Converting existing networks to Profibus can be a daunting task for maintenance personnel experienced in traditional analogue principles. Installing and maintaining Profibus applications requires different skills, and with this in mind Endress+Hauser South Africa recently embarked on an intensive, certified Profibus training programme for staff.
Service technicians and sales engineers were identified to attend either a Profibus engineer or installer course, or both. Endress+Hauser Process Solutions, was appointed to conduct the training, both theoretical and hands-on, to ensure the company expands its skills base and ability to assist customers utilising Profibus in their plants.
Training and examinations were divided into theoretical and practical components, with participants needing to achieve a minimum of 70% for each component to be certified as competent. Six new certified Profibus engineers and 18 installers graduated at the end, to be added to the company’s list of qualified personnel.
“The major benefit is that now we have more certified personnel that know how to use repeaters, fibre-optic links and couplers to segment a network. They can detect problems earlier, often even before they occur, enabling our customers to prevent expensive unplanned downtime,” explains fieldbus specialist, Rodney Englund. “The easily accessible diagnostic data allows predictive maintenance through plant asset management tools such as FieldCare, enabling our intelligent devices to assist with predictive maintenance, increasing the life cycle and reducing cost of ownership at the plant.”
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