Digital technologies are changing our world at lightning speeds. One innovative technology that is rapidly transforming industries is IoT – Internet of Things. The rapid growth of intelligent, connected devices not only increases connectivity but also enhances efficiency and productivity in all spheres of life. What does this enhanced connectivity mean for the pumping industry? How can this technology be leveraged?
To explain it, straightforwardly – IoT is all about generating, collecting, processing data, and making intelligent decisions based on the data collected. By using data to create better insights, businesses can make fast and accurate decisions.
Here, we answer some oft-asked questions regarding IoT and pumping industry.
#1: What is driving the adoption of IIoT applications in pumping?
IoT offers numerous benefits to pumping applications like:
Enhancing energy efficiency
Remotely monitoring pumping systems
Controlling pumping applications
Predicting issues before they occur
As IoT devices can collect, analyze, and exchange data in real-time, they can help pump operators make intelligent decisions based on both historical and real-time data. Sensors used in IoT-based applications are driving smart solutions.
Armed with powerful analytics, and the ability to aggregate and analyze data, pump operators can:
Enhance productivity
Reduce energy costs
Minimize downtime
Improve the reliability of the system
#2: What are the benefits of using IoT-enabled pumping systems?
Real-time monitoring of systems helps in increasing productivity while reducing downtime. Besides the collection of data in real-time, these systems help in analyzing data in real-time. This paves the way for proactively identifying problems in the system, with the help of predictive diagnostics.
Other reasons why IoT is used in pump systems are:
Regulate pump efficiency with predictive maintenance
Improve pump uptime
Enhance energy efficiency
#3: What makes IoT different from conventional sensors?
Using IoT is more than just collecting data. Raw, unprocessed data is of little value. What makes IoT different is the data science behind it that provides actionable insights. Transformation of data into actionable insight helps to drive efficiency, reduce operational costs, and increase uptime.
To give an example, IoT sensors can predict pump failure ahead of time, thereby making predictive maintenance a breeze. Additionally, these sensors can track equipment performance metrics in real-time, thus helping to make informed decisions regarding the pump systems like – when to replace, which parts require replacement, and other budgetary decisions.
#4: What are the benefits of IoT for pump manufacturers?
IoT opens up a treasure trove of information to pump manufacturers like – real-time data on failure modes of pump components. IoT connects smart devices like sensors, VFD (variable frequency drives), and controls to the pump network. These devices collect and track data in real-time, providing manufacturers with a complete picture of the pump system. Everything from – how, why, when – regarding the system is available to manufacturers.
Using this data, manufacturers can understand how pumps operate in expected and unexpected conditions. This helps to predict market trends and make reliable pump systems that cater to customer needs. Additionally, with real-time monitoring in place, manufacturers can troubleshoot and diagnose potential problems before they become a significant issue.
#5: Does IoT offer any benefits for pump distributors?
One of the biggest challenges for pump distributors is to increase aftermarket sales. IoT can help in addressing this challenge with the help of connected controls, pumps, and sensors. To give an example, let’s say, you deploy a modern VFD along with a pump system. The drive collects health data from the system, and with the help of analytics, can predict when the seal is about to fail.
The system sends an automated notification to the pump operator. It can even place orders for the replacement part with the distributor. All of this happens automatically, without any human interference. The pump operator enjoys increased uptime, while the distributor sees an increase in revenue, thanks to increased aftermarket sales.
#6: What are the benefits of IoT for customers?
The most significant benefit of IoT for customers is that it helps in reducing the total cost of ownership. Pump downtime is the biggest challenge faced by pump owners today. Unexpected downtime can disrupt entire operations, causing pump owners to shut down the whole system.
With IoT, downtime can be reduced with the help of connected devices. These devices can help operators enhance their predictive maintenance capabilities, thereby reducing downtime significantly. Other benefits include – enhanced customer service from the pump distributor as well as quick replacement of faulty products.
#7: Are there any Challenges in adopting IoT-enabled technologies for pumping systems?
Just like any other new technology, IoT also faces some initial teething troubles. Data management and security are the two biggest hurdles for introducing IoT in pumps. However, as research on this technology grows, both these challenges will be overcome with confidence.
The Future of Pump Technology lies with IoT
The world of IIoT is fast-growing. The world of today is far removed from the world that was just a few years back. IoT promises a whole lot of benefits for all industries, including pumping systems. The time is not far ahead when IoT will play a massive role in pumping operations of the future.