PROFIBUS is one of the world market leaders in Fieldbus technology. Designed and produced by the combined efforts of top development engineers, the Fieldbus is renowned for its stability and reliability when properly installed and maintained.

Employing staff with little or no knowledge of the systems they are required to work on can be both dangerous and costly. This analogy holds true with the design, installation and maintenance of a PROFIBUS network. Empowering your staff with the knowledge required to maintain your PROFIBUS network can reduce maintenance and downtime. Painful experience has shown that poor installation and non-adherence to the installation guidelines account for the vast majority of PROFIBUS problems.

Following the lead of other countries, an ever-increasing number of end users are insisting on installations carried out by certified professionals to guarantee the required level of technical competence. The importance of network installation practices and excellent design have emphasized the need for formalised accreditation of the relevant parties. The ideal situation is for projects to be accredited from start to finish. The design of the network should be approved by a certified PROFIBUS engineer; the installation to be carried out by accredited companies who have agreed to use only certified and therefore, preferred PROFIBUS installers; the installation audit to be carried out by a certified PROFIBUS engineer. This will ensure that a network is of the highest design and installation standard,
vastly reducing the possibilities of costly network downtime. It is envisaged that the utilisation of accredited personnel will form part of all tender requirements.