Two of North America's leading
Foundation Fieldbus experts…
First-hand reports from an
experienced user of the technology…
An up-to-the-minute update on international developments…
A field trip to New Zealand's largest Foundation
Fieldbus site…
A one-day training course…
All this and more is on the programme of a premier NZ EUC
seminar. An event that includes presentations from two of the world's leading
Foundation Fieldbus (FF) experts.
The visitors are Ian Verhappen (Engineering Associate
at Syncrude Canada Ltd's Extraction Department - one of the world's largest
FF sites), and Kurt Zech, the FF organisation's Technical Services
Manager, based in Austin, Texas.
The two-day seminar features the visitors' presentations
on Tuesday, and a field trip (by bus) to New Zealand's largest FF site
- Nuplex's resin plant in Penrose. A FF training session is scheduled for
Wednesday 12th.
The seminar presents an ideal opportunity for anyone interested
in learning more about the technology.
Ian Verhappen is an experienced FF user and his presentation
covers an outline of the cost benefits of installing the technology (as
compared with conventional analogue systems).
He is co-chair of the FF Interoperability Test Committee,
and Syncrude's representative on the Canadian FF EUC. He also chairs the
ISA S97 committee and serves on several other ISA standards committees,
including those seeking to update all ISA standards to incorporate fieldbus
technology.
Syncrude's FF installation is particularly interesting because
it was designed to demonstrate the interoperability of multi-vendor technology
in a FF environment. Comprehensive information about the installation can
be found at the Syncrude website: . (Check for the Executive Summary about
the project in the website's "Research" section).
Kurt's presentation explores the current international situation
in terms of conformance testing for host systems, and will provide up-to-the-minute
information about the HSE (high speed ethernet) and fieldbus standards.
He can provide details about specific devices in terms of FF compliance
and the availability of FF training resources internationally.
He has more than seven years experience with FF, and was
manager for the technology's Alpha, Beta, and Beta Plant Tests. He is currently
the manager of FF Training Programs, all technical services and the manager
for conformance and interoperability testing.
Training course
Wednesday's one-day course is targeted at those installing
and specifying equipment, electricians and instrument technicians, as well
as consultants who need to know more about the technology to help them
with design/specification issues.
It has been designed and is presented by Waikato Polytech's
Simon White, and provides a general overview of FF concepts and technology,
and 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.
Simon uses a National Instruments controlled system in a
fully-functioning multi-vendor display to give students a practical demonstration
of the technology. The course will be held in AUT's Department of Electrical
Engineering which features an operational FF system controlled by a Fisher-Rosemount
Delta V.
Equipment being demonstrated includes:
A Fisher Controls Digital Valve Controller and a Fisher-Rosemount
pressure and level transmitter, both connected to National Instruments'
configuration software and Honeywell's Plantscape scada.
AUT's Fisher Controls Digital Valve Controller and
Fisher-Rosemount magnetic flowmeter.
Components from other suppliers, such as a Foxboro
differential pressure transmitter, SMAR signal converters and a Honeywell
temperature transmitter.
Costs
Seminar costs are as follows:
IMC and FF EUC members $250.00 per day
Non members $295.00 per day
A discount is offered to delegates attending both days:
IMC and FF EUC members $420.00
Non members $510.00
Costs are exclusive of GST, but include morning and afternoon
teas, lunch and the field-trip to Nuplex in Penrose.
NB: It is proposed that seminar delegates
attend an informal dinner on the Wednesday night with Ian Verhappen and
Kurt Zech. If you are interested in attending,
please indicate your
interest when you register. Budget for about $60.00 per head.
Parking
Anew parking garage (Secure
Parking) has opened alongside AUT in St Paul's Street. It offers an all-day
early bird rate ($6.00) to those entering before 10.00 am.
Accommodation
Accommodation for out-of-town delegates
has been arranged at the Copthorne HarbourCity Hotel at 196 - 200 Quay
Street in downtown Auckland (next to the America's Cup village). The hotel
(09-377--0349) is offering a special rate of $140.00 per night (ex GST)
to seminar delegates. When making a reservation, please quote the Foundation
Fieldbus Seminar to qualify for the special rate.
Registration
To register for the Presentations and/or training
course, please contact John Sullivan or Jim Neville at 09-634-1391,
or email: .
More
EUC initiatives
A Nationwide Road Show and Portable
Demo Kit
A campaign aimed at promoting Foundation Fieldbus technology
in industrial centres such as Hamilton, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Palmerston
North and Christchurch. Targeted clients would be invited to each event.
The EUC has initiated discussions with Foundation Fieldbus
in the US in a bid to borrow FF-compliant components from different vendors
and develop a portable kit for live demonstrations of the technology.
DIANZ Presentation
To launch the road show programme, the FF EUC has reserved
a stand at the Dairy Industry Association of New Zealand's (DIANZ) annual
conference in Tauranga (1st and 2nd of June). Dianz's
Steven Beros will present a paper at the conference about the Institute's
FF installation used to control the technology for growing cheese cultures.
Student Help - for Free
Fancy the idea of free help from a third year Electrical
Engineering student?
AUT wants its senior students to gain some practical experience
in electro-technology environments. It believes that practical industry
experience is essential to the development of student graduates.
Students are available for a period of 14 weeks (beginning
June this year), and are expected to work at least 35 hours a week on the
project, reserving one day each week to attend formal AUT sessions.
What sort of work? A simple example might consist of assembling
and testing 10 prototypes of a new consumer electronic design, or completion
of PLC software to control lighting or some other aspect of building services.
A high grade project - for an honours student - might involve
concept, software and hardware design and a working prototype of a compete
microprocessor-based controller involving about 10 I/O.
Anyone willing to provide a student ‘learning environment’
should contact Tony D’Arcy at Tel: 09-307-9999 x 8073, or email:
NEWSFLASH
Kiwi Dairies has just placed an order for Fisher-Rosemount
Plantweb Fieldbus system for its #2 dryer. The system includes a Delta
V control system and 11 Fisher Controls digital valve controllers.
For more news about Foundation Fieldbus technology, visit the FF website at: http://www.fieldbus.org/