A healthy dose of tech
The Internet of Things, Industry 4.0 and chemical dosing pumps: SEKO outlines the future of cleaning technology.
As we enter the second decade of the fourth industrial revolution, the cleaning and hygiene sector is in the midst of an exciting transformation.
Known as the Internet of Things (IoT), this technological growth is a marriage of smart device technology and data generation, processing and accessibility. In the consumer sector, this has resulted in the emergence of the smart home, with users benefitting from the ability to remotely control a multitude of household appliances – from lighting and heating to kitchen appliances and security devices – via computers, smartphones and tablets.
Statistica estimates that the worldwide installed base of internet-connected devices will increase from 13.8bn today to more than 30bn by the middle of the decade. This extends far beyond domestic use, however. Businesses around the world are embracing Industry 4.0 – also known as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) – by embedding technology in physical applications to help managers improve operational efficiency.
As a world-leading manufacturer of chemical dosing pumps and control systems, SEKO is influencing and witnessing first-hand the extent to which this cutting-edge technology is changing what is possible in traditional chemical dosing pump applications, specifically laundry and warewash dosing.
Operators in the food and beverage, hospitality, restaurant and professional laundry sectors striving for convenience, efficiency and sustainability are increasingly specifying web-enabled pump systems for commercial dishwashers and washing machines.
The major draw of IoT is that features such as up-to-date downloadable manuals, intelligent auto-tuning sensors and online step-by-step technical support can accelerate installation, setup and commissioning, and reduce associated time and costs. Using built-in web servers, data is harvested on multiple pump values, including wash cycle status, chemical consumption and equipment performance, which can then be accessed historically or in real time via a cloud-based platform.
54 | TECHNOLOGY
With this vital information at their fingertips, users can program and adjust wash formulas, maximum flow rate, unit of measure and other parameters as well as selecting pump operating modes such as manual, batch and timed.
Common features include the option to view chemical consumption in financial terms, which allows projected savings to be precisely calculated when considering dosing changes. Reducing chemical and energy consumption this way means operators benefit from immediate efficiency improvements while being able to budget more accurately and streamline stored chemical volume.
Most IoT-based systems include an alarm log that enables users to identify and action faults immediately, helping them to improve efficiency in equipment maintenance, repair and upgrade planning and to minimise costly and inconvenient unplanned downtime.
The technology allows even specific component performance and status to be assessed, meaning the user can be alerted that a part is due for replacement which also drives aftermarket sales for suppliers. Meanwhile, manufacturers themselves benefit by monitoring trends, user preferences and common problems in order to refine equipment and improve their product offering.
It’s not only the efficiency of equipment and utilities that can be improved. For businesses running across multiple sites in different countries or even continents, IIoT means operations management can be anywhere in the world and still be as effective as they would be whilst stood in front of the machine itself.
Plus, wasted journeys by maintenance technicians – who may travel a considerable distance to assess a pump’s condition only to find it in perfect working order – can be eliminated, as they need only be deployed when required.
With 5G opening yet more possibilities for high-speed, ultra-reliable IoT, the pump industry is primed to see where technology will take Industry 4.0 in the 2020s and beyond.
www.seko.com/uk
twitter.com/TomoCleaning
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