How about using a drone to find and fix leakages in water piping systems? This may appear too far-fetched in the present circumstances in a predominantly agricultural economy like India, but this line of thinking sums up the vision and work of the digital technology team of the Denmark-based pumps maker, Grundfos.

Like all other manufacturing companies, Grundfos, too, is focussing on harnessing digital technologies to make intelligent pumps or e-pumps, Marianne Kjeldgaard Knudsen, Senior Director, Digital Offerings, Grundfos, told newspersons here. “With increasing digitisation, we are on the path to becoming a future water company,” she said.

SCOPE

On the scope for digital offerings, the Grundfos executive said demand-driven distribution and sensor-based technology could be used in piping systems to manage water pressure so as to avoid wastage. About 25 per cent of water is wasted in London due to leakages in their water systems, she said, adding Grundfos was conducting case studies in this regard in Hungary, besides a few other locations.

In Germany, IoT-based solutions are being provided in water wash systems by dosing the pumps on the basis of requirement. Even in India, more than one-third of the water meant for irrigation purposes, is wasted due to leakages in distribution. A team of over 60 software professionals is now working exclusively on digital offerings in pumps, with the active participation of an R&D team from the Grundfos India facility, Knudsen said.

Further, Grundfos is stepping up the use of analytics, ecosystem integration and predictable maintenance and repair of pump systems. There is also a Future Lab 2.0 at Grundfos for digital offerings and other innovative pump solutions.

  (The journalist is in Denmark at the invitation of Grundfos)

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