Already several years ago, pump operators and manufacturers recognized the crucial role of digital innovations in optimizing pump and system performance while minimizing risks. For operators, it is ideal to implement holistic solutions that can handle all assets. However, the solution should maintain the necessary accuracy for each individual company.
In response to this need, Innomotics and Sulzer combined the platforms and services of SIDRIVE IQ and BLUE BOX™ Sulzer’s pump-specific solution is complemented by the predictive maintenance data from SIDRIVE IQ. This allows for controlled lifecycle costs, more effective incident support, and measures to reduce the CO2 footprint. The increasing focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors has amplified the importance of such solutions.
The challenge lies in quantifying KPI's through a holistic solution.
Pump operators want a comprehensive solution that integrates data flows and service management without adding complexity. Secure data exchange is of utmost importance, and it should be simple with clear boundaries to protect the data and intellectual property of both customers and the other party involved.
To quantify potential savings and identify pumps at risk, it is not enough to solely focus on the pumps themselves. Additional measures are required to transition from preventive, planned maintenance to proactive, condition-based maintenance. Predictive maintenance can improve asset availability by detecting pre-failure conditions and avoiding unplanned downtime.
The goal for pump operators is to quantify KPI’s that describe the condition, performance, and efficiency of pump trains and systems. To realize this goal, it is necessary to collect and analyze relevant data and implement measures derived from it.
The solution: Digital pump monitoring with SIDRIVE IQ, BLUE BOX™ and expert support
Sulzer is a globally operating company leading in fluid engineering and chemical process engineering. Their expertise lies in developing and providing technologies for energy efficiency in pumps, agitators, mixers, separators, cleaning systems, crystallization, and polymerization for various fluids. Their solutions support CO2 emission reduction, promote the production of polymers from biological raw materials, enable the recycling of plastic waste and textiles, and contribute to efficient energy storage.
Innomotics is a global leader in producing electric motors and converters. These products form the basis for highly efficient drive systems and solutions optimized for a wide range of industries and applications. In areas such as energy, oil and gas, mining, and water, Innomotics offers comprehensive solutions that contribute to electrification, automation, and the energy transition. Their offering is complemented by digitalization solutions and extensive global service.
By collaborating in an ecosystem, Innomotics and Sulzer combine their expertise, creating added value for partners and customers. These are created through digital pump monitoring and expert support to turn analytics results into customer value. The combination of SIDRIVE IQ and BLUE BOX™ provides all essential information for operation in one central place, enabling pump operators to make faster and better decisions.
The solution is simple to implement. The solution is simple to implement. No additional hardware is required for direct data collection for BLUE BOX™ from customer IT systems. On the other hand, SIDRIVE IQ collects data from the field level of the drive via an edge device or directly from the operator’s IT systems – independent of data acquisition and exchange with BLUE BOX™. It is independently audited for ISO 27001 certification, which ensures standards for information security management systems.
To provide added value, only six parameters are needed: flow rate, suction pressure, discharge pressure, input power, pump speed, and liquid density. Additional operating parameters for the drive system are also collected and analyzed. The data analysis consists of two levels. In the first level, data from SIDRIVE IQ is analyzed based on automated expert knowledge, physics models, and machine learning. The “health status” of the drives is represented by a score along with a description of the cause and suggestions for resolution. The data is transmitted to the second level, BLUE BOX™, for visualization via an API interface. In the event of a failure, all data, KPI’s, and logs can be viewed by experts on standard web browsers, simplifying and improving collaborative analysis.
Through analysis, the reliability of the pumps and the lifecycle consumption can be increased. This allows for better planning of preventive measures. Another lever for operational optimization is optimizing the throughput of the pumps by identifying bottlenecks and initiating countermeasures.
The result: Optimized pump operation, KPI-based service contracts, and reduced CO2 emissions
The collaboration between Sulzer and Innomotics enables operators of large pumps to operate their systems optimally. In addition to cost savings, increased efficiency, and a smaller carbon footprint, the solution offers the following advantages:
- KPI-based service contracts:
The solution enables pump operators to access KPI-based service contracts. By monitoring condition and operational data, contracts can be created based on individual performance requirements.
- Value creation for everyone in the value chain:
The solution promises to generate value for every player in the value chain. Bringing the right people together at the right time leads to significant savings and creates value for all stakeholders in the ecosystem.
- More effective decision-making and service support:
The world of data is complex, but with this solution, operators can make better decisions based on the condition of the entire pump drive line. Additionally, operators can plan maintenance activities more accurately and monitor the condition of the pump drive system according to demand.
Under the name Innomotics, Siemens is combining its business activities in the areas of low- to high-voltage motors, geared motors, medium-voltage converters and motor spindles and is forming a new, leading motors and large drives company. The portfolio includes an innovative solutions and digitalization portfolio and a broad range of service offerings. The related businesses were previously assigned to the units Large Drives Applications and Digital Industries and to the legally separate Siemens companies Sykatec and Weiss Spindeltechnologie.
