The FFEUC-ME is the latest addition to the Fieldbus Foundation's global User Councils (EUCs), and joins existing councils in Australia, Europe, Italy, Japan, Latin America, New Zealand, North America, Singapore and Canada. The EUCs provide a forum for the exchange of information about the application and development of Foundation fieldbus. EUC members share experiences from field trials and initial installations. The EUCs also ensure that future enhancements of Foundation fieldbus are heavily influenced by end users, and that the technology meets the needs of the marketplace. Any end user or institution related to controls and instrumentation may become an EUC member. Although product manufacturers cannot become EUC members, they may attend and contribute at meetings.
According to Fieldbus Foundation president and CEO Richard Timoney, the new Middle East EUC will enable end users to contribute to the success of fieldbus technology in one of the world's fastest growing industrial regions. We are pleased to assist the user community in the in establishing a Foundation fieldbus End User Council, said Timoney. This part of the world is adopting fieldbus at an unprecedented rate, and we want to provide our full support to those implementing the technology.
Timoney said that EUC members receive information and support from industry professionals who are experts in various aspects of fieldbus including technology, engineering, installation, configuration and day-to-day use. Members have an opportunity to network with manufacturers, customers, engineering firms, institutions and other interested parties. They also share their experiences with other users and find solutions to common problems.
The FFEUC-ME kick-off meeting will be a major event bringing together international and local Foundation fieldbus experts to share their experiences with end user participants. Expected presentation topics include: Fieldbus Standards and Specifications; Experiences on Recent FF Projects; CapEx and OpEx Savings from FF; Commissioning Experiences & Lessons Learned; New Maintenance Procedures Required by FF; FF Training Experiences and Lessons Learned; and Interoperability Issues, Fixes and Lessons Learned. The FFEUC-ME meeting will also include a tabletop exhibition of Foundation fieldbus products and services.
According to the Foundation, presenters interested in participating in the FFEUC-ME meeting are invited to submit presentation summaries no later than July 14, 2004 for consideration. All presentations will be reviewed prior to approval.
