Fieldbus Market provides insight on different fieldbus protocols. This research service identifies the major industry challenges affecting demand. It also discusses drivers and restraints influencing fieldbus usage across the process industries. The research also provides an estimate of the market size across different geographies, protocols, and end users. In this research, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the following technologies: highway addressable remote transducer (HART) fieldbus, foundation fieldbus, profibus, modbus and others. The application segments covered in this research service are oil and gas, chemical and petrochemical, power generation, food ansd beverages, pharmaceutical and other process industries.

Market Overview

Real-time Data Demand Boosts Fieldbus Adoption in European Process Industries

Fieldbus devices with high functionality, reduced cabling, simple networking and easy maintenance have significant growth opportunities in the European process automation market. There is a need for fieldbus devices in the process automation environment due to the requirement for advanced diagnostic control and the demand for continuous data retrieval from the field devices. The predictive maintenance capability of fieldbus devices acts as a centralised control, enhancing the efficiency and operational capability of the process control units. Reduction in cabling bulk results in substantial savings of capital expenditure and also reduces the total man hours spent on maintenance. Plant availability is also increased by boosting the number of add-on devices through lowered commissioning efforts. Thus, fieldbus devices provide the advantage of online information tracking, which helps in improving overall plant effectiveness. "The prognostic capability of fieldbus devices enables easy diagnosis of any controller or equipment and predicts if the device requires services," says the analyst of this research. "The flexibility of offering services from one central point by connecting additional devices to the bus provides compatibility and extends access to remote systems in the field, eases the work load of the maintenance person, and is an efficient fault detector with reduced debugging time."

Maximum efficiency of a plant can be achieved only through its increased availability. The flexibility of connecting several fieldbuses to the system enhances plant availability, making data available from inaccessible areas. The dynamic diagnostic capability and increased interoperability with other fieldbus devices improves robust and reliable transmission of information. Fieldbus devices are increasingly perceived as a plug-and-play device. Simplicity in the attached configuration and the flexibility of connecting add-on devices to it on a need basis are essential features of fieldbus devices. The advanced diagnostic module (ADM) of the fieldbus devices provides optimal transparency in the operation, which directly helps in achieving increased plant efficiency.

Manufacturers to Train End Users on Fieldbus Protocols

However, the global economic downturn has impelled end users to cut down on investments at every stage of the production process. Although end users are willing to employ fieldbuses in their new projects or in greenfield applications, investments for the retrofits and existing projects are uncertain due to the global financial crisis. "Although the equipment is simple to use, the technology used in the process is complex; some fieldbus systems work with the open system interconnection (OSI) model and others with the master slave type and an end-user using different protocols is expected to be aware of all topologies and the networking model," explains the analyst. "The more the benefits that a field bus provides, the more the complexity involved in the process."

End users do not realise the long-term benefits of the field bus devices as their benefits are not clearly elucidated. They should be given comprehensive training on the different protocols to enable them to understand the technicalities of each device and help them choose the right technology. The cost-saving features, predictive maintenance capabilities, and extended asset life cycle are some of the key features that need to be explained to the end users to promote awareness. "The need for an open system where field data is available at business level application is important to make the digital factory concept practical," concludes the analyst.

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