Yokogawa Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6841) announces that it has begun working with Iwaki Co., Ltd. on a proof-of-concept (PoC) test for a remote pump monitoring service. This service will use an Industrial IoT (IIoT) architecture that is currently under development by Yokogawa. The PoC test will examine the market potential for such a service and investigate means by which it may be offered.
Yokogawa will exhibit and demonstrate a prototype version of this service at the IoT Solutions World Congress 2017, which will be held in Barcelona, Spain starting October 3, and IoT Korea Exhibition 2017, which will be held in Seoul, South Korea starting October 11.
About This Service
Yokogawa and Iwaki will jointly conduct a PoC test of a
service for remotely monitoring the operating status of Iwaki magnetic drive
pumps*1, which are widely used in chemical, pharmaceutical, and food
plants for the transport of various types of fluids. With this service, operating
data such as the current being drawn by a pump, pump discharge pressure and
flow rate, temperature of the conveyed liquid, and tank empty/not empty status will
be collected via an Iwaki pump protector DRN and transferred to the cloud using
the IIoT infrastructure that Yokogawa currently has under development, and will
be available for remote access from any location by a facility manager. With
the ability to remotely monitor the operating status of the pumps at a facility,
the facility manager will be able to detect problems early on and consult with
staff at the head office to decide on comprehensive and appropriate
countermeasures. Pump manufacturers will be able to use this service to ensure
the timely maintenance of their customers’ products in the field. With this
service, it will be possible to remotely monitor the operating status of
multiple pumps, and a warning message can be emailed to the facility or maintenance
manager to ensure a timely response whenever a set threshold is exceeded.
Iwaki is Japan’s leading manufacturer of chemical and
pharmaceutical pumps. By partnering with this company, Yokogawa will gain
access to its abundant know-how and expertise and thus be able to rapidly evaluate
the market potential for such a service.
With the IIoT architecture that Yokogawa is developing, an IoT
gateway device will receive sensor data via a low power wide area network (LPWAN)
or some other wireless link, or via an analog/digital communications interface.
Once in the cloud, this data can then be accessed using a cellular or fixed
line network. Yokogawa aims to create a system that simplifies the process of connecting
to sensors and other instruments and transferring that data to the cloud. With plug-and-play*2
functionality, device detection and configuration will be done automatically,
and other functions will ease the tasks of data transfer, remote control, and alarm
notification. This service is expected to be compatible with pumps from
manufacturers other than Iwaki, providing they use the DRN pump protector.
Through the PoC test, we will evaluate the market potential for
this service and look into the feasibility of speeding up its commercialization
by offering it based on a subscription model*3. By working together with
Iwaki, a leader in the pump industry, Yokogawa will be able to present
solutions that generate new value for its customers.
*1 A centrifugal pump in which the rotational force of a
motor is transmitted to an impeller using magnetic force, eliminating the need
for a seal to prevent the leakage of fluid. The wetted part is coated with
either Teflon or silicon carbide and is chemical resistant.
*2 The automatic detection and configuration of a sensor or
some other device when it is connected to a network. Devices thus configured
are then immediately available for use.
*3 A system in which fees are paid depending on the usage
period
Press release posted on: Oct 14 2017
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