Plant & Works Engineering September 2022 Issue

Focus: Pumps & Valves Process, Controls & Plant Real-time insights Software platforms also benefit asset management. They allow periodic data collection and advanced data processing, where valuable insights are generated to monitor the operational status of several industrial assets. A key benefit of software is improving communication between the software and the sensors, which in turn reduces the time between failure detection and maintenance. In addition, specialist modules with AI provide automated fault diagnosis based on historic data and trends. This makes it possible to analyse the forecasted deterioration of equipment before applying predictive maintenance. This not only helps establish predictive maintenance plans, but also significantly reduces unplanned downtime and costs. Faster reactions Returning to our example, WEG’s MFM data processing is managed both on edge and in the cloud. This not only makes the technology flexible to suit different companies’ needs, but it also holds the key to increased equipment life. Better data management allows faster reactions at the device level, where the sensors are installed. This leads to comprehensive data analysis in the cloud, including historical data, and automated fault diagnosis. All of this data can be presented in easy-to-understand reports distributed among plant engineers and maintenance teams. Moreover, remote monitoring can keep workers out of harm’s way to prevent injury. As digitalised solutions become more flexible, there is no longer a reason why pumps and valves should be the last priority for digitalisation. (left) New pump descending into the shaft (right) new pump being lifted into place (Courtesy of Stantec)