Taking place June 17, E Tech Group, a leading provider of industrial automation and systems integration, will be hosting an online live session, “AI-Ready or Not: The Hidden IT/OT Risks Blocking AI in Manufacturing.” The session will explore the often-overlooked infrastructure and data challenges manufacturers must address to successfully deploy artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives at scale. Below, E Tech CEO Matt Wise explains what manufacturers may be missing when assessing AI’s usefulness.
MPT: What are some of the challenges manufacturers are facing while we’re still in the early stages of AI adoption?
Matt Wise: As manufacturers accelerate investments in AI and advanced analytics, many encounter unexpected barriers rooted in their existing IT and operational technology (OT) environments. Challenges related to data quality, system integration, and infrastructure readiness remain key obstacles. Issues such as unstable network architecture, fragmented systems, inconsistent data, and gaps in historian strategy can significantly limit the effectiveness of AI-driven solutions.
MPT: Could you tell me a bit about your live session, “AI-Ready or Not: The Hidden IT/OT Risks Blocking AI in Manufacturing”?
Matt Wise: This live session is designed to help manufacturing leaders identify and address these foundational challenges before they derail AI initiatives.
Manufacturers are under pressure to adopt AI, but many are trying to build on a foundation that isn’t ready. Without a secure, well-architected IT/OT environment, organizations risk stalled initiatives and missed ROI. This session will help leaders better understand the risks and take a more strategic approach to AI readiness.
The session will be led by E Tech Group subject matter experts Eric Medecke, director of IT/OT solutions, and Kevin Romer, industrial IT specialist, who bring deep experience in industrial cybersecurity, network architecture, and IT/OT convergence. Together, they will guide attendees through real-world challenges and practical solutions for strengthening the infrastructure required to support AI.
MPT: What goals have you set for attendees of the live session?
Matt Wise: During the session, attendees will identify common IT/OT risks that hinder AI deployment in manufacturing environments, evaluate the readiness of their infrastructure, data architecture, and systems integration, participate in an interactive “AI-Ready or Not?” diagnostic to benchmark their current state, and learn practical strategies to improve data reliability, system connectivity, and scalability
One of the presenters, Eric Medecke, stated he wants to give manufacturers a clear picture of how their systems, networks, and data environments are performing and where vulnerabilities exist.
MPT: How does this live session fit within E Tech Group’s overall mission?
Matt Wise: With deep expertise in industrial automation, digital transformation, and systems integration, E Tech Group helps manufacturers bridge the gap between IT and OT ensuring data flows securely and reliably from the plant floor to enterprise systems. This integrated approach enables organizations to move beyond pilot programs and successfully scale AI initiatives across operations.
The session is intended for professionals across manufacturing organizations, including leaders in IT, operations, engineering, and maintenance who are responsible for driving digital transformation and operational performance.
E Tech Group is a global automation engineering and system integration firm with locations spanning eight countries across three continents. Backed by a team of over 800 professionals, the company delivers cutting-edge automation, control, and information solutions to clients in the life sciences, data centers, consumer products, food and beverage, and industrial sectors. For more information, and to register for the live session, visit www.etechgroup.com.
INDCO’s HSM-03V benchtop lift mixer features the speed and torque characteristics to complete challenging mixing and dispersion applications which normally require more than one mixer. Torque priority mode allows the mixing of high- or low-viscosity materials, or high-speed dispersions, so that a wide range of products and applications can be accomplished with a single mixer. A constant torque, 3-horsepower DC motor, two-pully belt-drive transmission, and electronic control mixes formulations exceeding 100,000 CPS at low speed with supplied bowtie style impeller. For more information, visit www.indco.com.
BOBCAT
PA375V Air Compressor with FlexAir
Engineered for productivity, the PA375v delivers 350 to 375 cfm at 125 to 150 psi, offering the flexible pressure and air flow needed for a wide range of operations. With FlexAir, the compressor automatically adapts output based on real-time workload demands, ensuring optimal performance and fuel efficiency. A clear 4.3-inch water resistant display provides intuitive operation with easy-to-read graphics for a user-friendly experience. Eco Mode further enhances efficiency and fuel savings during lighter workloads. Powered by a Bobcat engine paired with a robust fuel system, the PA375v delivers long-term reliability. For more information, visit www.bobcat.com.
DINKLE INTERNATIONAL
iO-GRID X Fieldbus Coupler
The iO-GRID X fieldbus coupler modules support major industrial Ethernet communications protocols at up to 100Mbps, including EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP, and CC-Link IE Field Basic. Each interface module includes two RJ45 interface plugs and an integrated two-port Ethernet switch for convenient station expansion using daisy-chain cabling. LED indicators provide clear operational status information, and the module accepts firmware upgrades using a standard USB Type C connection. Over twenty types of I/O modules are available, accommodating varying I/O counts and signal types, with integrated indicator lights for easy identification of channel status. For more information, visit www.dinkle.com.
CIRCOR INTERNATIONAL
Allweiler AE‑RD/RE Hopper Pump
The new Allweiler AE‑RD/RE Hopper Pump is a progressing cavity pump engineered to handle highly viscous, non-flowable and solids-laden media in demanding industrial applications. The pump combines a two-part, large-scale casing design, optimized screw conveyor and vertical wall surfaces in the inlet hopper to enable trouble-free operation without separate bridge breakers, reducing equipment complexity and investment costs. Its flow-optimized stuffing box between the inlet hopper and rotor/stator helps ensure the best possible filling of the conveyor elements, prevents partial dry running and reduces wear, downtime and spare-parts consumption. For more information, visit our website www.pumps.circor.com/allweiler.
Sensaphone’s Sentry and Sentinel PRO remote monitoring systems help personnel detect issues such as pump failures, lift station problems, tank level changes and power outages before they lead to downtime, overflows or equipment damage.
The Sensaphone Sentry system provides an affordable monitoring solution for up to five critical conditions, including tank levels, pump status, power failure, and temperature. Using cellular and cloud technology, the system maintains a supervised connection to confirm that it remains online and actively monitoring. When conditions move outside preset limits, the Sentry sends alerts by phone, text or email, so operators can respond quickly.
Facility teams can view readings, adjust settings and manage multiple Sentry devices through a web-enabled device or mobile app. The system requires no software, includes built-in power failure detection, a rechargeable backup battery and GPS location features, and is housed in a durable aluminum enclosure.
For larger operations and multisite monitoring, the Sensaphone Sentinel PRO system helps teams centralize visibility across equipment and environmental conditions. Designed to integrate with programmable logic controllers (PLC) and building automation systems (BAS), Sentinel PRO supports twelve external digital or analog sensors for monitoring power outages, water leaks, temperature, humidity, equipment status and other critical conditions.
Available in Ethernet and cellular models, the Sentinel PRO alerts users by text, email, or phone call when sensor readings deviate from preset parameters.
In 2025, the 500,000th RV pump have rolled off the production line in Lutín, Czechia. A remarkable milestone for a pump that has redefined rotary vane (RV) vacuum technology. Trusted across a wide range of applications—from laboratory research and analytical chemistry to pharmaceutical processes, light industrial environments, such as coating, freeze drying or degassing, and OEM systems—the RV pump combines precision engineering with proven reliability to deliver performance customers can count on. This achievement is the result of both ambitious thinking and the engineering excellence to bring it to life.
BREAKING NEW GROUND: A PIONEER’S JOURNEY
Single-stage rotary vane pumps like the EM and E2M once dominated Edwards’ RV range. Yet the journey to innovation began when engineers saw more than just a gap in the market—they saw the potential to redefine what was possible.
“We saw this as an opportunity to make something new. Easy to manufacture, easy to maintain, and with longevity at its heart,” says David Goodwin, who has guided the RV project since the early 1990s and is now retired after four decades as product manager.
“The market for RV pumps had expanded to include laboratories and light-industrial users, alongside to traditional OEM and R&D customers. This shift created a demand for pumps that not only delivered better performance, but were quieter, reliable, easy to maintain, and wouldn’t look out of place on a lab workbench.”
FROM CONCEPT TO DRAWING BOARD TO PROTOTYPE
Alan Holbrook was the senior development engineer and led the team responsible for turning this vision into reality.
“One of the key challenges was making two pumps function as one. No one else had a two-stage RV pump capable of handling water vapor, and it was overcoming these obstacles led to one of the product’s key patents.”
Planning had begun in the late 1980s, but by 1990, Holbrook and his team were in full swing, deconstructing the design to its core principals and reimagining and well as reengineering it from the ground up.
“We initially set out to design a pump that could be built using a fully automated robotic system. While we achieved that, we also created a pump that was so much simpler to assemble that even manual production times were comparable to automation.”
The RV pump also introduced important features such as:
A mode-switch feature allowed users to seamlessly transition between high-vacuum and high-throughput operation
Fast acting inlet for system protection
A robust design built to withstand a variety of environments.
Launched in 1994, the pump was the first Edwards product to carry the ‘CE’ badge, signifying compliance with European standards.
RELIABLE, CONSISTENT WORKHORSE
While economic and industrial cycles have fluctuated over the past 40 years, the RV pump has sustained relatively steady year-on-year production levels and remains as relevant and viable today as it did when it first launched.
Renowned as a dependable workhorse, its lasting success speaks to the value it brings to customers, as demonstrated by it winning the ‘BOC Technology Award’ in 1993.
“The rotary vane pumping mechanism itself has been perfected close to the limit, making the RV pump a highly praised, universal, robust and reliable product.” notes Boris Marecak, the current product manager.
As the RV pump enters its next chapter, the industry faces a significant evolution: the transition from oil-sealed systems to dry alternatives. This “wet-to-dry” strategy represents one of the biggest challenges for oil-sealed pumps, as sustainability and carbon footprint reduction become central to product development.
“There is no single focus area going forward,” Marecak explains. “Sustainability and carbon footprint reduction are the forefront. We aim to optimize the product, localize production to reduce transportation costs, and develop new ways to lower power consumption, operational expenses, and total cost of ownership.”
This evolution is not about radical change, but about steady, thoughtful progress. The RV pump will continue to serve many of Edwards’ most valued customers, remaining a key solution in their operations. The future includes expanding and simplifying motor offerings and implementing smart features that deliver real value to users.
Oil-sealed pumps continue to hold a strong position in the market and remain essential for many customers. The outlook for this technology is promising, not through sudden revolution, but through steady evolution and a commitment to continuous improvement.
CELEBRATING THE PAST, ENGINEERING THE FUTURE
With over 500,000 units produced, the RV pump stands as a testament to Edwards’ legacy of innovation and reliability. As we look ahead, the RV continues to evolve—driven by sustainability, smart technology, and a deep understanding of our customers’ needs. The journey is not over; it is entering a new chapter, and the best may be yet to come.
Maria Leal is the global marketing communications manager for the Scientific Vacuum Division and can be reached at maria.leal@atlascopco.com. With over 100 years of rich heritage, Edwards is the partner of choice for tens of thousands of customers in critical applications around the world. Vacuum is required in diverse sectors, from the generation of power to the production of steel, to the challenging environments of space simulation and high energy physics research. Edwards is part of the Atlas Copco Group, a Sweden-based provider of industrial productivity solutions. For more information, visit www.edwardsvacuum.com.
With the successful deployment of an AI-driven optimization solution for Aramco, one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, Emerson has begun a collaboration integrating of their Aspen Hybrid Models into Aramco’s existing refinery planning framework, resulting in the creation of one of the world’s largest multi-site, multi-period optimization models.
By combining first-principles models, deep domain expertise, and purpose-built industrial AI, Aspen Hybrid Models capture nonlinear relationships in yield and quality responses, significantly enhancing the accuracy of refinery planning models. The deployment has already achieved yield and quality prediction accuracy of up to 98.5 percent in key refinery units.
ENHANCING MODEL ACCURACY ACROSS PLATFORMS
These hybrid AI models have been implemented in Continuous Catalyst Regeneration (CCR) and Platformer Units, where they are enabling more precise feedstock blending, minimizing gaps between planning and execution, and improving the accuracy of margin forecasting across Aramco’s global refining network.
Current efforts are focused on expanding the hybrid modeling approach to hydrocracker units across Aramco’s assets. This expansion is expected to further enhance model accuracy and demonstrate the scalability and robustness of this AI-driven optimization strategy across the enterprise.
“This deployment represents a significant milestone in Aramco’s AI strategy and our long-standing relationship with Emerson,” says Ahmad Alkudmani, director of the global optimizer department at Aramco. “We are committed to leveraging innovative technologies for smarter, more efficient refining optimization. With improved model accuracy, we are enhancing planning decisions, reducing the manual adjustments required from our engineers, and uncovering new value across our global assets.”
REAL PERFORMANCE BENEFITS
Key benefits Aramco aims to achieve with Aspen Hybrid Models include:
98.5 percent yield and quality prediction accuracy: Substantially increasing yield volume and enhancing stream quality across diverse feedstocks, operating conditions, and throughputs
Efficiency through optimized feedstock blending: Diversifying feedstock selection and blending recipes to enable more profitable and sustainable operations
Reduced planning-execution gaps: Minimizing discrepancies between plans and actual plant performance, reducing the need for manual adjustments
Enhanced model accuracy: Capturing complex non-linearities in critical unit operations such as reactors
Improved operational efficiency: Automating model updates and reducing manual tuning requirements
Scalable global solution: Maintaining model applicability across a wide range of refinery operations worldwide
Aramco is using Aspen Hybrid Models built and deployed in Emerson’s AspenTech Performance Engineering and Manufacturing and Supply Chain product suites. As a result, Aramco was able to create highly accurate nonlinear optimizations using thousands of converged simulation cases built upon rigorous first-principles models calibrated with actual plant data. The approach provides Aramco with a scalable, robust tool for global refinery planning.
THE DRIVING FORCE OF DIGITAL INNOVATION
“Aramco continues to set the standard for operational excellence through digital innovation,” says Claudio Fayad, chief technology officer of Emerson’s Aspen Technology business.
“This deployment of AI-driven Aspen Hybrid Models to optimize complex, multi-site, multi-period planning workflows demonstrates the tangible value of combining deep domain expertise with advanced AI. We’re excited to expand our strategic relationship with Aramco as they advance their digital transformation goals.”
PARTNER PROFILE: ASPEN TECHNOLOGY
Aspen Technology formed from the Advanced System for Process Engineering (ASPEN) Project—joint research between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and U.S. Department of Energy. The team explored technical innovations in response to the 1970’s energy crisis, developing the chemical industry’s first computer-based modeling and simulation technology. The innovations developed in those initial days had a transformative impact, providing the foundation for decades of industrial optimization advancements.
Emerson is a global industrial technology leader that provides advanced automation. With an unmatched portfolio of intelligent devices, control systems and industrial software, Emerson delivers solutions that automate and optimize business performance. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Emerson combines innovative technology with proven operational excellence to power the future of automation. For more information, visit www.emerson.com.
Smart Joint Access with electric drive for stationary and factory-based installations
In demanding industrial environments, uptime and reliability are critical. Therefore, Seepex has introduced Smart Joint Access (SJA), a new inspection-friendly pump design developed to meet these conditions. Integrated into the BN progressive cavity pump, SJA combines a compact footprint with direct visual access to both joints via a large opening in the suction housing. This enables efficient condition assessment while ensuring precise handling of shear-sensitive, abrasive, or corrosive media.
Designed for space-constrained installations, the BN pump with SJA is particularly well suited for mobile manufacturing units, underground installations, and skid-mounted or stationary systems. Flexible integration and low-energy operation support reliable performance in applications where downtime is not an option.
Hydraulic-drive BN pump with Smart Joint Access, shown with the inspection opening open for direct joint inspection
ROCK BLASTING: PRECISION UNDER PRESSURE
Rock blasting plays a central role in mining, tunneling, and construction, requiring accurate and consistent loading of explosive emulsions to achieve controlled fragmentation and maintain productivity. In these operations, deviations in pumping performance can lead to blast inconsistencies, rework, or delays.
Seepex BN pumps with SJA are designed to meet these operational demands. Quick and easy access to the joints supports reliable emulsion transfer and precise dosing, making the pump well suited for blast hole loading and other critical chemical handling processes.
“Smart Joint Access enhances availability and operational efficiency for our customers,” says Magalie Levray, global business development manager mining at Seepex. “Operators gain direct access to the joints through the large inspection opening, reduce downtime, and rely on consistent, precise pumping of viscous, shear-sensitive, and abrasive emulsions. In rock blasting, where every borehole matters, this reliability is essential.”
Hydraulic-drive BN pump with Smart Joint Access, ensuring reliable operation with the inspection opening closed
INSPECTION-FRIENDLY DESIGN FOR HIGH AVAILABILITY
Smart Joint Access is designed to simplify inspection routines and save time. The inspection opening in the suction housing provides direct visual access to both joints, supporting shorter inspection cycles and high operational reliability.
An equal-wall stator enables high-pressure capability within a compact footprint. The pump can be equipped with a compact hydraulic drive for truck-mounted mobile units or an electric drive for underground or stationary installations. The low-displacement hydraulic option reduces oil requirements and contributes to a low total cost of ownership.
Seepex progressive cavity pump technology ensures stable, controlled flow and protects product integrity, even when handling highly abrasive or shear-sensitive emulsions. A wide range of materials is available, including stainless steel or steel housings, chrome-plated rotors, and stators in NBR, EPDM, or FKM, ensuring compatibility with a broad range of chemical emulsions.
Framework agreements support fast delivery and reliable availability, enabling standardized designs and fleet-wide rollouts with minimal downtime.
Smart Joint Access from Seepex: direct visual access to both joints through the suction housing.
APPLICATIONS
BN pumps with Smart Joint Access are suitable for rock blasting, shotcrete, mine dewatering, tunneling, civil works, dam construction, and other industrial processes requiring precise and reliable handling of chemical or abrasive media. In blasting operations, routine visual inspection of the joints combined with operational pressure testing is essential. Smart Joint Access allows operators to assess joint integrity quickly, supporting faster decision-making and continuous operation in uptime-critical environments.
Seepex has more than fifty years of experience delivering progressive cavity pump solutions for wastewater, mining, chemical, and industrial applications worldwide. Known for innovation and reliability, Seepex designs equipment that meets demanding operational requirements while minimizing total cost of ownership. For more information, visit www.seepex.com.
Oil and gas applications require pump technologies that are leak-free, dry-run capable, can handle solids, can operate off the BEP and can run without any cavitation-causing NPSH imbalances occurring. Sliding vane magnetic drive pumps can address all those challenges
The oil and gas industry continues to be the backbone of the global energy supply chain, powering economies and fueling innovation. This sector accounts for nearly 80 percent of the world’s energy use, according to the Energy Institute. Countries like India (89.2 percent), Russia (87.5 percent), China (81.5 percent), and the United States (80.5 percent) are leading consumers of these traditional energy sources.
Pumps play a pivotal role in this industry, ensuring the smooth transport of natural gas, oil and other liquids across various stages of production. Oil and gas applications, however, provide multiple challenges for pumps. The products that pass through these pumps range from natural gas and petroleum to crude oil and even biofuels.
These raw materials present pumps with a multitude of difficulties, such as the range of viscosities between crude oil and natural gas vapors for example. Some oil and gas liquids contain solids and particulates, creating additional processing challenges. Other times, there is not sufficient product passing through the pump, creating a dry run environment that can cause catastrophic damage over time.
Another challenge is keeping the valuable oil and gas liquids contained within the pump. Some pump technologies, especially those not well suited for a wider viscosity range, are prone to leaks. This may lead to potential safety risks, negative impacts on the environment, and ultimately a loss of product.
That’s why oil and gas operators should select a pump that can address the common pain points found in this sector. Not all pumps are created equal, leading some technologies to rise above the rest. This article dives into the game-changing role of magnetically driven sliding vane pumps (mag drive), exploring their unique capabilities and how they excel in even the most demanding environments.
Chemical transfer capabilities comparison for sliding vane, centrifugal and gear pumps.
COMMON PUMP CHOICES
There is no shortage of pump options for operators in the oil and gas industry. The range of applicable pumps means operators must consider the benefits and drawbacks of each pump before making their final decision.
The most common pump found in oil and gas operation is the centrifugal pump. These pumps use impellers with a radial outlet to transfer rotational mechanical energy to the liquid by increasing its kinetic energy, which is then used to transport the liquid to the discharge port. Centrifugal pumps excel at transferring low-viscosity fluids at high flow rates.
Despite their popularity, centrifugal pumps can struggle in oil and gas applications. While some models may offer a sealless and leak-free option, they struggle with solids, abrasive media and vapor mixtures. They also are not equipped for dry run operation and lose efficiency when pumping conditions change.
Centrifugal pumps operate most effectively at their best efficiency point (BEP), but their operating performance suffers when they deviate. This is especially true when centrifugal pumps fall out of their BEP when dealing with fluctuations in viscosity, pressure and flow rate.
Gear pumps are another common choice for oil and gas operations. This technology uses meshing gears to move liquids. Liquid enters the suction port within the teeth between a rotor gear and idler gear, creating an atmospheric vacuum that pulls the liquid into and through the pump. Two variations of this pump – internal and external – effectively process high-viscosity liquids.
Similar to centrifugal pumps, some gear pump models may provide sealless, leak-free operation, but they are not well suited for dry run operation or vapor mixtures. The wear parts on this pump also affect their longevity and effectiveness over time. The gears in gear pumps wear down over time, impacting flow rate performance.
The operating principle of sliding vane pumps ensures volumetric consistency through a number of self-adjusting vanes that slide in and out of the pump rotor, creating chambers that carry the same amount of fluid to the discharge port.
THE STANDOUT PUMP FOR OIL AND GAS
Magnetically driven sliding vane pumps stand above other pump technologies used in the oil and gas industry.
Sliding vane pumps feature self-adjusting vanes that ensure the pump functions at its optimal efficiency throughout its lifetime. These pumps use a rotor with sliding vanes that draw the liquid in behind each vane, through the inlet port and into the pumping chamber. As the rotor turns, the liquid is transferred between the vanes to the outlet where it is discharged as the pumping chamber is squeezed down. Each vane provides a positive mechanical push to the liquid before it.
Mag drive sliding vane pumps do not suffer from these setbacks. This technology does not contain dynamic seals, providing a leak-free pumping solution capable of handling pumping conditions that feature varying system pressure, near zero NPSHa, liquid/vapor mix and suspended solids.
The composition of some mag drive vane pumps allows them to provide indefinite dry-run capability. To achieve this benefit, operators should consider a variation that includes a non-magnetic containment shell, a non-cantilevered rotor design, self-lubricating vanes and sleeve bearings, optimized porting and clearances, and a lower running speed to create less frictional heat during a dry run event. When these operational features are in place, this type of sliding vane pump can run dry continuously with minimal risk of damage or failure.
While there is some skepticism about a pump’s ability to run dry for longer stretches, mag drive sliding vane pumps with composite containment shells don’t suffer the same drawbacks as competitive technologies. Those pumps that falter from longer dry run cycles tend to have bushings made from sensitive ceramics, temporary coatings or soft composites, all of which will suffer under extended dry run times.
Mag drive sliding vane pumps can also handle contaminants, with the ability to process liquids with suspended-solids levels of up to 20 percent. These pumps also function as a near zero-NPSHr solution, making them ideal for challenging pump inlet conditions. They can sustain optimal performance standards with liquids containing up to 20 percent vapor or air.
Sliding vane pumps do not contain dynamic seals, providing a leak-free pumping solution capable of handling pumping conditions that feature varying system pressure, near-zero NPSHa, liquid/vapor mix and suspended solids.
Viscosity fluctuations also do not impact these pumps the way they do with competing technologies. When mag drive sliding vane pumps include the characteristics that allow for extended dry run times, they can also handle a wide viscosity range from 1 cP to 4,250 cP, which is ideal for oil and gas applications.
Unlike competitive technologies, such as centrifugal pumps, their performance will not degrade in the liquid’s viscosity drops below 1 cP or rises above 1 cP. Other technologies can handle varying viscosities, but not as wide of a range, which the oil and gas industry encounters. That’s why sliding vane magnetic drive pumps excel in oil and gas applications. They are viscosity flexible.
CONCLUSION
Pumps will always play a pivotal role in the oil and gas industry when transporting raw materials from the wellhead to the city gate. Because of their importance, operators must select a pump that meets all their processing and transporting needs. While the options are plentiful, sliding vane magnetic drive pumps provide an array of performance benefits without the common pitfalls of competing technologies.
Michael Coburn is the director of engineering and product management for the Blackmer brand at PSG Grand Rapids. He can be reached at michael.coburn@psgdover.com. Blackmer is the leading global brand of sliding vane, gear, regenerative turbine, and centrifugal pump, and reciprocating compressor technologies for the transfer of liquids and gases. Blackmer is a product brand of PSG, a Dover company. PSG is the global pump, metering and dispensing-solution expert, enabling the safe and efficient transfer of critical and valuable fluids that require optimal performance and reliability in applications where it matters most. Additionally, PSG is a leading provider of flow meters designed to reduce waste and downtime while accurately measuring, monitoring and controlling the distribution of fluids. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, PSG is comprised of several world-class brands, including Abaque, All-Flo, Almatec, Blackmer, Cryo-Mach, Ebsray, em-tec, Griswold, Hydro, ipp, Malema, Mouvex, Neptune, PSG Biotech, Quantex, Quattroflow, and Wilden. For more information, visit www.psgdover.com.
Every day, industrial teams open their laptops to find the same thing: more data than any human can reasonably absorb. Trends, alarms, work orders, lab results, and shift notes compete for attention. The critical question is “How do we turn our data into trustworthy decisions before the next shift change?”
For many organizations, when something goes wrong, people swivel between tools, export signals to spreadsheets, rebuild the same plots, and manually stitch together context from scattered information. Decisions get made, but they’re often late, inconsistent, and hard to explain.
Now imagine if starting an investigation was as simple as starting a conversation. An engineer could ask, “What happened this weekend on the compressors?” and get back a focused summary of events across sites, with visuals that spotlight where behavior changed and why those time periods matter. They could compare this quarter to last, see which units had the most anomalies, and instantly surface the few plots that deserve deeper scrutiny, rather than combing through hundreds of charts by hand.
INTRODUCING SEEQ INTELLIGENCE
What feels like a simple back-and-forth is actually a full investigation unfolding in the background. Behind the scenes, Seeq Intelligence uses AI to reason over operational data, write and execute code to run the right analysis steps, and assemble clear summaries of what it finds, all while exposing the intermediate tables, logic, and visuals so teams can validate the approach. The result is an AI analyst that partners with operations, reliability, and remote monitoring teams to move from “What on earth is going on?” to “Here’s what changed, here’s how it compares, and here’s where to focus first.”
Of course, every site, line, and process has its own “way we do things here.” Historically, that knowledge lives in notebooks, emails, or the heads of a few senior engineers. That makes best practices hard to scale and even harder to apply consistently in the heat of a production issue. Seeq Intelligence lets organizations turn these repeatable methods into reusable, AI-driven playbooks. Teams can capture multi-step workflows, from how they search for the right workbooks, set time ranges, and run calculations, to how they assemble reports, and store them as guided flows that can be triggered on demand. That means investigations, reports, and monitoring routines become consistent, auditable, and sharable, effectively amplifying individual expertise into shared enterprise intelligence and codifying the decisions and learnings that keep your operations running.
Then there’s the silent majority of your knowledge: documents. Operating procedures, startup guides, safety standards, turnaround plans, and equipment manuals are often stored in shared drives or cloud storage, far from the live discussion when questions arise. Instead of copying or restructuring that content, Seeq Intelligence reaches into those existing repositories, interprets what’s there, and brings the right passages into the flow of work when people need them. Seeq Intelligence enables natural-language conversations with your own documentation. Engineers and operators can ask, “What are the startup procedures for Unit 200?” or “List the available documents related to refinery operations,” and receive answers grounded in the actual pages, paragraphs, and file names, complete with citations.
When conversational analysis, reusable workflows, and document-aware intelligence come together, industrial teams experience a step change in how they work:
Faster investigations: From hours or days of manual digging to guided, conversational analysis that surfaces the right events and visuals in minutes, completing work that used to take entire shifts in a fraction of the time.
More consistent decisions: Because best-practice methods are encoded once and reused everywhere, instead of reinvented on every worksheet.
Scalable expertise: Operational knowledge from people’s heads and documents becomes a living, navigable asset that every shift can tap into.
Greater impact from your teams: By offloading repetitive investigation and document hunting to AI, engineers and operators can focus on higher-value decisions and improvement work, increasing their impact across the enterprise.
Greater trust in AI: Transparent reasoning, traceable document citations, and clear visibility into how each answer was produced builds trust and confidence in AI.
A FASTER PATH TO CONFIDENT DECISIONS
The story is simple: industrial organizations don’t need more data. They need a faster, more transparent path from data to decisions.
Seeq Intelligence is an enterprise decision intelligence platform for industrial companies, a living layer that continuously learns from your data and your people. It brings together industrial data, human insight, automated analytics, and organizational knowledge to drive high-impact decisions. By codifying SME know-how, logging the rationale behind actions, and measuring outcomes, Seeq Intelligence helps your organization not only solve today’s problems but also get smarter for tomorrow’s. The result is faster, more confident decision-making at all levels, from plant floor troubleshooting to corporate strategic planning, grounded in data and enriched with expertise and experience.
CONCLUSION
“Seeq Intelligence is a notable step forward in the fast-moving Industrial AI ecosystem,” said Matthew Littlefield, president and research lead at LNS Research. “Agent Q can reach across the broad stack of operational technologies, incorporate the expertise and context contained in Seeq, and provide the agentic layer needed to change the speed, quality, and strategic priority of decisions.”
Seeq Intelligence represents a step change in how industrial companies create value. By synthesizing context, history, and irreplaceable domain expertise with patented advanced AI, we’re giving organizations a continuously learning system that sharpens decision making and accelerates operational transformation. It’s about helping customers compete—and win—in a world where speed, insight, and adaptability define future leaders.
Seeq, a global leader in advanced analytics and AI for industrial companies, delivers a self-service, enterprise SaaS platform and solutions to accelerate critical insights and action from historically unused data. Oil and gas, pharmaceutical, specialty chemical, utility, renewable energy, and numerous other vertical industries rely on Seeq to optimize business and production outcomes, including yield, margins, quality, and sustainability. Seeq is a privately held virtual company with employees across the United States, Asia, Canada, Europe, and South America. For more information, visit www.seeq.com.
Genesee County in Michigan recently opened a Digestion and Dewatering Facility. (Photo credit: Freddy Ray Dugard)
For decades, farmers across the United States have relied on biosolids to help increase yields and supply nutrients critical to their crops. A 2018 report by the National Biosolids Data Project found that 53 percent of wastewater solids are treated and recycled to soils as biosolids fertilizer and soil amendments.
The agency reported about 18 percent of all U.S. agricultural lands could be using biosolids as fertilizer, covering almost 70 million farmland acres. Biosolids give farmers an opportunity to plant essential nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. With farmers facing a host of economic pressures—in September, a survey reported 46 percent of farmers believed the United States was on the brink of a farm crisis—the use of biosolids as fertilizer helped many of them contain costs.
Some communities, however, are forcing farms to dramatically curb the use of biosolids. Treated sewage sludge used as fertilizer contains high concentrations of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). The chemicals are found in many consumer products, such as food wraps, carpeting and clothing. Some of those chemicals are associated with health problems, including cancer, liver damage, and decreased immune response to vaccines.
Genesee County, Michigan, includes nearly 120,000 acres of farmland. The Genesee County Drain Commissioner—Division of Water and Waste Services (GCDC-WWS) recently installed equipment that will enable the transition of sludge disposal via land application to landfill disposal. While the new plan eliminates biosolids as fertilizer for farmers, the public health benefit is considerable.
The three-year, $9.5 million project included the installation of two dewatering centrifuges. (Photo credit: Freddy Ray Dugard)
PROJECT AT A GLANCE
What: The Genesee County Digestion and Dewatering Facility was a three-year, $9.5 million retrofit of an existing building that includes the installation of two dewatering centrifuges.
Why: The new dewatering equipment was necessary to support a change in sludge disposal practices from land application to landfill disposal.
Centering on centrifuges: The centrifuges are capable of processing 250 GPM of sludge, and weigh a staggering 18,500 pounds. They were installed on the top floor of the building after the removal of vacuum presses associated with obsolete incinerators.
Up and over: Installation of the centrifuges challenged the project team, which used heavy operating equipment to lower them through a 22-foot roof hatch manufactured by BILCO.
Did you know? Dewatering reduces the volume of sludge and saves money on storage and transportation.
PROJECT SCOPE
The project included a building retrofit in which workers installed two dewatering centrifuges to process a combination of primary waste and digested sludge. The three-year, $9.5 million project to construct the Genesee County Digestion and Dewatering Facility included removing vacuum presses associated with obsolete incinerators and installing the centrifuges, which are capable of processing 250 GPM of sludge.
“The sludge dewatering improvements provide an efficient means of preparing the sludge for landfill disposal while also significantly reducing the volume of sludge requiring disposal. The need to install sludge dewatering equipment arose from a shift in sludge disposal practices,’’ according to the GCDC-WWS.
Michigan adopted a plan to reduce PFAS in wastewater biosolids in 2018. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said the initiative has resulted in a substantial reduction in PFAS concentrations since the program was implemented and added an interim plan in 2021 for land application of biosolids containing PFAS.
The project scope also included installing a sludge feed pump, sludge screen, polymer feed system, a sludge cake pump with associated piping to discharge sludge cake to an existing loading area, piping to convey primary sludge to the feed well for the centrifuge, and piping associated with new equipment.
It also involved modifications to the electrical equipment for the new process equipment and to consolidate the existing electrical equipment, modifications to the instrumentation and control system, modifications to the heating and ventilating equipment, and roof modifications.
The centrifuges were installed in the building through a 22-foot roof hatch manufactured by BILCO, the manufacturer of specialty access products. (Photo credit: Freddy Ray Dugard)
ADVANTAGES OF DEWATERING
Dewatering is not a new process. It has been used for nearly 100 years, and removes water and produces a drier material, referred to as a cake.
The process offers several advantages, primarily reducing volume and saving money on storage and transportation. It also eliminates free liquids before landfill disposal. Centrifuges also offer lower overall operation and maintenance costs and require minimal operator attention. Operators also have reduced exposure to pathogens, aerosols, hydrogen sulfide and other odors, according to the EPA.
Sludge transport also poses leak and spill risks. Dewatering creates cakes with consistent levels of dryness, and using high-solid dried cakes eliminates the risk of leaks or spills during transportation and storage.
The dewatering process is sustainable. Separating water for treatment ensures that wastewater won’t seep into the ground at any point in its life-cycle and reduces the need for new water to enter the process cycle. With less waste for disposal and fewer transportation requirements, sludge dewatering also helps to reduce emissions associated with freight transportation.
The centrifuges, which weigh 18,500 pounds, were installed on the top floor of the building and replaced obsolete incinerators. (Photo credit: Freddy Ray Dugard)
UP AND IN THROUGH THE ROOF
Installing the huge centrifuges on the fourth floor of the building challenged the team from Sorenson Gross, the general contractor for the project. The centrifuges are 18.75 feet long and 4.66 feet wide and weigh 18,500 pounds.
Workers used heavy operating equipment to lift and lower the centrifuges into the building through a 22-foot-long roof hatch manufactured by BILCO, the manufacturer of specialty access products. The custom-made hatch includes heavy-duty arms and chains, modified with Type 316 Stainless Steel hardware.
“BILCO was selected as the basis-of-design manufacturer of the roof hatch by the design engineer,” GCDC-WWS says in a statement. “It is understood that this selection was based on previous experience and overall product quality. The hatch met the project requirements of providing unobstructed access to and watertight closure of the roof penetration that was necessary to install and maintain the new equipment.”
“Every seven years or so, they will need to swap out the center portion of the drum. It’s easier to access the centrifuges in the building through the hatch,’’ adds project manager for Sorenson, Alex Summers.
Sorenson Gross procured the hatches through BILCO’s manufacturer’s representative, HMG Group in Farmington.
“It was nerve-wracking watching them install the centrifuges,’’ Summers adds. “It’s about 20-25 feet up in the air. We had personnel on the roof to make sure they didn’t hit the hatch as they were placing them in the building.”
The centrifuges are capable of processing 250 GPM of sludge. (Photo credit: Freddy Ray Dugard)
INDUSTRY TRANSITION
The Genesee County project is one example of a nationwide trend. A new group, The Coalition for Sludge-Free Land, launched in May and includes nearly thirty local, regional, and national environmental organizations. The group is advocating an end to the practice of using biosolids as fertilizer.
Biosolids can also contain heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and other pollutants that are not fully removed during wastewater treatment. Land application can reintroduce those contaminants into the environment.
Farmers also recognize the harmful impact of forever chemicals. In Texas, farmers allege their land was contaminated by the spreading of biosolids, and that some of their animals tested with exorbitant PFAS levels. The farmers filed a suit against the EPA, but it was dismissed by a federal judge.
As the impact of PFAS becomes more heavily scrutinized, it’s likely that more communities will switch from using biosolids as fertilizer to landfilling due to health concerns.
Thomas Renner writes building, construction, and other trade industry topics for publications throughout the United States. The BILCO Company has served the building industry since 1926. During these years it has built a reputation among architects, engineers, specifiers, and the construction trades for dependability and for products that are unequaled in design and workmanship. For more information, visit www.bilco.com.
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