Instrumentation and automation specialist Endress+Hauser has announced the establishment of a strategic alliance with Brazilian-based field communication experts, SMAR.
Having already cooperated on Foundation Fieldbus solutions, the two partners will now focus on field communication in general, including Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus, Hart and other standardised technologies to provide open solutions to their customers. Both companies have a tradition of stressing open connectivity from field devices to control architecture and the MES.
SMAR is recognised as a pioneer with highly advanced software and hardware technologies in Foundation Fieldbus. Endress+Hauser has the widest range of Profibus PA, Hart and Foundation Fieldbus instruments on the market.
"Foundation Fieldbus is one of the most important digital communication bus standards used in Process Automation plants today," says Klaus Endress, CEO and the Endress+Hauser group's Chief Operating Officer. "The great experience that SMAR has in Foundation Fieldbus in particular will strengthen the range of process automation solutions that we can offer to our customers worldwide."
"We can draw on our experience gained from many thousands of digital instruments operating in Fieldbus Foundation controlled process loops," stresses SMAR's President Edmundo Gorini. "Endress+Hauser is an ideal partner for SMAR. Our cooperation will result in advanced Foundation Fieldbus solutions being available to a broad range of customers who will benefit from this top technology, as well as from an extended range of open communications solutions for the market".
For Endress+Hauser South Africa, the partnership could not have been announced at a better time, as the local operation is about to embark on a process of transformation that will see the traditionally product-supply based company turn into a total solution provider in 2002.
About SMAR
SMAR is 26 years old, has 720 employees and is a US$51m turnover company working in the field of instrumentation and solutions for process control and manufacturing automation.
Originally based in Brazil, SMAR is today directly present in eight countries and worldwide through an extensive network of distributors and representatives. SMAR has, historically, heavily invested in R&D having pioneered many of the technologies available today in the market. This is consolidated in a broad offering that includes Hart, Profibus and Foundation Fieldbus instruments and solutions.
Since 1992, the company has put strong efforts into developing and establishing its powerful Fieldbus based System302, resulting in more than 400 commercial installations throughout the world. SMAR also leads the 'Fieldbus Foundation technology provider business' along with system integration based upon an extensive basket of own field devices, interfaces, integrated circuits and software.
About Endress+Hauser
The Endress+Hauser Group was founded by Georg H. Endress and Ludwig Hauser in 1953 and is completely owned by the Endress family today. It belongs to the top bracket of suppliers of measurement instruments and automation solutions for process engineering (among others, for the chemical and petrochemical industry, pharmaceuticals, foods, water and waste water, paper, energy, oil and gas) as well as high-quality printed circuit boards worldwide. Today, the group comprises 24 production companies in nine countries, 42 sales and service subsidiaries in 37 countries as well as seven management companies. The group is led by a holding company domiciled in Reinach (Switzerland). In 2000, total sales of Endress+Hauser amounted to 1,149 billion Swiss francs (EUR 738 million). The group employed a staff of 6210 at the end of 2000.
Endress+Hauser is the market leader or belongs to the five biggest suppliers in the areas of level, flow, pressure and temperature measurement, tank gauging as well as industrial analysis. Competent sales and services have been dependably established across the globe.
Endress+Hauser
(011) 262 8000
© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved
printer friendly version