Bus is ideal for handling the slower requirement of digital devices, the much faster Foundation Fieldbus system should provide the faster comms requirement of analog devices.
 
Initial dates for next year's courses are 30 March, 25 May, 26 October. Contact Simon White by email - ecskw@twp.ac.nz. or phone 07 834 8800 ext 8578.
 
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