Optimise Pump Operations with IIoT-Enabled Pumps

Want to learn how IIoT and sensors are transforming pump systems? Check out our latest article from Sintech pumps, to learn more about IIoT and pump operations.

Pumps are Getting Smarter & Futuristic

IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) is making pumps smarter. The idea of smart pumping solutions is to use sensors and software to optimize pump operations. This results in the reduction of energy use, thereby helping to reduce overall pump operational costs. Recent advances in IIoT make use of sophisticated tools like machine learning and big data to improve pump system optimization further. IIoT is making its way into pump systems in various applications – food and beverage manufacturing, oil and gas remote explorations, wastewater mining, etc. IIoT helps in connecting various assets, thereby improving the overall functionality of the system. Traditionally, pump operators relied on manual intervention to pass information and feedback from one component of the pump to another. IIoT has expanded these communications, thereby improving overall capabilities.

Here are the top key benefits of integrating IIoT Technologies with Pump Systems:

Enhanced Energy Efficiency Do you know that pump systems account for nearly 25% of industrial energy use? And, by optimizing your pump systems, you can enjoy up to 50% of total energy savings. A smart pump equipped with IIoT can help in better energy management. It can reduce energy use and make other modifications as and when needed. By using algorithms and libraries, pump operators can optimize their system to ensure that it operates in an energy-efficient manner in the long run. Reduced Water Usage Water scarcity is one of the pressing issues faced by countries all over the world. The need of the hour is to design water efficient systems. Sectors like agriculture and industries are working on designing water-efficient systems that track and monitor water usage. Just like energy, IIoT enabled pumps can adjust water usage to reduce overall usage while maintaining the overall efficiency levels. Preventive and Predictive Maintenance One of the biggest issues plaguing industrial pump operators is pumping downtime due to maintenance and pump failures. The alternative approach is to switch to predictive maintenance. In preventive maintenance, you identify pump issues before they occur and schedule maintenance tasks in such a way to minimize or eliminate pump downtime. The three major advantages of predictive maintenance are – decreased downtime, improved pump equipment efficiency and overall enhancement of the system efficiency. Better Management of Resources By planning when maintenance will happen, industries can better manage resources, in accordance with maintenance schedules. For instance, today it’s a major challenge for many industrial plants to find skilled labour, especially for highly complicated labour tasks. By scheduling maintenance ahead, you can plan and bring in skilled maintenance workers for your project. Improved Safety Safety is sadly one of the biggest over-looked elements of pump operation. With regular preventive maintenance, you can ensure that pumps not only operate with greater efficiency but experience lesser breakdowns. This, in turn, reduces the chances of someone getting injured due to a faulty system. Additionally, with scheduled maintenance, you prevent using untrained and under-qualified personnel from making hasty repairs, which could lead to injuries on the job. The interconnectedness of Pumps with other Critical Industrial Systems By using IIoT, pump systems can be integrated with other critical industrial systems. This helps all stakeholders like pump operators, support team, system managers, floor workers track the vital parameters of pump operations. For example, vibrations per minute can be tracked regularly, and if this parameter exceeds a particular value, maintenance agents can be alerted, before it becomes a major bearing failure. Similarly, by tracking the presence of vapour, pump operators can be notified of impending overheating, dry running and other related troubles.

Three Major Components of IIoT Smart Pumps:

IIoT integrated pumps have three major parts like:

• Data collection devices
• Sensors, including junction boxes and cables
• Analysis and data monitoring software

Sensors are an essential component of smart pumps. The type of sensor you choose depends on your application. Your water pump manufacturer will customize the solution to suit your specific needs. For instance, if you are looking to use centrifugal pumps for mining industries, then chances are that you require pumps that will operate in extreme conditions; hence you will require temperature sensors that can track the temperatures of displaced fluids. On the other hand, for oil and gas explorations, you require pumps fitted with chemical and gas sensors that can detect the presence of hazardous gases. The biggest benefit of these sensors is that the entire remote monitoring can be done accurately and efficiently, without the need for any physical intervention, thereby saving valuable time and resources, while enhancing the safety of pump operators. Here are some of the common types of sensors used with IIoT pumps:

• Temperature sensors
• Pressure sensors
• Water quality sensors
• Chemical sensors
• Gas sensors
• Smoke sensors
• IR sensors
• Magnetic sensors
• Fluid level sensors
• And more

Centrifugal pumps experience variable flow as part of their operations. Hence, they have a higher probability of repair and damage due to overheating, dry running and more. With real-time monitoring, it’s possible to avoid unplanned downtimes due to sudden component failures. The sensors attached to pump hardware pick real-time data about the vital parameters of pump operation. The sensors collect data about your pump systems and share it with a network of other connected devices. All these collected data transmit a treasure trove of information, helping your pump systems to function efficiently. By combining sensors and other backend software, you can enhance the overall functionality and effectiveness of your pump systems. Are you ready to step into the future of pumps with Sintech, India’s largest pump exporter? For the latest industrial pumps for various sectors including food, agriculture, wastewater processing, paper manufacturing, chemical refineries, and more, reach out to Sintech, leading industrial water pump suppliers for all your specific requirements.