This study analyzes the Coriolis flowmeter market worldwide. Flow Research and Ducker Worldwide conducted the study. This study includes a technology and product analysis, market share and market size data, and also provides in-depth segmentation of the market by various product and geographic categories. It also includes detailed market growth projections through 2005 for Coriolis flowmeters. Detailed market strategies are provided for suppliers.
The methodology for this study consists of a “bottom-up” approach. Flow-Ducker Research obtained detailed information about the sales volume of Coriolis flowmeter suppliers. This information was then compiled into a picture of the total market. Most of the information for this study was obtained through interviews with the suppliers.
In addition to the supplier research, Flow-Ducker Research conducted a worldwide survey of flowmeter users. For this research, 300 users were interviewed worldwide, with the following distribution:
·
100 from
·
100 from
·
100 from
The results of this research are being published as a separate study, called Worldwide Survey of Flowmeter Users. Goals of the survey were to get an understanding of installed base, to find out user purchasing plans, and to determine what problems users are having with their Coriolis flowmeters. Other goals included detecting regional differences in worldwide flowmeters, and providing confirming evidence for the supplier data. These goals were achieved.
While the end-user survey is being published as a separate study, the results were available during the forecasting for this study. Of particular interest were the information on flowmeter installed base, user purchasing plans, and comments about communication protocols. This information was taken into account in forecasting growth rates for different types of Coriolis flowmeters.
This study is part of a 12-volume set of studies called Worldflow™ whose purpose is to completely define and analyze the worldwide flowmeter market. Sometimes when markets are studied in isolation, it is difficult to achieve accurate results. By studying the entire flowmeter market at once, Flow-Ducker Research believes that a complete picture of the market can be obtained that is not skewed in favor of one technology or another. The complete 12-volume set is as follows:
Volume I: The Market for Coriolis Flowmeters Worldwide
Volume II: The Market for Magnetic Flowmeters Worldwide
Volume III: The
Market for Ultrasonic Flowmeters Worldwide
Volume IV: The Market for Vortex Flowmeters Worldwide
Volume V: The World Market for New Technology Flowmeters (includes DP flow)
Volume VI: Worldwide Survey of Flowmeter Users (results of 297 phone interviews)
Volume VII: The World Market for Open Channel Flowmeters
Volume VIII: The World Market for Positive Displacement Flowmeters
Volume IX: The World Market for Thermal Flowmeters
Volume X: The World Market for Turbine Flowmeters
Volume XI: The World Market for Variable Area Flowmeters
Volume XII: The World Market for Traditional Technology Flowmeters
Figure 2-1 lists the different types of new technology and traditional technology flowmeters. Figure 2-2 lists the different types of flowmeters offered by Coriolis flowmeter suppliers.
The purpose of Worldflow™ is to give a complete definition and analysis of the worldwide flowmeter market, including all technologies. Some companies approach this subject by doing one study at a time, over a period of months or years. This approach makes it difficult to obtain meaningful comparisons of market size and market shares across technologies. In some cases, inconsistent definitions and terminology is used. Differences in the scope of geographic regions, definitions of “smart”, data gathering methodologies, and ways of dividing up the flowmeter market can create major problems in comparing data. In addition, writing one study at a time inevitably means that studies being compared cover different time periods.
Worldflow™ addresses these issues by creating a systematic complete intellectual framework in terms of which to view the worldwide flowmeter market. Worldflow™ uses a consistent set of definitions of flowmeter types, “smart” flowmeters, and geographic regions throughout. We do not claim to have discovered the best possible set of definitions of terms or of geographic regions. What we do claim is to have used a consistent set of definitions of terms and geographic regions throughout these studies. In addition, we have, as much as possible, clearly stated our definitions, so that anyone using a different set of definitions can make the appropriate adjustments. This chapter contains a complete definition of the geographic regions used in these studies, complete with maps to make the regions more easily visualized and understood.
Besides developing a consistent framework in terms of which to view the worldwide flowmeter market, Flow Research has utilized the philosophy of viewpoint pluralism to provide a more complete understanding of the flowmeter market. The philosophy of viewpoint pluralism can be stated very simply: Our knowledge of any subject or object is proportional to the quantity and quality of the points of view we have of the subject or object. When the subject is the worldwide flowmeter market, this means looking at the worldwide flowmeter market from a variety of perspectives, or points of view.
While some companies write studies that consist primarily of analyzing the perspective of flowmeter suppliers, Flow and Ducker Research has also undertaken to determine the perspective of flowmeter users. Volume VI of Worldflow™ presents the results of an extensive series of telephone interviews with 300 flowmeter users worldwide. These interviews were conducted by telephone with users in their native languages. The supplier perspective is a valuable one, and is in fact the most reliable means of determining market size. However, the user perspective is also important because it is the users who actually specify and purchase flowmeters. Anyone who does not take the user perspective into account in writing an analysis of the flowmeter market is simply taking a one-dimensional view.
Flow Research also makes use of other perspectives in analyzing the flowmeter market. These studies contain a very extensive product analysis that provides a very complete overview of all the products available worldwide in a particular technology. By providing a summary, photos, and a product specification sheet for each supplier, Flow Research makes it possible to quickly compare products from different suppliers and to understand what products each company is offering.
Market shares are another important perspective in these studies. Flow Research has spent a year researching the Worldflow™ markets, and has made every effort to accurately determine sales volume for each supplier. Market share charts provide a very effective means of analyzing which are the leading suppliers for various technologies and segments. Market shares are provided by geographic region so that a region-by-region analysis is possible.
Detailed market strategies are also provided for each type of flowmeter. While there is a common thread to some of these strategies, strategies are stated so as to apply to the particular flowmeter in question. Strategies for suppliers of Coriolis flowmeters for gas flow measurement will differ from strategies for magnetic or vortex flowmeters. Strategies are designed with the objective of helping suppliers increase their sales and strengthen their product lines.
Detailed company profiles are provided so that different aspects of each company can be understood. A history of each company is provided, when it is available. The entire instrumentation lines of companies are provided, so that flowmeters can be seen in the context of other instrumentation products. In many cases, company strategies are discussed.
Viewpoint Pluralism is discussed in more detail in the book Shades of Experience. Chapter two of this book discusses the philosophy of viewpoint pluralism. Other portions of this book discuss analogies between electronic transmitters and the brain or mind. Sections of this book talk about the need to revise our language in certain fundamental ways so that it is more descriptive. These ideas may have application to the subject of assigning names to products, and to writing promotional brochures. The entire book can be downloaded at www.ideanetworks.net.
Chapter Three also provides the perspective of the paradigm case. Every flowmeter has applications that it is well suited for, and others it is not so suited for. Those applications that a flowmeter of a given type are ideally suited for are the paradigm case applications for that type of flowmeter. For example, paradigm case applications for Coriolis flowmeters are clean liquids and gases flowing sufficiently fast to operate the meter and flowing through pipes of size two inches or less. By understanding the paradigm case applications for different flowmeters, users can take the first step in what is sometimes a complex flowmeter selection process. Suppliers also can more easily understand how to advise their customers about what type of flowmeter to use for particular applications.
Rather than sequentially issuing a series of studies on the new technology flowmeter market, Flow Research has spent a full year analyzing this market. As a result, we are able to provide a complete snapshot of the entire new technology flowmeter market as it stood in the year 2000. We are also able to find analogies and parallels among different technologies that would not likely occur to anyone who takes the “one study at a time” approach. For example, there is a parallel in application between AC magnetic flowmeters and Doppler ultrasonic flowmeters. And it is very interesting to compare the degree to which smart devices have taken over the Coriolis flowmeter market, compared to the slow penetration of smart devices in the ultrasonic market.
Looking at all the flowmeters together makes it possible to determine which flowmeters are replacing others and which flowmeters are being replaced. Another goal of these studies is to find out how fast each type of flowmeter is growing. By applying a consistent set of definitions and methodologies to accurately determine the market size in the base year for each type of flowmeter, forecasts can be generated that can meaningfully be compared with each other. This is also much more difficult to do when dealing with studies written at different times and, often, by different companies using different methodologies.
Cross-technology research gives suppliers a better handle on the flowmeter market because it shows the strengths and weaknesses of each technology. Because each technology is looked at from a regional and a worldwide perspective, suppliers can more easily determine geographic regions that are more receptive to certain technologies. Certain driving forces like the desire for accuracy and the desire for reliability cut across all the flowmeter markets. Others apply mainly to one or several technologies. Looking at each type of flowmeter in the context of the others provides additional knowledge and insight.
Suppliers can be understood much better when looked at from a cross-technology perspective. Only by looking at the entire flowmeter product line can the strength of a supplier be understood. When looked at in this perspective, companies such as Rosemount, Krohne, Endress & Hauser, ABB, and Foxboro stand out as broad-line suppliers of instrumentation. Others such as Controlotron and Panametrics may have excellent technologies, but they still supply only one type of flowmeter. More customers today are moving towards broad-line suppliers because of the convenience of one-stop shopping.
A worldwide cross-technology analysis that takes geographic regions into
account is also very instructive. Our
end-user survey found that magnetic flowmeters have a much larger installed
base in
The Flow-Ducker Research end-user survey also takes a cross-technology
approach. This survey includes flowmeter
users from
These studies are new; they are not updates. While the author of these studies has previously written numerous studies in flow, these studies are not written as updates to any previous studies. Flow Research has access to flowmeter data going back to 1990, and the author has been closely tracking the flowmeter market throughout most of the past decade. In cases where studies were previously done, it was only after the study was completed that comparisons were drawn with preceding studies. Previous studies are helpful as a resource, but they should not be used to determine current market size.
To start a study with a predetermined market size is to put the cart
before the horse. Any market size should
be created based on current supplier interviews, not by projecting the current
size based on past forecasts. Unexpected
events or “shocks” often occur to upset forecasts in any case. The Asian currency crisis that began in
This study takes the approach that all suppliers should be interviewed when conducting a study, not just the leading suppliers. While the leading suppliers obviously have a major influence on the market, smaller companies often develop new technology that sometimes go unnoticed. Smaller suppliers often serve niche markets that make up important segments of the market. They are also important in determining true market size. There is simply no way to determine how many of these smaller companies are out there without undertaking an exhaustive search.
In the course of doing the research for these studies, Flow Research did
over 200 supplier interviews and 27 onsite visits. The onsite visits alone took 31 days. Some of the locations visited include
companies in
We have also taken the approach of profiling every supplier, rather than simply the leading suppliers. This is a more time-consuming approach, of course, but it results in a much more thorough analysis. Sources used for company profiles include interviews, websites, product brochures, and Dun & Bradstreet reports. Ten companies selling five million dollars worth of product each year are selling as much as one company selling 50 million dollars in product. The perspectives, products, and distribution channels of these ten companies are as important a part of the total market picture as the perspective, products, and distribution channels of the large supplier.
While we started the series of Worldflow™ studies with certain ideas about what we would find, we approached this series of studies with completely open minds about the results. We were determined only to be objective, not to favor any particular supplier, and to provide an honest and unbiased assessment of the results. At the same time, we were fortunate in being able to conduct a comprehensive worldwide end-user survey. Ducker Worldwide funded this survey, and it results in a truly unprecedented look at the worldwide flowmeter markets. The results of this research have rewarded our approach.
By looking at multiple flowmeter markets from the points of view of market size, market shares, products, strategies, company profiles, and end-user beliefs and projections, we have been able to create a comprehensive flowmeter database that is detailed in each of the Worldflow™ studies. Many of the analogies and parallels we have discovered will be detailed in Volume V, The Market for New Technology Flowmeters Worldwide.
What is it about the flowmeter market that is so compelling? This market has intense competition, paradigm
cases applications, mergers and acquisitions, communication protocol battles,
new technologies, worldwide distribution channels, reselling and private
labeling, and many other aspects that make studying it completely
fascinating. Even though we have found
answers to many of the questions we originally asked
when we began “building a mystery,” there will always be more perspectives and
more fascinating ways to look at the flowmeter markets. How quickly will the multivariable flowmeter
market expand? How fast is the market
for flowmeters used for custody transfer of natural gas growing? How rapidly is the market for steam
flowmeters growing? How quickly will
district heating penetrate
This study analyzes the market worldwide. The objectives of the study are as follows:
· To provide a technology and product analysis for Coriolis flowmeters
· To provide the market size in US dollars and unit volume for Coriolis flowmeters worldwide
· To provide market shares of the leading suppliers of Coriolis flowmeters worldwide
· To provide a detailed forecast of the market for Coriolis flowmeters in dollars and unit volume through 2005
· To provide a detailed OEM and end-user analysis of users of Coriolis flowmeters worldwide
· To provide market and product strategies for suppliers of Coriolis flowmeters worldwide
· To provide company profiles of the suppliers of Coriolis flowmeters worldwide
This study is unique in that both extensive supplier analysis and end-user analysis was conducted. This proved very useful, as the end-user analysis provided confirmation for the supplier data. The end-user analysis also proved very useful in doing market forecasts. The four most important components of the methodology are as follows:
· Input for Suppliers
· Supplier analysis
· OEM and End-User Analysis
· Forecasting
These four components are discussed in the following sections.
Supplier Input. At the beginning of the study, many Coriolis suppliers were contacted to find out what information they would like to see in this study. Flow Research prepared an Input Questionnaire that asked companies what information they would like to see in the study. Companies were asked to rank the information in importance on a scale from 1 to 5. These results were tabulated, and used as a guide in conducting the study. The Input Questionnaire is reprinted in Appendix A.
Supplier Input. Suppliers were asked in the Input Questionnaire to rank in importance questions that would be asked in the end-user survey. They were also asked to specify any questions or subjects they would like to have included in the end-user survey. Flow Research conducted some follow-up interviews with suppliers to obtain some additional input for the survey. This entire process was very fruitful, and many suggestions from suppliers were incorporated directly into the end-user survey.
Supplier Analysis. Market size and market shares were determined through a variety of methods. The primary method of determining market size was through interviews conducted with Coriolis flowmeter suppliers. Most companies were quite forthcoming about revenue figures. Revenue numbers provided by companies were also cross-checked with other sources, including business directories, interviews with other knowledgeable persons, and other publicly available data sources, including Dun & Bradstreet reports. In many cases, Flow-Ducker Research conducted multiple interviews to get the most accurate understanding of each company. Every effort was made to obtain the most accurate information possible about each company.
Most interviews were conducted by telephone. However, as part of the research for this
study, Flow Research conducted 27 onsite visits to flowmeter suppliers and flow
testing laboratories. These visits were
conducted in four separate trips occupying 32 days during 2000 and 2001. In addition, Flow-Ducker Research visited the
International Society for Control and Instrumentation (ISA) in
The purpose of the onsite visits was to obtain more in-depth information on flowmeter companies and their products. Seeing flowmeters in a catalog or in the Internet provides one level of knowledge. However, seeing flowmeters being manufactured and tested provides a much better understanding of the products. Visiting companies also provided additional knowledge about company size and strategies, which is helpful in understanding the total flowmeter market.
In those few cases where companies chose not to participate in the study, Flow-Ducker Research used alternative sources of information. These include business directories, interviews with other knowledgeable persons, and other publicly available information sources. Product information was requested from every company, and the Internet was also used as a source of information, along with Dun & Bradstreet reports.
Total market size for Coriolis flowmeters was determined by aggregating the total sales numbers for individual companies into a total market size. Most sales information from individual companies was in dollars rather than units, although some companies also provided unit numbers. Average selling price was used as a means for calculating unit numbers for Coriolis flowmeters. Some allowance was made in determining market size for “other” companies that were not interviewed.
In most cases, the persons interviewed for this study are either the product manager or marketing manager for Coriolis flowmeters. In some cases, other persons were interviewed, including company presidents or CEOs. In larger companies, application engineers were interviewed first in some cases to get a better understanding of company products before marketing and product managers were interviewed. Flow-Ducker Research wishes to thank the many companies who were so diligent in providing information to make this study both comprehensive and complete.
OEM and End-User Analysis. Flow-Ducker Research conducted 300 interviews with OEMs and end-users of flowmeters in compiling the user survey. One important purpose of the survey was to provide data for determining the installed base of flowmeters by type. Other questions dealt with applications, projected spending patterns, and levels of satisfaction with flowmeters. Flow-Ducker Research tried to determine the reasons behind spending plans, whenever possible. The results of the end-user survey are being published as a separate study, entitled Worldwide Survey of Flowmeter Users.
Besides presenting the results of the OEM and end-user survey, Flow-Ducker Research compared the results of the user survey with the supplier data. The end-user survey data provides supporting evidence for the supplier data. This greatly strengthens the supplier data, and provides an additional base of support that is lacking in most studies of this type. By integrating the supplier and end-user data, Flow-Ducker Research is able to present a balanced picture of the market that is supported from several independent perspectives. This greatly enhances the value of the data presented.
Forecasts. A number of factors were taken into account in generating forecasts. Suppliers of Coriolis flowmeters were asked individually how fast their companies are growing. Suppliers were also asked to project future sales for their products and for the industry as a whole. OEM and end-user survey data was used, especially data relating to future spending plans by users. Industry growth for the industries covered in this study was considered. Other factors include economic growth in various geographic regions, the recovering Asian economies, and past flowmeter growth. All forecasts are in real, not current, dollars, meaning that the effects of inflation are disregarded.
This study includes the following product categories:
· Smart Coriolis Flowmeters
· Conventional Coriolis Flowmeters
Smart Coriolis flowmeters are discussed in more detail in the next section. Smart Coriolis flowmeters are microprocessor-based, and use some type of communication protocol to enable the flowmeter to communicate with other devices. Communication protocols included in this study include HART, Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus, Serial, and Other. Most Other protocols are proprietary in nature.
Conventional Coriolis flowmeters normally have a 4-20 mA output, and do not have the capability of remote configuration or communication. There has been a very strong trend towards smart instrumentation, including smart Coriolis flowmeters, over the past five years. While a number of companies still offer conventional products, it is very likely that the number of conventional Coriolis flowmeters will decline rapidly over the next five years. The presence of Foundation Fieldbus and Profibus, and the need for instruments with self-diagnostic capability, will reduce the number of customers who are willing to specify conventional instruments.
Figure 2-3 lists the different types of Coriolis flowmeters offered by Coriolis flowmeter suppliers.
Coriolis flowmeters are of two types:
· Bent-Tube
· Straight-Tube
For many years, Coriolis meters were of the bent-tube variety. The term ‘bent-tube’ simply refers to the fact that the Coriolis flowtube is not straight. There are many different designs and shapes of Coriolis flowtubes.
In 1994, Krohne introduced the first commercially successful straight-tube Coriolis flowmeter. Since that time, other companies have introduced straight-tube meters as well, including Endress & Hauser and Micro Motion. Straight-tube meters operate on the same principle as bent-tube meters. This is described in more detail in Chapters Three and Four of this study.
Coriolis meters can be used to measure the flow of the following fluid types:
· Liquids
· Gases
· Steams
For many years after they were first introduced, Coriolis meters were used mainly on liquids. In the mid-1990s, they began to be used to measure gases as well. Gas flow measurement, especially natural gas flow measurement, has become one of the high-growth areas for Coriolis meters. Some limited measurement of steam flow is also occurring. This can be expected to increase substantially in the future.
Chapter four also divides the Coriolis market up according to line size. Line sizes range from very small sizes such as 1/16th. of an inch to six inches. Very little measurement is made with Coriolis flowmeters for line sizes above six inches. The following line sizes are included:
<1 inch
1 inch
>1 inch and < 2 inches
2 inches
3 inches
4 inches
>4 inches
No attempt is made in chapter four to account for situations in which the line size is different from the inner diameter of the flowmeter.
The term ‘smart’ as it is used in this study means “microprocessor based and capable of remote two-way communication.” Being microprocessor-based is a necessary condition for instrument to be smart. In terms of the human analogy that the term ‘smart’ makes use of, a microprocessor in an instrument is like a brain. It allows the instrument to process information, and may also be the basis for self-diagnostic capabilities.
The requirement of being capable of remote two-way communication rules out instruments that can only be programmed or calibrated locally, at the device itself. In effect, this requirement means that the device must be intelligent enough to be able to communicate with another device outside itself. This could be a personal computer, a laptop computer, or a handheld communicator.
In this study, five different means are considered for remote two-way communication. These are as follows:
· Serial Ports
· Proprietary Protocols
· HART
· Foundation Fieldbus
· Profibus
These five types of protocols are considered in the next section.
Both Foundation Fieldbus and Profibus are forms of fieldbus. Forms of bi-directional, multiplayer digital communication, including those developed by the Fieldbus Foundation, the ISA SP50 Committee, and the Profibus User Organization, are included in the term ‘fieldbus’ as used in this study.
Smart Coriolis flowmeters that have serial communication provide two-way communication with the flowmeter via an RS-232 or RS-485 connection. Flowmeters that have an RS-232 or RS-485 port to send files to a printer, but do not provide for two-way communication, are not considered smart. Smart flowmeters can be interrogated and programmed remotely from a laptop, personal computer, or handheld device. Some software programs can also do data analysis.
The idea of smart instrumentation is often associated with a paradigm of a network of instruments that are digitally integrated with a distributed control system (DCS). The proprietary protocols that have been developed, including DE (Honeywell), FoxCom (Foxboro), and Brain (Yokogawa), were developed to fit this paradigm. Serial communication does not fit this paradigm. Hence flowmeters that use serial communication can be considered “less smart” than those that rely on proprietary protocols, HART, Foundation Fieldbus, or Profibus.
Serial communications are typically implemented with a Recommended Standard (RS). The Electronic Industries Association (EIA) sets these standards in most cases. In most cases, the standard, defines connector pin-out, signal levels, maximum bandwidth, drive capabilities, handshaking signals, and electrical characteristics of the serial lines. RS-232 is probably the most widely used communication standard. Variations of RS-232 are RS-232C and EIA-232.
RS-485 ports have the capability of being connected in a multi-drop bus and selectively polled. The electrical characteristics of RS-485 ports allow for 332 drivers and 32 receivers to be connected to a single line. These features make RS-485 ports ideal for multi-drop or network environments. They also distinguish RS-485 ports, which are addressable, from RS-232 ports, which are point-to-point.
Proprietary communication protocols were developed by the distributed control system (DCS) suppliers to provide secure, high-speed, digital communication between their field devices and the control room. Examples of proprietary protocol’s include Foxboro’s FoxCom, Yokogawa’s Brain, Honeywell’s DE (Digitally Enhanced), and Endress & Hauser’s Intensor. Proprietary protocols got the movement started towards standardization of communication protocols via fieldbus. Users soon realized that, as long as they were using a DCS from a particular vendor, they would be unable to use field devices from another supplier so long as they wanted to communicate with those field devices from the control room.
Proprietary protocols have advantages, including security and high-speed communication. However, the days of proprietary communication protocols are numbered. Now that HART, Foundation Fieldbus, and Profibus products are available, users have little incentive to select proprietary protocols. Instead, they have an incentive not to select them, so they can use instruments from more than a single vendor in the plant. While some companies are still shipping instruments with proprietary protocols, these protocols are rapidly disappearing as Foundation Fieldbus and Profibus begin to achieve wider market acceptance.
The term ‘HART’ stands for Highway Addressable Remote Transducer. Fisher-Rosemount developed HART in 1984. The HART protocol makes use of the Bell 202 Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) standard. HART superimposes a digital signal over a 4-20 mA signal, thereby providing for bi-directional remote digital communication with field devices. Contained in the signal is information about the process and diagnostic information that could not be included in a 4-20 mA signal. Information about the value of the process variables can be included in a HART signal. A handheld device called a HART communicator, a personal computer, or a DCS are used to communicate with field devices, using HART. HART allows a host application to get two or more digital updates each second from a field device. It does not interfere with the 4-20 mA signal.
In 1993, the HART Communication Foundation (HCF) (www.hartcomm.org) was established to support and coordinate the application of the HART protocol. The HCF replaced the Hart User Group that served this function previously. The HCF is still an active organization today, with over 130 members. Many Coriolis flowmeter suppliers are members of the HCF, including Micro Motion (now part of Emerson Process Management), Endress & Hauser, Krohne, Danfoss, ABB, and Yokogawa.
Many companies are using the HART protocol as a stepping-stone to fieldbus. Using HART, companies can take advantage of the advanced diagnostic capabilities offered by HART-compatible devices without committing the additional resources to installing a fieldbus network.
As of December 2000, the Device Description Library, owned by the HCF, includes device descriptions for more than 200 devices from 69 manufacturers. Currently HART installations account for 10 million nodes, and are projected to double to 20 million by 2006 (see “Around the Loop” in Control magazine, May 2001). HART has benefited greatly from the delay in getting Foundation Fieldbus products approved and ready to ship. HART has become the de facto protocol for smart field devices. While some HART users will eventually upgrade to Foundation Fieldbus or Profibus, HART provides a comfortable plateau for many users while they wait for fieldbus protocol issues to be sorted out.
Foundation Fieldbus is a communication protocol that was developed as a result of the merger of WorldFIP and ISP (InterOperable Systems Project) in the mid-1990s. Both WorldFIP and ISP represented groups of very powerful companies that seemed destined to compete with each other. Clustered around WorldFIP were Honeywell, Allen-Bradley, Elsag Bailey, and Square D. Clustered around ISP were Rosemount, Fisher Controls, Siemens, and Yokogawa. Both groups decided it would be in their best interest to cooperate to form a joint communication protocol. The formation of the Fieldbus Foundation was announced in June 1994.
At the same time the Fieldbus Foundation was being formed, members of the
Profibus Users Group took over the work of the ISP. The Process Automation (PA) protocol for intrinsically
safe applications was also added to the Profibus group of protocols. Sponsored by Siemens, Profibus attempted to
bring out products earlier than the Fieldbus Foundation and also have them
commercially installed earlier. Profibus
has had good success in
The Flow-Ducker Research survey of flowmeter users shows strong
penetration of flow users by HART. For
example, 36 percent of North American users say they are using HART, and 12
percent of European users. Among Asian
users, 14 percent are using HART. There
was little enthusiasm for Foundation Fieldbus among European users, however. Only two percent of European users indicated
an intention to buy Foundation Fieldbus products in the future, while 13
percent reported that there are already using Profibus. In
Based on this data, it is clear that European users feel much more inclined to use Profibus than Foundation Fieldbus as things stand now. This could change, however, as a larger number of Foundation Fieldbus products are released. It does seem that North American and Asian users are more ready to adopt Foundation Fieldbus products. Whatever happens, one thing has been true all along. It is taking longer than anyone expected for these protocols to be incorporated into products, and it will most likely take longer than anyone expected for Foundation Fieldbus and Profibus protocols to be adopted by users. Figure 2-4 shows the communication protocols offered for Coriolis flowmeters by suppliers. Figure 2-5 shows the new technology flowmeters approved by the Fieldbus Foundation as Foundation Fieldbus products as of May 2001. This list does not include pressure transmitters.
This study includes the following geographic regions:
·
·
·
· Asia without Japan (including countries of the Far East, Southeast Asia, India, Pakistan, Australia and the South Pacific, the Indian subcontinent, and all other Asian countries)
·
Rest of World (including
Countries of the
Countries of the
Countries of
Countries of
Countries of the Indian subcontinent include: