Maintworld Magazine 1/2024

1/2024 maintworld.com 

maintenance & asset management 

WARNING 

IMAGE 

MADE BY AI 

The Augmented 

Revolution 

The Harmony of Humans, Robots, 

and AI in Maintenance anc 

5.0 

Valmet's Remote 

Maintenance 

Advancements 

p 20 

ABB's 

Energy Audit 

Solutions 

p 32 

EASA's 

Pump Problem 

Pursuit 

p 46

EDITORIAL 

Prevenve vs. predicve 

The shift from reactive maintenance 

to preventive maintenance 

has been going on 

already for some decades. 

Kaizen is a Japanese word, 

which translates to English as “improvement” 

or “change for better”. At least 

we in Europe during the 80’s and 90’s 

were following, and carefully analysing 

and adapting concepts our colleagues in 

Japan were already using. There was a lot 

to learn from them we noticed, and today 

Japan is still one of the international 

benchmarks for product quality and 

robustness. 

In maintenance the change from 

an earlier reactive attitude to today’s 

preventive mindset has also been visible in the workload of an individual maintenance 

person. Of course, the figures vary between the companies and are based 

on the nature of the business. However, it can easily be estimated that the portion 

of preventive maintenance work has grown from 20-30% to 50-70% on average. 

There is still some gap before we reach the preventive maintenance level of 90% 

that Japanese colleagues were presenting in the 90’s. 

Methodologies like RCM (Reliability-Centred Maintenance) and TPM (Total 

Productive Maintenance) has been guiding maintenance organisations in their 

development work towards more efficient maintenance operations and especially 

defining the actions of preventive maintenance. 

The development of digitalisation, including for example increased intelligence 

in field devices and highly developed analysis software give us the opportunity 

to further develop the level of preventive maintenance. We talk about predictive 

maintenance – which is still preventive maintenance, but because of the better 

understanding of the actual machine condition, we can optimise the timing of the 

preventive actions. 

Some years ago, I saw a market study estimating that the international market 

of predictive maintenance will grow from 2016 to 2021 with an annual growth 

rate of around 30%. That did happen. Several new market estimates are again 

giving similar growth figures for the coming decade. Here at Maintworld we will 

follow the market development and hopefully be able to deliver our readers the 

highlights from the market with new inventions and new players. We would also 

be happy to get your proposals and information so that we can be up to date with 

the fast development. 

The role of artificial intelligence and robotics in the future of work has also 

sparked a lively discussion as a result of rapid technological development. In this 

issue of Maintworld, Professors Diego Galar, Ramin Karim and Uday Kumar discuss 

the topic from the perspective of Maintenance 5.0. Companies also present 

their own solutions. For example, Mika Kari, Global Technology Director at Valmet 

Industrial Internet, explains how digitalisation is guiding the development 

of Valmet's remote maintenance services, and Erich Labuda, Business Services 

Manager at ABB, explains how maintenance professionals can improve energy 

efficiency based on information from energy audits. 

Jaakko Tennilä 

Editor-in-Chief, Maintworld magazine 

46 

Pinning 

down possibilities 

for pump problems. 

Troubleshooting should start 

by looking at the pump, the 

fluid and the system. 

4 maintworld 1/2024

IN THIS ISSUE 1/2024 

20 

“The 

VII gives us the capability to 

gather data from individual process 

areas or even from a whole plant,” 

says Mika Kari, Global Technology 

Manager, Valmet Industrial Internet, 

Board and Paper Solutions. 

40 

RESEARCH 

PROJECT: 

Measurement data and 

simulated virtual data were 

utilized to create a data-driven 

hybrid model. 

4 Editorial 

6 News 

12 

18 

The Augmented Revolution: The 

Harmony of Humans, Robots, and AI in 

Maintenance 5.0 

The SDT340: A complete solution for 

equipment reliability 

Digitalization is driving Valmet’s 

20 

development of remote maintenance 

services 

Ensuring a safe work policy through 

24 

proper follow-up on the job and 

improvement in the field 

26 

32 

Will 2024 be the year the world wakes 

up to methane emissions? 

A route to enhanced energy efficiency 

with energy audits 

36 

40 

46 

50 

Ultrasound Cameras: the quickest way 

to energy savings 

Determining the lubrication condition of 

a sliding bearing using acoustic emission 

and data-based classification 

Pinning down possibilities for pump 

problems 

Sustainability reporting - a necessity or 

a competitive advantage? 

Issued by Finnish Maintenance Society, Promaint, Messuaukio 1, 00520 Helsinki, Finland, tel. +358 50 3844545, Editor-in-chief Jaakko Tennilä, 

jaakko.tennila@kunnossapito.fi. Publisher Avone Oy, avone.fi, Executive producer Vaula Aunola, editor@maintworld.com, 

vaula.aunola@avone.fi Advertisements Kai Portman, Sales Director, tel. +358 358 44 763 2573, kai@maintworld.com. Layout Avone. 

Printed by Savion Kirjapaino Oy Frequency 4 issues per year, ISSN L 1798-7024, ISSN 1798-7024 (print), ISSN 1799-8670 (online). 

1/2024 maintworld 5

In Short 

The industrial machinery refurbishment 

market size is forecast to grow by 

USD 482.43 billion by 2028. 

Source: Technavio report: Industrial Machinery 

Remanufacturing Market Analysis 

The industrial machinery 

remanufacturing market 

size is estimated to grow 

at a CAGR of 18.54% 

between 2023 and 2028 

THE MARKET SIZE is forecast to increase by USD 482.43 billion. The 

growth of the market depends on several factors such as the rising 

demand for increasing asset utilization in manufacturing industries, 

the growing demand for customization in industrial machinery, and 

the rising demand for optimization of costs at the same service level 

from various organizations. 

Most end-users of industrial machinery are changing their existing 

machinery and equipment to enhance machinery efficiency, reduce operational 

costs, and integrate all operational functions. Selecting appropriate 

industrial machinery helps in boosting operational efficiency and lowering 

energy consumption. The growing demand for increasing asset utilization 

in manufacturing industries will fuel the growth of the market during the 

forecast period. Industrial machinery manufacturers are providing remanufacturing 

and maintenance services that use technologies such as plasma 

arc welding, and laser cladding in order to solve this problem. 

Furthermore, the cost associated with the replacement of components 

may be quite high and represents a huge cost burden for the machine 

operator/owner. Such factors are expected to propel the global industrial 

machinery remanufacturing market during the forecast period. 

The OEM segment in the global industrial machinery remanufacturing 

market is a crucial and evolving aspect. OEMs are enterprises that design, 

manufacture, and sell original machinery and equipment. This segment is 

unique in that it mostly involves the manufacturers themselves, who are 

mainly recognizing the value of remanufacturing. Many OEMs are adopting 

sustainable practices to decrease waste and undervalue their environmental 

footprint. 

The OEM segment was valued at USD 112.16 billion in 2018. Furthermore, 

remanufacturing permits OEMs to deliver cost-effective solutions 

to customers, raising the affordability of their products and services. This 

can be particularly appealing in competitive markets. Besides, as regulatory 

pressures and environmental consciousness continue to increase, this 

segment is anticipated to deliver growth opportunities for both OEMs and 

remanufacturers in the market during the forecast period. 

APAC is estimated to contribute 40% to the growth by 2027. Due to factors 

such as rapid industrialization and urbanization, APAC is the fastestgrowing 

regional market in the global industrial machinery remanufacturing 

market. The leading countries in this region are China, Singapore, 

and India. APAC's rapid economic development, particularly in countries 

like China and India, has led to increased industrialization, creating a substantial 

market for remanufactured machinery. As industries expand, the 

demand for cost-effective, reliable machinery solutions grows. 

Moreover, several industries such as food and beverages, automotive, 

and others in the region are increasingly focused on sustainability and 

cost-effectiveness. Therefore, remanufacturing is seen as a waste reduction 

strategy adopted by several industry sectors. Thus, the rising adoption of 

sustainability practices in the region will drive the growth of the regional 

market during the forecast period 

Source: Technavio report: Industrial Machinery Remanufacturing Market 

Analysis APAC, North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, South 

America - US, China, India, Germany, UK - Size and Forecast 2024-2028 

A new optical 

metamaterial 

makes true 

one-way glass 

possible 

USING A NEW APPROACH, researchers at Aalto 

University in Finland have been able to design 

a metamaterial that has so far been beyond 

the reach of current techniques. Unlike natural 

materials, metamaterials and metasurfaces can 

be tailored to have specific electromagnetic 

properties, which means scientists can create 

materials with features desirable for industrial 

applications. 

The new metamaterial takes advantage 

of the nonreciprocal magnetoelectric 

(NME) effect. The NME effect implies a link 

between specific properties of the material 

(its magnetization and polarization) and 

the different field components of light or 

other electromagnetic waves. The NME 

effect is negligible in natural materials, but 

scientists have been trying to enhance it using 

metamaterials and metasurfaces because of 

the technological potential this would unlock. 

‘So far, the NME effect has not led to 

realistic industrial applications. Most of the 

proposed approaches would only work for 

microwaves and not visible light, and they 

also couldn’t be fabricated with available 

technology,’ says Shadi Safaei Jazi, a doctoral 

researcher at Aalto. The team designed an 

optical NME metamaterial that can be created 

with existing technology, using conventional 

materials and nanofabrication techniques. 

The new material opens up applications 

that would otherwise need a strong external 

magnetic field to work – for example, creating 

truly one-way glass. Glass that’s currently sold 

as ‘one-way’ is just semi-transparent, letting 

light through in both directions. When the 

brightness is different between the two sides 

(for example, inside and outside a window), 

it acts like one-way glass. But an NME-based 

one-way glass wouldn’t need a difference in 

brightness because light could only go through 

it in one direction. 


30,9% 

During 

the forecast period 

2022-2030, global predictive 

maintenance is expected to grow at a CAGR 

of 30.9%. Source: Polaris 

Market Research 

The predictive maintenance 

market forecast 

The global predictive maintenance 

market was valued 

at USD 4.16 billion in 2021 

and is expected to grow at a 

CAGR of 30.9% during the 

forecast period, according to Polaris 

Market Research. Market growth is 

primarily driven by the need to reduce 

costs and downtime associated with 

predictive maintenance. 

For instance, the data from the U.S. 

Department of Energy indicates that 

predictive maintenance is very costeffective 

and that it helps an enterprise 

to gain remarkable results such 

as a tenfold increase in ROI, 70-75% 

decrease in breakdowns, 25-30% reduction 

in costs, and 35-45% reduction in 

downtime. 

In addition, the industry enables the 

technicians to plan and prepare for a 

repair by taking steps, including shifting 

the capacity to other equipment or 

scheduling activity for times with the 

minimum impact on production. This 

results in the elimination of unplanned 

downtime during the production process. 

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted 

industrial networks and manufacturing, 

including demand-side shocks along 

with the supply disruptions that had a 

negative impact on the industry. The 

enterprises were forced to take harsh 

actions for their staff and employees, as 

SMEs were shut down, and production 

& manufacturing facilities were put on 

hold for a longer period of time. 

However, this situation has led to 

significant growth in focus on digital 

transformation among enterprises. For 

instance, the pandemic has boosted the 

need for enhanced manufacturing processes 

with the integration of technologies 

such as Machine Learning (ML) 

and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the 

industry. This has made manufacturing 

systems more agile and helped manufacturing 

companies increase their production 

capacity. 

Upsurge in investment in predictive 

maintenance solutions to reduce cost 

and downtime fuels the growth of the 

global market. Investment in predictive 

maintenance initiatives generates 

a tangible return on investment (ROI). 

For instance, predictive maintenance 

users reported metrics such as 2-6% 

PREDECTIVE MAINTENANCE MARKET SIZE, BY REGION, 2018-2030 (USD BILLION) 

increased availability, 5-10% inventory 

cost reduction, and 10-40% reduction 

in reactive maintenance. 

In addition, as per the recent study 

by Deutsche Messe AG and Roland 

Berger, VDMA 81% of companies are 

currently devoting time and resources 

to predictive maintenance subject, 

while 40% already have confidence 

that practicing predictive maintenance 

PdM will be most significant for future 

business. This increase in awareness 

and trust in predictive maintenance 

solutions is projected to fuel the growth 

of the industry in upcoming years. 

On the other hand, the integration 

of artificial intelligence and machine 

learning has created lucrative growth 

opportunities for the predictive maintenance 

industry. An increasing number 

of customers are using such solutions 

powered by AI to help shift from a reactive 

to a proactive approach. In addition, 

the market players are actively 

introducing new AI-enabled solutions. 

For instance, in September 2020, 

TeamViewer, a provider of remote 

connectivity solutions, launched Team- 

Viewer IoT software, an AI-supported. 

Source: Polaris Market Research Analysis 

The integration 

of artificial 

intelligence and 

machine learning 

has created lucrative 

growth opportunities. 

. 


In Short 

The global carbon fibre market was valued at 

USD 5.5 billion in 2022 and is projected 

to reach USD 16.0 billion by 2032, 

Source: Valuates Reports. 

Carbon fiber market size to grow 

USD 16.0 billion by 2032 at a CAGR 

of 11.4% 

THE ADAPTABILITY AND BROAD 

ACCEPTANCE of carbon fiber are 

key factors driving its market 

expansion, as are ongoing 

research and development 

initiatives targeted at 

streamlining production 

procedures, cutting expenses, 

and identifying new uses. 

Over the course of the forecast 

period, the Europe carbon fiber 

market is expected to develop 

at the highest CAGR of 11.7%, 

accounting for 36% of the global 

carbon fiber market share in 2022. This 

is because Germany is renowned for its 

cutting-edge manufacturing and technological 

know-how. 

Type-wise, the continuous carbon fiber segment led 

the worldwide market in 2022 and is expected to expand at a 

compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.4% over the forecast 

period. 

Based on the end-use sector, the aerospace and defense 

category generated the highest revenue in 2022 and is expected 

to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.6% during 

the projection period. 

Based on raw material, the PAN-based carbon fiber segment 

had the largest share of the worldwide market in 2022 and is 

expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) 

of 11.4% over the forecast period. Because of its high strength, 

low heat expansion, moisture absorption, lightweight, specific 

strength, ease of use, and thermal conductivity, PAN-based carbon 

fiber composites are favoured for usage in the aerospace sector. 

Form-wise, the composite carbon fiber category was the 

biggest source of revenue in 2022 and is expected to expand at 

a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.4% over the course 

of the forecast period. The use of carbon fiber reinforcement in 

composite materials is referred to as composite carbon fiber. 

The carbon fiber market is being 

driven ahead in large part by the 

aerospace sector. Because of its 

remarkable strength-to-weight ratio, 

carbon fiber is a perfect material 

for aviation parts. Carbon fiber 

composites are widely used in the 

construction of aircraft structures as 

a result of the aerospace industry's 

constant quest for increased fuel 

economy and decreased carbon 

emissions. 

The rising focus on automobile 

lightweighting projects is one of the 

main drivers of the carbon fiber market's 

expansion. The application of carbon fiber 

composites in automotive body panels and 

chassis not only lowers the total weight of the 

vehicle but also improves performance and fuel economy, 

which helps drive market growth. 

Because carbon fiber composites are strong, rigid, and resistant 

to corrosion, they are widely employed in the manufacturing of 

wind turbine blades. The usage of carbon fiber in wind energy 

applications is anticipated to expand, supporting the growth of 

the market as demand for clean and sustainable energy solutions 

develops. 

Beyond the aerospace and automotive industries, carbon fiber 

finds use in other industrial sectors as well, which supports the 

market's varied expansion. Carbon fiber-reinforced materials 

are used in industrial settings for components that need to be 

extremely durable, rigid, and strong. 

The expansion of the market is mostly due to technological 

developments in the techniques used in the manufacture of 

carbon fiber. The introduction of more affordable precursor 

materials and sophisticated weaving processes, among other 

ongoing advancements in production methods, have reduced 

production costs and improved the scalability of carbon fiber 

manufacturing. SOURCE: Valuates Reports 

EU invests €216 million to promote semiconductor 

research and innovation 

THE SEMICONDUCTOR Joint Undertaking (Chips Joint Undertaking) announced in February the launch of a €216 million call for 

proposals to support research and innovation initiatives in semiconductors, microelectronics and photonics. This announcement 

follows the first round of calls for proposals for innovative pilot lines announced in November 2023, which attracted €1.67 billion 

in EU funding. Consortia can submit proposals on topics related to a wide range of challenges identified in the Strategic Research 

and Innovation Agenda - from silicon transistors to embedded artificial intelligence, connectivity or the coordination and control of 

complex systems to improve performance and safety. 

In addition, projects funded under these new calls will contribute to the development of open source hardware for the automotive 

industry, support the transition to software-driven vehicles and promote environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. A 

specific joint call with the Republic of Korea will promote heterogeneous integration and neuromorphic (brain-like) computing. 


1,500 GW 

Annual wind energy installations are expected to double 

from 78 GW in 2022 to 155 GW in 2027, bringing the 

total wind capacity worldwide to more than 1,500 GW 

in just five years. Source: Global Wind Energy Council 

Robotic welding matches and can 

outperform manual construction 

A 

new study has found 

improved fatigue performance, 

through standardised 

high-quality welding 

conducted by robots, could 

enable offshore wind jacket foundations 

to last longer or potentially to use less 

steel, thus having the potential to reduce 

the weight and cost of the structures. 

The analysis, conducted by the Belgian 

Research Centre for Application of Steel 

(OCAS), is a joint industry project and 

part of the Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind 

Accelerator (OWA). 

The project ‘Improved Fatigue Life 

of Welded Jacket Connections (JaCo)’, 

launched in 2017 and concluded at the 

end of 2023. 

In addition to showing the possible 

benefits of robotic welding the JaCo project 

also showed the efficacy of accelerated 

fatigue testing method developed by 

OCAS, which is around 20 times faster 

than conventional fatigue testing methods. 

Fatigue is a critical design factor for 

offshore wind foundations, which represents 

a large proportion of a wind farm’s 

CAPEX. 

Marc Vanderschueren Head of 

Business Development at OCAS said: 

“The importance of JaCo is twofold: 

the project has fatigue tested large-scale 

offshore foundation specimens, and the 

results have established new ground 

towards successful implementation of 

robot welding in jacket node fabrication.” 

Offshore wind jacket foundations, 

used for deeper water and larger turbines, 

are currently welded manually, however, 

if the jackets were robotically welded 

industry-wide it could potentially improve 

weld quality and the consistency of the 

welds. Ultimately, this could lead to an 

increase in production and standardisation, 

with less steel needed, resulting in 

lighter structures – cutting costs and carbon 

emissions. 

This is particularly important as 

according to the IEA, an additional 

70-80GW of offshore wind capacity needs 

to be installed globally every year from 

2030 to achieve Net Zero by 2050. 

James Sinfield, Technology Acceleration 

Manager at the Carbon Trust said: 

“The results from JaCo strongly suggest 

that automation can play a crucial 

role in the accelerated deployment of 

offshore wind, with automated robotic 

welding proving at least as good as — and 

often better than — manual welds. 

“The project has exceeded our initial 

expectations, and results will enable 

the industry to produce structures that 

could last longer or potentially weigh 

less than existing foundations. Not only 

that, but the method pioneered by OCAS 

and tested via the JaCo project speeds 

up the testing process producing results 

equivalent to traditional hydraulic fatigue 

testing. 

“This is good news for the Net Zero 

transition and demonstrates the power 

of collaboration. The combined efforts of 

our industry partners and trusted experts 

were pivotal to the success as they helped 

shape the project's direction and overcome 

challenges, along with significant 

input and engagement from the supply 

chain.” 

Before robotic welds could be rolled 

out industry-wide, their fatigue performance 

needs to be better understood 

such that guidance for fabricators can be 

developed and for understanding how the 

new welding techniques may impact the 

existing standards. 

This phase of the JaCo project represents 

the first stage of this process, with 

extensive mechanical testing carried out 

on 26 large-scale geometries to prove the 

consistency of robotic welding. 

The next stage will require work with 

the certification bodies to translate the 

JaCo results into industry-wide acceptable 

practice, including creating industry 

guidelines and clarifying the conditions 

in which robotic welding outperforms 

manual processes. 

This will help with adoption of robot 

welding and the new fatigue testing methodology 

throughout the sector. 

JaCo is led by the OWA and OCAS, in 

partnership with developers EnBW, Equinor, 

ScottishPower Renewables, Ørsted, 

Siemens Gamesa Renewables, Shell, SSE 

and Vattenfall. 

The Scottish Government, European 

offshore wind supply chain and three certification 

bodies are also involved. 

Source: Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA) 


In Short 

The top 33% digital ‘trust leaders’ 

enjoyed higher revenue, better digital 

innovation and higher employee productivity. 

Source: DigiCert. 

Study reveals 

widening gap between 

organizations benefiting 

from digital trust and 

those losing out 

DIGICERT released its 2024 State of Digital Trust Survey that checks in on how 

enterprises around the world are managing digital trust in their organizations. 

While digital trust overwhelmingly remains a critical focus for all enterprises, 

the latest report shines a light on the growing divide between the ‘leaders’ 

--those who are getting it right, and the ‘laggards’ -- those who are struggling. 

The difference between leaders and laggards revealed some clues and 

potential best practices when it comes to digital trust. The top 33% digital ‘trust 

leaders’ enjoyed higher revenue, better digital innovation and higher employee 

productivity. They could respond more effectively to outages and incidents, 

were generally better prepared for Post Quantum Cryptography and were more 

readily taking advantage of the benefits of the IoT. Meanwhile, the bottom 33% 

‘laggards’ performed comparatively poorly in all those categories and found it 

harder to reap the benefits of digital innovation. In addition, the leaders were 

more likely to centrally manage their certificates, more likely to employ email 

authentication and encryption (S/MIME) technology, and generally employed 

more mature practices in digital trust management. 

The 2024 survey included a series of questions to determine how well (or 

poorly) each respondent was doing across a wide range of digital trust metrics. 

After the scores were totaled, the respondents were split into three groups: 

leaders, laggards, and those in the middle. Comparing the results between leaders, 

laggards, and those in the middle, notable differences emerged: 

Leaders exhibit far fewer issues on core enterprise systems (no system outages, 

few data breaches, and no compliance or legal issues) and experienced no 

IoT compliance issues, whereas half (50%) of the laggards did so. Leaders also 

have significantly fewer issues due to software trust mishaps--for example, 

none of the leaders experienced compliance issues or software supply chain 

compromises, compared to 23% and 77% of the laggards, respectively. 

"As the threat landscape continues to expand, so does the gap between 

organizations who are leading the way in digital trust and those who are falling 

behind,” said Jason Sabin, CTO at DigiCert. "Those who fall within the ‘leaders’ 

group and those who are a ‘laggard’ are well aware of who they are. The danger, 

however, is those organizations who fall in the middle and are not taking action 

due to a false sense of security.” 

Dallas-based Eleven Research administered the survey to 300 IT, Information 

Security and DevOps senior and C-level managers from enterprises with 1,000 

or more employees in North America, Europe, and APAC. 

Sodium-ion 

batteries offer 

promising 

technology 

THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW BATTERY technologies 

is moving fast in the quest for the next generation of 

sustainable energy storage – which should preferably 

have a long lifetime, have a high energy density and 

be easy to produce. The research team at Chalmers 

chose to look at sodium-ion batteries, which contain 

sodium – a very common substance found in common 

sodium chloride – instead of lithium. In a new study, 

they have carried out a so-called life cycle assessment 

of the batteries, where they have examined their 

total environmental and resource impact during raw 

material extraction and manufacturing. 

"The materials we use in the batteries of the 

future will be important in order to be able to switch 

to renewable energy and a fossil-free vehicle fleet," 

says Rickard Arvidsson, Associate Professor of 

Environmental Systems Analysis at Chalmers. 

"We came to the conclusion that sodium-ion 

batteries are much better than lithium-ion batteries 

in terms of impact on mineral resource scarcity, and 

equivalent in terms of climate impact. Depending on 

which scenario you look at, they end up at between 

60 and just over 100 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide 

equivalents per kilowatt hour theoretical electricity 

storage capacity, which is lower than previously 

reported for this type of sodium-ion battery. It's clearly 

a promising technology," says Rickard Arvidsson. 

The study is a prospective life cycle assessment 

of two different sodium-ion battery cells where the 

environmental and resource impact is calculated from 

cradle to gate, i.e. from raw material extraction to the 

manufacture of a battery cell. The functional unit of the 

study is 1 kWh theoretical electricity storage capacity 

at the cell level. Both types of battery cells are mainly 

based on abundant raw materials. The anode is made 

up of hard carbon from either bio-based lignin or fossil 

raw materials, and the cathode is made up of so-called 

"Prussian white" (consisting of sodium, iron, carbon and 

nitrogen). The electrolyte contains a sodium salt. The 

production is modelled to correspond to a future, largescale 

production. For example, the actual production 

of the battery cell is based on today's large-scale 

production of lithium-ion batteries in gigafactories. 

The article Prospective life cycle assessment of 

sodium-ion batteries made from abundant elements 

has been published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology. 


2026 

Pariisi. 

Global electricity demand is expected to rise an average of 

3.4% annually through 2026. Electricity consumption from 

data centres, artificial intelligence (AI) and the cryptocurrency 

sector could double. Source: IEA (2024), Electricity 2024 , IEA, 

Aiming for 

Emission-Free Pulping 

THE FOREST INDUSTRY, technology companies, 

research organizations, and universities 

have joined forces to revolutionize the 

traditional pulping processes under the joint 

leadership of VTT Technical Research Centre 

of Finland and RISE Research Institutes of 

Sweden. The Emission Free Pulping research 

program intends to find ways to improve 

energy efficiency, enhance the efficiency 

of wood usage and conversion to products, 

achieve emission-free pulping (especially 

carbon dioxide emissions), and significantly 

reduce water usage in the processes. 

So far, five industrial companies have 

committed to the program, and they will 

bring in their knowledge about industrial relevance 

and operations as well as financial 

contribution. ANDRITZ, Arauco, Metsä Group, 

Stora Enso, and Valmet have committed to 

a five-year collaboration with the research 

organizations and universities for this program. 

The project involves significant contributions 

from Aalto University, Chalmers University 

of Technology, KTH Royal Institute 

of Technology, LUT University, Mid Sweden 

University, University of Helsinki, University 

of Oulu, and Åbo Akademi University. 

"Technology plays one key role in the 

evolution of the pulp and paper industry. 

This transformation is not just about meeting 

industry standards; it's about setting new 

benchmarks for environmental responsibility 

and operational excellence. The focus needs 

to remain on innovation and collaboration to 

drive this vital change in the industry,” concludes 

Johan Engström, CTO, ANDRITZ. 

Ultrasound Soluons 

Manage, trend, and analyze 

ultrasound and vibration 

data with the integrated 

Bearing Toolbox. 

Download our 

Success Stories 

e-book 


INDUSTRY 5.0 

The Augmented 

Revoluon: 

The Harmony of Humans, 

Robots, and AI 

in Maintenance 5.0 

Text: Prof. DIEGO GALAR / Prof. RAMIN KARIM / Prof. UDAY KUMAR Images: ShutterStock, Freepik 


INDUSTRY 5.0 

O 

fficially introduced by 

the European Union 

in 2021, Industry 

5.0 takes a holistic 

approach that integrates 

certain core values. While 

Industry 4.0 predominantly focused 

on connectivity, automation, and 

data-driven intelligence, Industry 

5.0 introduces a paradigm 

where technology converges with a 

renewed emphasis on human-centric 

values. This evolution underscores 

the importance of collaboration, 

sustainability, and the integration of 

In essence, Industry 

5.0 seeks to strike a 

balance between 

technological 

innovation and human 

values. 

human skills. In essence, Industry 

5.0 seeks to strike a balance between 

technological innovation and human 

values. The collaborative interaction 

between humans and machines 

takes centre stage, fostering a work 

environment where technology 

complements and augments human 

capabilities. This transition reflects 

a broader understanding of the role 

of technology in enhancing overall 

well-being, sustainability, and the 

collaborative spirit within the industrial 

ecosystem. 

WALL-E AND EVE – 

CIRCULARITY, SUSTAINABILITY 

AND HOPE FOR THE FUTURE 

WALL-E, a 2008 animated masterpiece 

produced by Pixar, explores 

themes that resonate with contemporary 

challenges and as such, offers 

useful advice to today’s industry. It 

introduces a dystopian future where, 

as a result of global warming, Earth 

is overwhelmed by waste and pollution. 

The film is also a powerful commentary 

on the relationship between 

humans and technology. The characters 

of WALL-E and EVE, two robots 

with distinct personalities, serve as 

more than animated entities; they 

embody deeper meanings about technology 

and its impact on society. 


INDUSTRY 5.0 

WALL-E, the last functioning wastecollecting 

robot, represents resilience 

and the potential for renewal. His 

daily routine of compacting garbage 

echoes the cyclical nature of environmental 

management, showcasing the 

need for sustainable practices. EVE, 

an advanced robot sent to Earth from 

the spaceship Axiom, symbolizes hope 

and the possibility of positive change. 

Her directive to find signs of life aligns 

with the film's underlying message of 

environmental stewardship. The connection 

between WALL-E and EVE 

transcends robotic programming, 

emphasizing the importance of genuine 

human connections even in a technologically 

dominated world. 

The film prompts viewers to reflect 

on the consequences of dehumanization 

caused by excessive reliance on 

technology. In contrast to the robots, 

the humans aboard Axiom become 

lethargic, glued to screens and disconnected 

from their surroundings. Thus, 

WALL-E warns against the potential 

erosion of essential human qualities 

in a hyper-technological society. Ultimately, 

the film raises crucial questions 

about striking a balance between 

technological progress and human 

connection. It advocates for the preservation 

of our environment and the 

nurturing of relationships that define 

WALL-E’s dystopia 

is no longer an 

imagined and unlikely 

possibility. 

our humanity. The film's dystopian portrayal of a 

future marred by technological excess is a cautionary 

tale, urging us to reconsider our trajectory and make 

informed choices for the well-being of our planet 

and society. 

INDUSTRY 5.0 - CHOOSING THE RIGHT 

DIRECTION 

WALL-E’s dystopia is no longer an imagined and 

unlikely possibility. Climate change is a reality, 

and fears about an uncertain future have been 

exacerbated by the global pandemic. Technology is 

inexorably advancing, but at the same time, a fear of 

Working replica robots Wall-E and Eva from the movie 

Wall-E at Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo in Los Angeles, 

California, October 2014. Photo: Lauren Elisabeth 


INDUSTRY 5.0 

In Industry 5.0, AI 

will coexist with 

humans in a humancentred 

manner. 

technology associated with the concept 

of the "dark factory" is emerging. In 

this scenario, complete automation will 

eliminate humans, and production and 

maintenance operators will disappear, 

causing many to fear that technology 

has not been managed properly. Industry 

finds itself at a crossroads – the 

previous focus was solely on performance 

and profit, neglecting aspects 

such as sustainability, humanity, and 

climate change, all of which are crucial 

today. It must find a new direction. 

This is where the call for Industry 

5.0 emerged, driven by the European 

Commission and embraced by most EU 

members. Industry 5.0 redefines the 

RoboCop is a 1987 American science 

fiction action film directed by Paul 

Verhoeven and written by Edward 

Neumeier and Michael Miner. Set in 

a crime-ridden Detroit in the near 

future, RoboCop centers on police 

officer Alex Murphy who is murdered 

by a gang of criminals and revived by 

the megacorporation Omni Consumer 

Products as the cyborg law enforcer 

RoboCop. The film has been praised 

for its depiction of a robot affected 

by the loss of humanity, in contrast 

to the stoic and emotionless robotic 

characters of that era. 

industrial perspective, imposing limits 

on Industry 4.0 by emphasizing three 

fundamental aspects. First, industry 

must coexist with humans, recognizing 

the importance of the human factor in 

the industrial equation. Second, industry 

must be sustainable, considering 

environmental aspects and energy 

conservation. Third, industry must 

be resilient, considering the fragility 

revealed by events such as the COVID- 

19 pandemic. 

The transition to Industry 5.0 

involves humanizing technology, reintegrating 

humans into the production 

process, and ensuring environmental 

sustainability. In this revised under- 

standing, AI will coexist with humans 

in a human-centred manner. This 

transformation implies a radical shift 

in the role of AI, moving from the 

removal of human decisions to the creation 

of a transparent and collaborative 

coexistence. 

FROM AUTONOMOUS ROBOTS 

TO AUGMENTATION 

Robots will play a significant role as we 

move from Maintenance 4.0 to Maintenance 

5.0. The COVID-19 pandemic 

revealed human fragility. We need 

versatile robots capable of performing 

maintenance tasks in tough situations. 

However, Industry 5.0 emphasizes 

technology should not overpower 

humans; humans must always remain 

at the centre of the equation. 

In this context, various types of 

robots are envisioned for maintenance 

tasks, including cobots (collaborative 

robots) that perform tasks similar to 

humans, working collaboratively with 

them. The idea is that robots should 

facilitate and collaborate with humans, 

ensuring humans are integral to the 

decision-making process, especially in 

extreme situations, but should never 

replace and eliminate them. 

This collaboration will transform 

the way we perform maintenance, as 

robots and humans together will sum 

up to skills never seen before. Future 

machines will be designed for maintenance 

in a different way, with mixes of 

humans and cobots working together 

seamlessly. This will include exoskeletons 

that enhance human capabilities 

physically and mentally, remote operations 

using virtual and augmented 

reality, and robots operating similarly 

to humans. 

A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH 

– HUMANS AND ROBOTS 

WORKING TOGETHER 

The message is clear in the famous 

movie Robocop where the evolution 

of law enforcement technology 

witnesses a pivotal moment with the 

introduction of ED-209 (Robocop 


INDUSTRY 5.0 

Scene from Star Wars the 

Clone Wars, clone troopers 

battling Separatist battle 

droids - Hasbro action 

figures. Photo: Willrow Hood 

predecessor), designed to be the 

friendly face of neighbourhood 

policing. During its first demonstration, 

a disastrous malfunction leads 

to chaos and gives the green light 

to the RoboCop programme. The 

incident marks a turning point, highlighting 

the limitations of full robotic 

law enforcement. In the movie, the 

transition from fully autonomous 

robots, ED-209, to a mix of humanoid 

robots becomes imperative. 

Equipped with three automatic 

cannons, an auto-shotgun, and a 

rocket launcher, ED-209 showcases 

the potential of robotic assistance but 

also highlights weaknesses in logic 

circuits and adaptability to complex 

environments. A critical vulnerability 

emerges, as skilled hackers, 

exemplified by Nikko Halloran, have 

the ability to override and control 

ED-209 through strategic port 

bypassing. This indicates the need for 

a new approach to law enforcement 

technology, one that embraces a mix 

of humanoid robots and advanced 

technology. 

The journey from ED-209's 

malfunction to its manual override 

weakness emphasizes the importance 

of integrating human-like 

adaptability with robotic precision, 

both in the film’s law enforcement 

scenario and in today’s industrial 

landscape. This vision for the future 

involves a collaborative approach, 

where humanoid robots coexist with 

humans, combining the strengths of 

both to create a more resilient and 

adaptable system. The shift represents 

a strategic move towards a 

balanced and effective future, where 

the capabilities of machines and the 

unique problem-solving abilities 

of humans complement each other 

seamlessly. 

AUGMENTED MAINTENANCE 

DECISIONS 

The Star Wars prequels also offer 

useful insights into the evolution of 

industrial technology. George Lucas' 

thematic exploration of nature versus 

technology, symbolized in the visual 

contrast between clones and droids, 

extends beyond the cinematic narrative 

to a discourse on the benefits of 

augmented humans in the industrial 

landscape. For example, the dehumanizing 

representation of Trade 

Federation battle droids underscores 

the potential pitfalls of complete 

automation in industrial processes, 

while the subsequent integration 

of clones as workers introduces a 

nuanced interplay of technological 

prowess and ethical considerations. 

From a technical standpoint, the 

Republic's preference for clones over 

droids reveals a tension between 

expediency and ethical considerations. 

The Clone Army, equipped 

and logistically supported, provides 

a rapid and task-ready solution 

without the need for the establishment 

of fully automated systems. 

This reflects contemporary discussions 

in industrial circles on the 

efficiency and ethical implications 

of deploying advanced technologies 

in manufacturing and production. 

The unforeseen consequences of the 

Republic's reliance on clones, similar 

to the unintended ramifications of 

advanced technologies in industry, 

come to light, as the clones showcase 

autonomy, creativity, and adaptability 

in their roles. This narrative 

prompts a technical exploration 

of the delicate balance required in 

harnessing the power of augmented 

humans for industrial applications. 

AI SUPPORT, RESHAPING THE 

LANDSCAPE OF EQUIPMENT 

MANAGEMENT 

In the cosmic allegory of Star 

Wars, the Republic's preference for 

clones becomes a technical narrative 

emphasizing the advantages 

of augmented humans over fully 


INDUSTRY 5.0 

automated systems in the industrial 

field. The parallels between the 

technical capabilities of augmented 

beings, showcased by the clones, and 

the ethical considerations inherent in 

their deployment, serve as a technical 

roadmap for our own journey 

through the evolving landscape of 

industrial technology. In augmented 

decision-making in the real world 

envisioned by Industry 5.0, human 

maintenance crews will be supported 

by AI, thus reshaping the landscape 

of equipment management, troubleshooting, 

and repair processes. 

This symbiotic relationship between 

human expertise and AI-driven 

insights represents a paradigm shift, 

offering a multitude of advantages 

over traditional approaches and 

stand-alone AI systems. 

In a manufacturing environment, 

for instance, maintenance crews 

equipped with augmented decision-making 

capabilities will integrate 

AI into their workflow. When 

faced with equipment malfunctions, 

the crews will utilize AI algorithms 

to rapidly analyse historical performance 

data, identify potential failure 

patterns, and predict impending 

issues. This will expedite the diagnostic 

phase and allow proactive maintenance 

interventions, minimizing 

downtime and optimizing overall 

equipment effectiveness. 

The adaptability inherent in 

augmented decision-making will be 

particularly beneficial in dynamic 

industrial settings. Human maintenance 

professionals, leveraging 

their experience and contextual 

understanding, will collaborate with 

AI to address intricate challenges. 

Unlike rigid AI systems that may 

struggle with nuanced scenarios, the 

combination of human intuition and 

AI analytics will result in nuanced 

and contextually aware decision-making. 

For instance, when determining 

whether to repair or replace a component, 

crews can factor in long-term 

implications, cost-effectiveness, and 

real-time operational demands. 

Furthermore, the collaboration 

between human maintenance crews 

and AI will introduce a continuous 

improvement loop. As technicians 

interact with AI-driven suggestions, 

providing real-time feedback based 

on their hands-on experiences, the AI 

algorithms will evolve. This iterative 

process will ensure that the AI becomes 

increasingly adept at offering 

tailored recommendations aligned 

with the specific needs and challenges 

encountered by the maintenance 

crew. 

In essence, augmented decision-making 

will transform maintenance 

crews into highly efficient 

and adaptive teams. They will be 

empowered by AI-driven insights 

that streamline processes, enhance 

diagnostic accuracy, and foster a 

proactive approach to equipment 

upkeep. 

As we usher in an era of technological 

synergy, maintenance stands 

to benefit significantly from the 

augmented capabilities that blend 

human expertise with the analytical 

The integration of 

humans, robots, and AI 

will transcend the 

limitations of traditional 

maintenance. 

prowess of AI. This collaborative evolution 

will pave the way for a future 

where maintenance operations are 

not only more efficient and reliable 

but also more attuned to the intricate 

demands of industrial ecosystems. 

AUGMENTED REALITY, 

METAVERSE AND REMOTE 

TROUBLESHOOTING 

In the envisioned future of cohabitation 

between humans, robots, and AI, 

the integration of digital twins, metaverse, 

and augmented reality will be a 

transformative force in remote asset 

maintenance. Maintainers, regardless 

of their geographical location, will be 

able to immerse themselves in assets 

using augmented reality, thereby 

revolutionizing the approach to troubleshooting 

by combining robotics with 

human advisory roles. 

In the movie Surrogates, starring 

Bruce Willis, individuals navigate 

the physical world through robotic 

avatars. The augmented reality and 

digital twin scenario of Industry 5.0 

unfolds as a real-world manifestation 

of this imagined synergy. In this 

scenario, maintainers will gain the 

ability to virtually step into assets, 

diagnose issues, and guide robotic 

interventions, all accomplished from 

a considerable distance. The collaborative 

synergy among humans, 

robots, and AI in this immersive 

maintenance paradigm will not only 

amplify operational efficiency but also 

introduce a dimension of interconnected 

collaboration. The conventional 

boundaries between the physical and 

virtual realms will dissolve, ushering 

in an era of unmanned, collaborative, 

and seamlessly integrated maintenance 

operations, akin to the futuristic landscapes 

of the science fiction narratives 

mentioned here. In this envisioned 

future, maintenance operations link 

human expertise, robotic precision, 

and artificial intelligence insights. The 

once-distinct realms of physical and 

virtual will cease to be separate entities, 

converging into a unified landscape 

where human controllers, robots, 

and AI collaborate to ensure optimal 

functionality and efficiency. 

The dissolution of conventional 

boundaries implies that maintenance 

professionals can transcend geographical 

limitations, immersing 

themselves in the assets they oversee 

through augmented reality interfaces. 

The interconnected collaboration 

will unfold as a dynamic interplay of 

strengths, where human intuition and 

adaptability will combine with the 

precision and automation capabilities 

of robots. The result will be an unmanned 

and collaborative maintenance 

approach that redefines industry 

standards. 

HUMANS, ROBOTS AND AI 

TOGETHER - TRANSCENDING 

LIMITATIONS 

The integration of humans, robots, and 

AI will transcend the limitations of traditional 

maintenance. In effect, human 

controllers will be the orchestrators of 

the maintenance process, leveraging 

their expertise to make nuanced decisions, 

whilst relying on their robotic 

counterparts for physical interventions. 

Meanwhile, AI will analyse data, 

provide real-time insights, and continuously 

learn from human interactions to 

enhance its decision-making prowess, 

thus becoming the conductor of the 

maintenance process, harmonizing the 

efforts of humans and robots and ensuring 

efficiency and reliability in asset 

management. Ultimately, as Industry 

5.0 becomes a reality, maintenance 

operations will no longer be bound by 

physical proximity, assets across the 

globe will be managed with precision, 

and the synergy between human intelligence 

and technological prowess will 

create a new standard for collaborative 

efficiency. 


PARTNER ARTICLE 

Text: GAUTHIER GHISLAIN, Marketing and Communication Assistant, SDT Ultrasound Solutions 

Images: SDT ULTRASOUND SOLUTIONS 

The SDT340: 

A complete soluon for 

equipment reliability 

In industrial operations, maintaining the health and functionality of assets is crucial to flawless 

productivity. That's where ultrasound technology changes the game, offering a versatile and 

effective way to detect and treat potential problems before they arise. In this article, we explore 

the importance of ultrasound inspections, focusing particularly on the advanced capabilities of 

the SDT340 ultrasound detection device. 

Ultrasound technology enables 

operators to play a vital role in 

asset reliability. Simple tasks 

such as finding leaks, inspecting 

shaft couplings and testing steam traps 

can be performed effortlessly by operators 

with minimal training. This approach not 

only capitalizes on operators' familiarity 

with the assets, but also reduces energy 

wastage and minimizes unplanned emergency 

maintenance interventions. 

THE NEED FOR ULTRASOUND IN 

NOISY ENVIRONMENTS 

Manufacturing environments are notoriously 

noisy, making it difficult to 

detect subtle defects with the naked 

ear. Ultrasound detectors, such as the 

SDT340, cut through the noise and 

identify defects that would otherwise go 

unnoticed. Its ability to identify faults 

earlier than other condition monitoring 

technologies makes it a valuable tool in 

predictive maintenance strategies. 

of the SDT340 is its compatibility with 

Ultranalysis® Suite 3 (UAS3) software. 

This integration facilitates the streamlining 

process for users, enabling them 

to effortlessly download and organize 

inspection results. UAS3 software is 

not only a data repository, but also 

gives users the ability to customize 

their condition monitoring strategies, 

tailoring the approach to the unique 

needs of their industrial equipment. 

One of the outstanding features of 

the SDT340 is its information screen, 

which gives users direct access to crucial 

information. This includes images 

of the machine to be inspected, specific 

examination points and required 

sensors, all imported seamlessly from 

the UAS3 software. This intuitive design 

improves the efficiency of field inspections, 

enabling operators to access 

vital data without unnecessary delay. 

The SDT340 takes user-friendliness 

to a new level, thanks to its 

well-thought-out design. The device is 

designed to streamline the inspection 

process, eliminating the risk of measurement 

errors due to memory gaps. 

THE DETECTOR IN DETAIL 

The SDT340 is an ultrasound and 

vibration data collector designed to 

detect and analyze data from a variety 

of industrial equipment, providing an 

all-in-one solution for comprehensive 

condition monitoring. 

It stands out not only for its advanced 

capabilities, but also for its 

meticulously designed features that redefine 

asset reliability management. 

One of the most remarkable features 

SDT340 screen showing one of its outstanding features, which gives users direct access 

to crucial information. 



The emphasis on user-friendliness 

ensures that operators can navigate 

the device with ease, improving overall 

inspection efficiency. 

Durability is the cornerstone of 

the SDT340's design. Designed to 

withstand the rigors of industrial 

environments, the device features an 

extruded aluminum housing protected 

by shockproof rubber. This rugged 

construction ensures that the SDT340 

can withstand the bumps and knocks 

of daily use, providing operators with a 

reliable tool that stands up to the challenges 

of the field. For added protection 

against dust and wear, users can 

opt for the durable nylon case, which 

demonstrates the unit's commitment 

to longevity and long-lasting performance. 

The SDT340's High Signal Resolution 

(HSR) feature sets it apart in 

terms of accuracy. This innovative 

feature increases sampling rate and 

sensitivity, enabling users to detect 

even the most difficult defects with 

confidence. 

THE DETECTOR IN DETAIL 

SDT identifies eight areas, "the eight pillars 

of ultrasound", in which ultrasound 

and the SDT340 are essential for ensuring 

asset reliability: 

• Mechanical condition monitoring: 

Early detection of bearing faults to 

prevent unexpected failures. 

SDT340 in use in a rough environment, it is designed to withstand the rigors of the field. 

• Bearing lubrication monitoring: 

Ensure that the right amount of 

lubricant is applied at the right intervals. 

• Compressed air and gas leak 

detection: Locate leaks to reduce energy 

consumption and maximize uptime. 

• Electrical equipment fault detection: 

Safe inspection of electrical systems 

using ultrasound. 

• Steam trap testing and maintenance: 

Keep steam systems clean, safe and 

energy-efficient. 

• Valve condition monitoring: Check 

that valves are closed properly. 

• Hydraulic system monitoring: Detect 

leaks, bypasses and blockages in 

hydraulic systems. 

• Tightness testing: Ensuring the 

tightness of enclosed spaces to save 

energy and money, protect against the 

elements and respect the environment. 

In conclusion, the SDT340 ultrasound 

detection device is a complete and innovative 

solution for implementing a predictive 

maintenance plan and strategy 

characterized by reliability. Its advanced 

functions, user-friendly design and 

commitment to constant improvement 

make it a valuable tool in the arsenal of 

those seeking to maintain maximum 

operational efficiency in industrial environments. 

The Eight Pillars of Ultrasound 

highlight the diverse applications 

of ultrasound technology to ensure the 

health and longevity of critical assets. 

For more information on the SDT340, 

visit: https://sdtultrasound.com/ 

products/sdt340/ 


INDUSTRIAL INTERNET 

Digitalizaon is 

driving Valmet’s 

development of 

remote maintenance 

services 

Text: PETER CURA 

Images: VALMET 

In recent years, advances in connectivity, big 

data and digitalization have often promised 

to bring significant benefits to industry. 

Now, with the Valmet Industrial Internet, 

data is being used to deliver a better kind of 

maintenance service, as well as performance 

optimization services. 



Mika Kari, Global 

Technology Manager, 

Valmet Industrial 

Internet, Board, 

Paper, and Tissue 

Solutions, Services Business Line, 

tells us more. “With the Valmet 

Industrial Internet (VII), we can 

offer new types of remote monitoring 

and optimization services. This is 

something we can offer globally. We 

can utilize data from the customer’s 

site and, using our expertise and 

analytics, we can turn that data into 

value. It is a dialogue with data.” 

APPROACHING DATA WITH THE 

SPIRIT OF EXPERTISE 

Kari emphasizes that data by itself is 

not enough. Expertise in the production 

processes and installed equipment is 

essential. 

“We have developed an advanced 

digitalization offering that enables us 

to efficiently and effectively utilize 

data gathered from installed equipment, 

which we then use to benefit our 

customers’ processes and businesses,” 

Kari says. “Key elements of the VII include 

Industrial Internet applications, 

Performance Center, Customer Portal, 

Intelligent machines and Automation, 

and a solution ecosystem with leading 

industry players. It is important to note 

that the VII is not just about the technology 

– it is the combination of human 

expertise and data analytics that provides 

the value. Our VII remote services 

always include remote support from 

the Performance Center, which is our 

network of industry and data experts. 

These are our own people and they have 

a deep understanding of machinery, 

processes and automation.” 

A BETTER WAY TO SERVE 

CUSTOMERS 

“Because so much data is available, the 

trend is now to move from big data to 

smart data,” says Kari. “There is always 

a cost for data, so you need to focus on 

what is relevant. Unnecessary data isn’t 

worth collecting. That is why Valmet 

has developed an extensive range of VII 

maintenance solutions and applications 

that are targeted at specific aspects of 

operations, including optimizing and 

maintaining production capacity, paper 

quality, energy efficiency and reliability.” 

Valmet has an 

extensive range of 

VII solutions and 

applications for 

maintenance and 

optimization. 

“In practice, when we provide 

remote maintenance services, what 

happens is that we securely gather and 

analyse real-time data with our Performance 

Center service. Our applications 

monitor the results constantly for 

deviations and, if they detect anything, 

they send an alarm to our Performance 

Center team. The team will then carry 

out a deeper analysis, diagnose the issue 

and identify best options for resolving 

it. Then they will get in touch with the 

customer. We have real people – real 

experts – to help them out.” 

BIG BENEFITS FROM REMOTE 

MAINTENANCE 

During the pandemic, when international 

travel was nearly impossible, 

Valmet was still able to support customers 

around the world, resolving 

maintenance issues and even participating 

in start-ups. All through 

remote connections. 

“Remote monitoring and diagnostics 

enable us to prevent waste,” says 

Mika Kari, Global 

Technology Manager, 

Valmet Industrial Internet, Board, 

Paper and Tissue Solutions. 



Remote diagnostics always include 

remote support from Valmet 

Performance Center. 

Potential failure curve 

Continuous online monitoring enables early identification of anomalies and proactive service, 

which helps avoid unplanned unavailability or downtime. 



"The VII gives us the capability to 

utilize data from individual process 

areas or even from a whole plant,” says 

Mika Kari. 

Remote 

monitoring and 

diagnostics enable us 

to prevent waste. 

Kari. “Whether it is wasted money, 

travel, time, energy, raw materials, 

natural resources or emissions. For 

example, problems in production can 

lead to poor performance. Now, with 

continuous monitoring, we can detect 

issues ahead of time 

and alert the customer. 

This kind of 

proactive, preventive 

maintenance 

helps stop the issue 

from developing 

and helps avoid 

waste throughout 

the value chain.” 

“Because we can provide services remotely, 

we can also respond faster. The 

relevant expertise is always available 

through the Performance Center, so we 

don’t need to send an expert to the customer’s 

site and the customer doesn’t 

need to wait.” 

NEW CAPABILITIES TURN DATA 

INTO VALUE 

As digitalization is increasingly being accepted 

across industries, it is pushing the 

development of maintenance forwards. 

“The VII gives us the capability to 

utilize data from individual process areas 

or even from a whole plant,” says Kari. 

“For example, our VII offering includes 

Valmet Machine Diagnostics, to monitor 

and optimize the performance 

of an entire 

paper or board line. 

We also have a Valmet 

Winder Diagnostics service, 

which specifically 

focuses on the winder 

section.” 

“Our Performance 

Center team can do 

optimization for a wide variety of process 

applications,” says Kari, “and we 

can develop VII applications to meet 

customer’s specific needs. When we 

analyse data in the right way, we can get 

insights that enable data-driven decisions. 

For example, we can determine 

whether a deviation is a chronic problem 

or a random incident. If we can identify 

the root cause, then you do not have to 

fix the same thing repeatedly. Data can 

also be used to support our customers’ 

investment decisions and recommend 

technical improvements. We are turning 

data into value for our customers’ businesses.” 

MAKING REAL PROGRESS WITH 

MAINTENANCE 

“The work we have put into developing 

these remote maintenance services 

is part of our Beyond Circularity 

R&D programme and ecosystem, 

which is a four-year programme that 

is partly funded by Business Finland,” 

adds Kari. “So far, our customers have 

appreciated our ability to help them 

quickly and remotely, and we have 

been introducing remote training, 

which will become more important 

with younger generations. Valmet recently 

attended Technology Fair 2023 

in Helsinki, Finland, where we won 

the Finnish Maintenance Society's 

innovation prize for our success with 

Valmet Industrial Internet, Remote 

Monitoring and Optimization. We are 

delighted with this! It shows that we 

are really making progress.” 



Text and images: LAURA VAN DER LINDE, MAINNOVATION 

Ensuring a safe 

work policy 

through proper follow-up on the job and 

improvement in the field 

The focus on safe working is increasing. In addition to preventing economic, environmental 

and image damage, the human factor is becoming increasingly important. Awareness 

of working safely is high. Zero incidents is always and everywhere the goal, but actually 

securing this on the shop floor is unfortunately not always well organized. 



The structured implementation 

of safety in the organisation 

starts with identifying 

the risks. For complex 

and also standard maintenance 

work, a Task Risk Analysis 

(TRA) must be carried out to ensure 

safe working. What are the risks and 

what mitigating measures can we 

implement to improve this? 

MITIGATE RISKS 

Up-to-date asset data is a prerequisite 

for developing effective risk 

mitigation measures on site. You 

must be able to rely on the actual 

information. But it is not a given. 

It regularly comes to light that the 

asset data and drawings are not up to 

date and not representing the actual 

situation in the field. The transfer of 

new data and its processing in the 

Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) 

system is often a complicated process 

and often delivered too late. Incomplete 

'Management of Change' is also 

regularly a cause of the lack of the 

latest updates. 

So who knows what the latest version 

is for a proper ‘lock-out, tag-out, 

try-out procedure’ (LOTOTO)? And 

has asset coding in the field been 

updated? Simplification of processes 

and complete transfer of requested 

information deserves attention. 

ENSURING SAFETY 

Ensuring safe working practices 

begins with work preparation. Assessing 

risks in advance and determining 

additional measures are important 

steps. On-site inspections and a 

task-risk analysis for more risky and 

complex work are necessary. Often 

shortcuts are made because of time 

pressure or lack of resources. 

Most companies have LOTOTO 

procedures and work permits to 

ensure safety in place. The crux is 

proper handover and follow them 

in practice. An excess of "paper" 

detracts from the essentials and 

misses the point in handing over to 

the implementers. Daily handover 

and supervision by an on-site supervisor 

or foreman are crucial to ensure 

that an LMRA (Last Minute Risk 

Analysis) is performed on the job 

site with production and performers. 

After all, are the risks and potential 

consequences really discussed in 

advance and are the right measures 

taken? In practice, boxes are often 

checked off too quickly. 

After completion, the works performed 

must be delivered, monitored 

and evaluated. In practice, too little 

capacity is usually scheduled for 

this, so field checks are only partially 

done. Nevertheless, checking that the 

It regularly comes to 

light that the asset data 

and drawings are not 

up to date and not 

representing the actual 

situation in the field.. 

plant is effectively closed and working 

properly again will prevent new 

leaks or a failing startup. Close the 

Plan-Do-Check-Act circle. 

IMPROVE CONTINUOUSLY 

The final step to ensure continuous 

improvement on this matter: continuously 

look for simplification of 

procedures, such as the use of digital 

work permits. Conduct regular evaluations 

for improvement and involve 

the contractor, as an equal partner. 

Lately, the shortage of experienced 

performers is increasing, and nonnative 

speakers are being used more 

frequently. Preliminary discussions, 

targeted Toolbox Meetings, language 

proficiency checks and digital work 

packages with more visual information 

and less text have become a 

must. The manager should start the 

conversation on the shop floor. What 

causes someone to experience time 

pressure? Why did someone deviate 

from procedure? Was the transfer 

clear? Identify the real problem 

and stop work if performers prove 

insufficiently capable or do not keep 

appointments. 

In short, show that you take safety 

seriously, that policies are consistently 

implemented. That way you 

create a culture where you alert 

each other and can be open about 

improvements. In doing so, you may 

have prevented the next incident. 


HSE 

Text: MARK NAPLES, Umicore Coatings Services Images: SUHTTERSTOCK, FREEPIK 

Will 2024 be the 

year the world 

wakes up to 

methane emissions? 

As the world grapples with the looming threat of methane 

emissions, the fossil fuel industry is finally starting to wake up. 

More than 150 countries have signed the The Global Methane 

Pledge, committing them to cutting methane emissions from 

human-caused sources by 30% by the end of the decade. 


HSE 

The picture is clear: 

after decades of limited 

action, the oil and gas 

sector is moving in the 

right direction on 

methane. 

Last December, representatives 

from major oil and 

gas companies around 

the world committed to 

action that will cut methane 

emissions by at least 30% by 

2030. The Global Methane Pledge 

(GMP), made at the COP28 summit 

in Dubai, promises a huge leap 

forward in the fight against climate 

change. Partners of this agreement 

have announced that more than 

$1 billion of new grant funding 

will be allocated to support action 

against methane – more than three 

times the pre-existing funding levels 

– and individual action is ongoing 

to further reduce the impact of 

these harmful emissions. 

More than 150 countries have 

signed the GMP, committing them 

to cutting methane emissions from 

human-caused sources by 30% by 

the end of the decade. Alongside 

other newly-announced measures, 

as part of the pledge certain 

businesses could face financial 

penalties for failing to act. The US, 

for example, plans to introduce a 

fine of $900 per tonne of methane 

emitted this year, which will rise by 

67% to $1,500 per tonne in 2026. 

Perhaps the most exciting 

commitment made at COP28 is 

the launch of the Data for Methane 

Action campaign. The Global 

Methane Hub plans to increase the 

funding available to governments 


HSE 

to take advantage of previously 

unleveraged data. Alongside the 

full launch of a new Methane Alert 

and Response System (MARS), 

energy suppliers could soon have 

access to a suite of tools and funding 

to reduce gaps in their understanding 

of where emissions are 

occurring, enabling them to act as 

never before against this invisible 

threat. 

The picture is clear: after 

decades of limited action, the oil 

and gas sector is moving in the 

right direction on methane. But 

whether these pledges will be 

met remains to be seen. While 

the world awaits the new measures 

to be fully implemented, 

there is much that the industry 

can do to show its commitment 

to reducing methane emissions 

and firmly positioning itself in 

the fight against climate change. 

AN INVISIBLE THREAT 

The promises made at COP28 were 

desperately needed. Methane emissions 

represent one of the largest 

threats facing humankind today. 

Since the Industrial Revolution, this 

invisible gas has been responsible for 

approximately a third of the recorded 

rise in global temperatures.[1] 

Approximately 60% of all 

methane emissions are 

caused by human activity, 

and a third of this is produced 

by the energy sector through 

flaring, venting, and leaking 

infrastructure. 

Without immediate action, emissions 

from human sources are projected 

to increase by up to 13% in the next 

six years, causing significant and 

irreparable harm to the planet. 

In terms of trapping heat, methane 

is around 30 times more powerful 

than carbon dioxide and other 

greenhouse gases and persists for 

a much shorter time in the atmosphere. 

This means that reducing 

methane emissions is one of the most 

effective available strategies for making 

a difference to the environment. 

Approximately 60% of all 

methane emissions are caused by 

human activity, and a third of this 

is produced by the energy sector 

through flaring, venting, and leaking 

infrastructure.[2] Estimates suggest 

that halving these emissions over the 

next 30 years will be instrumental in 

meeting the critical goal of reaching 

global net zero emissions by 2050. 

Achieving this target is essential for 

limiting global warming to just 1.5°C; 

the threshold agreed by scientists, 

beyond which the environment 

would suffer irreparable damage. 

The GMP saw several new signatories 

at COP28, including Kenya, 

Angola, and Turkmenistan, the latter 

of which in particular has been 

highlighted as a methane 'superemitter'. 

More than 5,600 superemitter 

events have been recorded 

by UN research since 2019, with 

little overall reduction observed 

among many GMP signatories. In 

certain countries, emissions have 

even increased.[3] In 2022, two oil 

and gas fields alone in Turkmenistan 

were responsible for more 

global warming than all carbon 

emissions released by the UK that 

year.[4] 

Of the new regulations, the 

measures being introduced by the US 

Environmental Protection Agency 

look particularly promising. These 

laws have the potential to prevent 

58 million tons of methane pollution 

over the next 14 years, by mandating 

thorough pollution control system 

GLOBAL CH4 MONTHLY MEANS 

The graphs show globally-averaged, monthly mean atmospheric methane abundance determined from marine surface sites. 

The first graph shows monthly means for the last four years plus the current year, and the second graph shows the full NOAA 

time-series starting in 1983. Values for the last year are preliminary, pending recalibrations of standard gases and other quality 

control steps. Other impacts on the latest few months of data are described below. The Global Monitoring Division of NOAA’s 

Earth System Research Laboratory has measured methane since 1983 at a globally distributed network of air sampling sites 

(Dlugokencky et al., 1994). Source: Lan, X., K.W. Thoning, and E.J. Dlugokencky: Trends in globally-averaged CH4, N2O, and SF6 

determined from NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory measurements. Version 2024-02, doi.org/10.15138/P8XG-AA10 


inspections alongside equipment 

upgrades. This represents a reduction 

against current levels of 80% or 

taking the equivalent of 1.5 billion 

tonnes of CO2 out of the atmosphere. 

The pledge to ending flaring 

activity by 2050 made by 50 companies 

will also make a significant 

difference. Aided by a new $250 

million trust fund, this pledge would 

effectively end the 140 billion cubic 

metres of methane and other greenhouse 

gases released by this practice 

every year. As every tonne of gas 

flared results in two to three tonnes 

of CO2 being released, achieving this 

target will be instrumental to limiting 

global warming. 

GIS 

Next 

Generation 

EAM 

PdM 

Mobile 

AIP 

BI 

PPM 

A CLEARER PICTURE 

The commitments outlined so far 

mark encouraging progress in the 

fight against climate change, but in 

isolation, will not overcome the main 

problem facing oil and gas suppliers. 

Limitations in the data on methane 

emissions have effectively hidden the 

scale of the problem, preventing optimised 

action from being taken. 

Improving the accuracy of methane 

emissions data is widely recognised 

as the best solution to reducing 

the amount of pollution emitted. Of 

course, this action is easier said than 

done. Most oil and gas operators 

oversee many thousands of miles of 

pipelines, rendering manual checks 

impractical at best and expensive, 

ineffectual time sinks at worst. As a 

result, leaking pipelines have been 

widely accepted as a regrettable cost 

of doing business for decades. 

This is why the announcement of 

the MARS at COP28 is so promising 

for the industry. Recent years have 

seen rapid progress in satellite tracking 

and other modelling techniques 

that have significantly enhanced the 

capacity of oil and gas producers to 

collect data on their emissions. The 

MARS is one such system. In collaboration 

with the Copernicus space 

programme, it represents the first 

global system that connects satellitedetected 

methane emissions with 

trackable notifications. 

In a pilot phase that ran throughout 

2023, the MARS identified 

more than 1,000 methane plumes 

from energy production and linked 

400 of these to specific facilities. 

Tools such as this are changing the 

picture of emissions and expanding 

the available approaches to ensure 

BIM 

AI 

APM 

Many companies use their Enterprise Asset Management 

(EAM) system mainly as an electronic card index or a 

digital work order system, unaware of the possibilities it 

has for Asset Management. EAM Systems like Maximo, 

IFS Ultimo, HxGN EAM and SAP EAM have evolved 

 

Investment Planning, Project Portfolio Management, 

Asset Performance Management, Business Intelligence 

and Predictive Maintenance. Major steps have also been 

 

Are you ready for Next Generation EAM? 

Our VDM XL experts can assist you with further 

professionalisation and automation of your Maintenance 

& Asset Management organisation. 

www.mainnovation.com

HSE 

compliance with global commitments 

on methane. 

This new tool is being supported 

by a worldwide campaign to encourage 

more comprehensive data collection. 

The Data to Methane Action 

campaign aims to improve the 

funding available to governments 

and businesses to enable radical 

reductions in methane emissions by 

targeting leaks and policy change. The 

campaign encourages improvements 

in data collection, supported by satellite 

monitoring systems and scientific 

monitoring campaigns, providing 

transformational tools to help the 

energy sector scale up its efforts. 

ACTION ON THE GROUND 

While oil and gas businesses wait 

to benefit from the monitoring 

systems announced at COP28, they 

can pre-emptively improve their 

emissions profiles by taking action 

on the ground. Thanks to technological 

advances, businesses today 

have access to a suite of monitoring 

solutions for identifying where leaks 

are occurring, chief among which 

are high-performance infrared (IR) 

sensors. These small devices generate 

beams of IR light that pass through a 

filter inside a sampling chamber that 

blocks certain wavelengths. 

This means that only the desired 

wavelengths make it through the filter 

to a detector, which measures the 

As other sectors such 

as agriculture, start to act 

on the problem, the oil 

and gas industry has the 

potential to position itself 

as a leader in methane 

reduction strategies. 

attenuation of the light it receives to 

determine the precise concentrations 

of gases that may be present. Changing 

filters enables different wavelengths 

of light to reach the detector, 

which can, in turn, be used to check 

for different kinds of gases. 

Technologies such as this, combined 

with the growing international 

awareness around methane, have the 

potential to make a real difference to 

international action against climate 

change. As other sectors such as 

agriculture, start to act on the problem, 

the oil and gas industry has the 

potential to position itself as a leader 

in methane reduction strategies. 

Advanced emission tracking 

devices mean leak prevention is no 

longer a hypothetical concept. Supported 

by the growing groundswell 

of funding to improve monitoring 

solutions, today's energy suppliers 

have a wealth of options available 

to track harmful leaks and start to 

address them. Improving the total 

picture of methane emissions through 

more accurate information must be 

the New Year's Resolution for oil and 

gas businesses – only then can they 

claim to be truly awake to the problem 

posed by methane. 

[1] iea.org/reports/global-methane-tracker-2023 

[2] energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/oil-gas-and-coal/methane-emissions_en 

[3] theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/02/us-outlines-measures-to-cut-methane-emissions-by-80-in-next-15-years 

[4] theguardian.com/world/2023/may/09/mind-boggling-methane-emissions-from-turkmenistan-revealed 


INDUSTRIAL MAINTENANCE 

HSE

ENERGY 

There are more 

than 300 million 

industrial electric 

motors in operation 

currently around the 

world and they 

consume nearly half of 

all globally produced 

electricity. 

Erich Labuda, 

President of Motion Services at ABB. 


ENERGY 

Text: ERICH LABUDA Images: ABB 

A route to enhanced 

energy efficiency 

with energy audits 

Erich Labuda, President of 

Motion Services at ABB, 

explains how maintenance 

professionals can improve 

energy efficiency based on 

data collected from 

energy audits. 

If there is one thing that 

truly powers industry, it is 

motors. They are everywhere, 

for example, helping pump 

clean water and power heating, 

running ventilation, and air 

conditioning (HVAC) systems etc. 

There are more than 300 million 

industrial electric motors in operation 

currently around the world 

and, according to the International 

Energy Agency (IEA), they consume 

nearly half of all globally produced 

electricity. 

Increasingly, as we move away 

from fossil fuels, green energy will 

be used to power these motors. 

However, it will take a lot of time 


ENERGY 

and money to fully develop the 

infrastructure required for this 

transition to renewables. 

With the 1.5°C global warming 

target approaching, a more immediate 

solution is to reduce energy 

consumption by making motors 

more efficient – which also cuts 

energy costs. This falls in line with 

the IEA’s prediction that if we are to 

meet Net Zero by 2050, a third of all 

emissions reductions need to come 

from energy efficiency. The IEA has 

also said that replacing all motors 

and drives with high-efficiency 

upgrades would reduce global 

electricity consumption by at least 

10 percent. 

ENERGY AUDITS HOLD THE KEY 

TO ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Businesses are keen to improve their 

energy efficiency, but they often 

don’t know where to start. An ABB 

survey found that, while 97 percent 

of industry leaders actively want 

to invest in making their operations 

more energy efficient, only 41 

percent know how to go about it. 

That is why energy audits are so 

useful. They tell precisely where the 

biggest efficiencies can be found 

across hundreds of motor systems in 

a plant or facility. This helps maintenance 

teams make better decisions 

on how to save energy and cut costs, 

Businesses are 

keen to improve their 

energy efficiency, but 

they often don’t know 

where to start. 

by targeting motors with the greatest 

energy-saving potential. 

Data can be gathered in various 

ways: manually, with an expert 

visiting a site, or digitally with data 

gathered remotely for regular energy-use 

updates. With this operational 

data, an expert can analyse the 

motor system’s current performance 

against its potential performance 

if it were upgraded or resized, for 

example. The energy savings and 

emissions avoidance that might be 

achieved can then be calculated, 

as well as the projected return on 

investment (ROI). 

The audit itself can be carried out 

without any impact on a facility’s 

operations. A plan can be developed 

to roll-out efficiency improvements 

in the least disruptive way while 

maximizing ROI. For example, 

upgrades can be done in line with 


ENERGY 

routine maintenance schedules to 

minimize downtime. 

AUDITS IN ACTION 

A typical way to improve the energy 

efficiency of the system might 

include adding a variable speed 

drive (VSD) to a motor. VSDs enable 

operators to adjust the speed or 

torque of a motor in line with the 

demands of the task. By doing so, 

they cut energy consumption and 

bills – reducing a motor’s speed by 

just 20 percent reduces energy use 

by 50 percent. Surprisingly, at least 

half of all industrial electric motors 

would benefit from VSDs, but only a 

quarter use them. 

Another way to boost energy 

efficiency is by upgrading to more 

efficient motors. Many motors in 

action today rely on outdated IE1 or 

IE2 technology (where an increa- 

sing IE rating indicates greater 

efficiency). However, modern 

motors can reach IE5 levels of 

efficiency, which offer 40% lower 

energy losses compared to IE3 

motors, leading to lower energy consumption 

and less CO₂ emissions. 

Another common finding of 

energy audits is that many motors 

are oversized and that resizing 

them will optimize energy efficiency 

without impacting reliability. Take 

an HVAC motor as an example. 

They are often specified to operate 

at a maximum load way above the 

average. For example, they might 

be engineered to deal with 40°C 

external temperatures, but that 

might only occur a few days a year. 

In addition, system specifiers tend 

to add a “safety margin” at each 

stage, which isn’t always necessary 

and decreases energy efficiency. 

That is why it is important to 

not just evaluate motor efficiency, 

but the system as a whole. Using 

the HVAC example, this would 

also include the fans, condensers 

and cooling towers. This holistic 

approach improves overall energy 

efficiency. 

For an example of what an energy 

audit can do, take the Swedish flooring 

manufacturer, Tarkett. When 

the company had an energy audit 

in 2022, it found that upgrading 

10 of its motors to more efficient 

synchronous reluctance technology 

(SynRM) with VSDs would boost 

efficiency from 80 to 95 percent. 

With these changes in place, it was 

forecast that Tarkett could save 

around 800 megawatt-hours (MWh) 

per year, or the equivalent of charging 

every German’s smartphone – 

all 68 million of them. The expected 

payback period for making these 

upgrades was just 18 months or less, 

according to the energy prices at the 

time. 

Surprisingly, at 

least half of all 

industrial electric 

motors would benefit 

from VSDs, but only a 

quarter use them. 

IDENTIFYING EFFICIENCIES 

AROUND THE WORLD 

To show the true power of energy 

audits in identifying energy savings, 

we recently audited more than 

2,000 industrial motors across a 

wide range of sectors and applications. 

We found potential energy 

savings of 31 percent per motor if 

they were upgraded to more efficient 

technology. The highest savings 

typically came from motors operating 

without a VSD. If the suggested 

upgrades from each audit were implemented, 

a return on investment 

(ROI) in as little as three months 

could be achieved, depending on the 

local cost of energy. 

The audits identified a total of 

2.1 terawatt-hours (TWh) of savings 

over the 20-year lifespan of the 

2,000 motors. In other words, 

enough energy to power 1.25 million 

houses – the size of a large city – for 

a full year. 

The audits were conducted across 

a variety of countries. However, if 

we imagine that all motors were 

operating in the UAE, based on 

November 2023 data, a 2.1 TWh 

energy saving would avoid 1.5 

million tonnes of CO2 emissions 

and have an ROI of six months. 

Equally, if they were in Germany, 

savings would amount to 940,000 

tonnes of CO2 and an ROI of just 

three months. These savings would 

be enough to offset the emissions of 

a coal plant for three months in the 

UAE and two months in Germany. 

By scaling up these results to 

cover the 300 million industrial 

motors operating worldwide, you 

can start to imagine the potential 

impact of upgrading inefficient 

motors all over the planet. 

The solution is clear, then. It is 

time we increase energy efficiency 

to cut costs and emissions. Energy 

audits streamline the process by 

highlighting the best places to make 

those efficiency improvements, 

representing a straightforward way 

to meet Net Zero targets. 



Ultrasound Cameras: 

the quickest way to energy savings 

PETER BOON, Product Specialist, UE Systems 

When companies wish to 

reduce the energy cost of 

their industrial facilities, 

finding and repairing existing 

compressed air leaks is an 

excellent starting point. 

But such a task requires 

time, personnel, and the 

right tools. Thus, efficiency 

is key when it comes to 

carrying out a leak detection 

programme. And, right now, 

nothing is more efficient 

than using an ultrasound 

camera. 

Ultrasound camera being used for leak detection. 

A single nitrogen leak might 

cost 6000€ per year. 



Leak detected at a pet food factory. 

At this point, we all know how 

important it is to stop compressed 

air leaks from being 

a huge source of money 

waste. Industry is nowadays 

more conscious about this issue, but 

still, we have an industry average of 30% 

of all produced compressed air being lost 

to leaks. And of course, the higher the 

energy cost, the higher the waste. Leaks 

are bound to happen in all compressed 

air systems, in all industries, without 

exception. 

However, some companies still hesitate 

to carry out leak surveys, or design 

a leak management programme, even 

though the advantages of doing so are 

obvious. When leaks are found they can 

be repaired – an easy way to save money, 

right? In many cases, this is not so 

straightforward. 

Even though compressed air leaks 

are almost unanimously recognized as a 

source of waste, companies do not always 

have these 2 essential things which are 

needed to carry out leak surveys: time 

and available personnel. 

1. Soap & Water Solution 

Really not a much-used method anymore. 

It consists of applying a solution of soap 

and water along the compressed air system 

and watching for bubbles. If it bubbles, 

then there is a leak. Easy to execute 

in theory, but cumbersome and extremely 

time-consuming. Thus, far from being effective. 

2. Ultrasound inspection 

instruments 

This is probably the most popular and 

most used method to identify compressed 

air leaks. Traditionally, ultrasound inspection 

instruments were designed 

having leak detection practices in mind, 

so they are perfect for the task. The instruments 

are normally fixed at a certain 

frequency which will isolate the sound of 

leaks from other sound sources. 

Note that these are listen-only instruments. 

The inspector can simply scan 

An ultrasound camera will display 

the leak on the screen in real-time. 

around in all directions until he hears a 

leak. The inspector then proceeds to follow 

the leak sound until being able to pinpoint 

the exact location. The instruments 

can record the dB level at the leak point, 

allowing for the creation of leak survey 

reports where the cost of the leak and carbon 

footprint can be estimated. Another 

great advantage of such devices is that 

they can be used for multiple applications 

like bearing condition monitoring, lubrication 

or steam trap & valve inspection. 

Simple and effective, but since the instruments 

are listen-only, a leak survey 

might require some time investment, especially 

in large facilities or plants with a 

high number of leaks. 

3. Ultrasound Cameras 

Recently, a new type of tool for leak detection 

purposes has been offered in the 

market: ultrasound cameras. And they 

are exactly what the name suggests: a 

camera that will show the inspector the 

It will display 

leaks on the screen in 

real time, even the 

smallest ones, also 

providing an immediate 

estimate of the leak cost 

on a yearly basis. 

LEAK DETECTION METHODS 

So, making sure that leak surveys are 

conducted as quickly and effectively as 

possible becomes key. Let us then evaluate 

the different ways of finding compressed 

air leaks: 

A survey conducted at a mining facility found 9 leaks amounting 

to more than 7000€ per year in loses. 



precise location of the leaks. It is that 

simple – switch it on and see the leaks 

displayed on the screen. Even the small 

ones! Minimal training required, highly 

accurate and effective, these cameras are, 

by far, the best way to find leaks. Such a 

tool makes leak surveys so quick, there 

are no excuses left to not carry them out. 

A good example of how effective these instruments 

can be is the UltraView camera 

from UE Systems. It will display leaks on 

the screen in real time, even the smallest 

ones, also providing an immediate estimate 

of the leak cost on a yearly basis. All 

leaks can be saved directly to the Cloud. 

From the Cloud, leak survey reports can 

easily be created. 

EXAMPLES OF LEAK 

SURVEYS CONDUCTED WITH 

ULTRASOUND CAMERAS 

1. While surveying a zinc and lead mine, 

the UltraView camera could pinpoint 8 

leaks in just around 20 minutes of work! 

Doesn’t look like much, but these 8 leaks 

amount to a waste of 7118€ per year. 

Just one single leak had an estimated 

annual cost of 903€. It was found in a 

compressed air pipe next to one of the 

main workshops in the facility. 

•Industry: Mining 

•Leaks found: 8 

•Time: 20 minutes 

•Estimated savings: 7118€ per year 

2. Food factories will typically have 

huge compressed air systems, which will 

naturally also have a large number of 

leaks. Besides the obvious energy waste, 

compressed air leaks at food & beverage 

plants also bring losses in efficiency, unplanned 

downtime and they compromise 

product safety and quality. 

We could attest to how much money 

a typical food factory can be wasting on 

leaks, during a demonstration using the 

UltraView camera, on a pet food plant. 

In just 1 hour, 29 leaks were found across 

different locations along the compressed 

air system. Some of these leaks are quite 

expensive – amounting to an estimated 

total loss of 29800€ a year! And all that 

Results from a leak survey at a pet food factory. 

Ultrasound cameras can quickly pinpoint leaks with precisison. 

within 1 hour of the survey. Just one single 

leak (the biggest one detected) represented 

a waste of 2316€ per year. 

•Industry: Pet food manufacturing 

•Leaks found: 29 

•Time: 1 hour 


3. Are you aware that a single leak can 

cost almost 6000€ a year? This is very 

possible (and more common than you 

think) when we talk about special gases. 

Ultrasound cameras can detect special 

gas leaks, in the same way it works with 

compressed air. In this case, while surveying 

a car manufacturing plant, a very 

expensive nitrogen leak was detected, 

costing 5912€ a year. Unfortunately, this 

is a common sight across the industry 

– special gases are quite expensive, and 

leaks will cost much more than compressed 

air leaks. At this plant, for example, 

the price of nitrogen is around $0.3 

per 1000 litres. 

Besides the very expensive nitrogen 

leak, 29 compressed air leaks were also 

found, some of them costing well over 

1000€ per year. In total, when we put 

together all the compressed air leaks and 

the nitrogen leak, we concluded they are 

costing this site almost 24000€ per year. 

All leaks were detected in about 1h30m. 

•Industry: Auto industry 

•Leaks found: 30 (including an expensive 

nitrogen leak) 

•Time: 1h30 hours 


4. This is a plant manufacturing parts for 

the aviation industry. The maintenance 

team suspected the facility suffered from 

a significant amount of air leaks, but never 

really got the time to perform a leak survey. 

Here, the UltraView managed to find 26 

leaks in only 1 hour. These leaks are costing 

the plant an estimated 29800€ per year. 

Thus, the ROI for the UltraView in this case 

is around 8 months. One good example of 

expensive leaks is the one below, detected 

at a pressure regulator, costing 4570€ per 

year! 

• Industry: Aviation 

• Leaks found: 26 

• Time: 1h 

• Estimated savings: 29800€ 

per year 


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RESEARCH 

JYRKI TERVO, JUKKA JUNTTILA, MIKKO SAVOLAINEN, ARTUR KOROSTAVYI, HELENA RONKAINEN, 

JUHA VIRTANEN (VTT) VILLE LÄMSÄ (DIMECC OY) 

Determining the 

lubricaon condion 

of a sliding bearing using acoustic 

emission and data-based 

classification 

VTT has participated in the EU-funded and Spanish IKERLAN-coordinated 

INNTERESTING research project. 


RESEARCH 

Sliding bearings are the oldest 

known bearing solutions. As 

the power density of machines 

and components increases, 

efforts are being made to 

reduce the space occupied by rolling 

bearings, making sliding bearings an 

interesting alternative. For the useful life 

of sliding bearings, it is important that 

the bearing lubrication mode is hydrodynamic 

(HD) or elastohydrodynamic 

(EHD), and there are no mechanical 

contacts between the shaft and bearing 

surfaces. Mechanical contacts between 

the surfaces leads to mixed lubrication 

(ML) and potentially to boundary lubrication 

(BL), which can lead to wear and 

destruction of the surfaces. The loadcarrying 

capacity of the lubricating film 

is affected not only by the dimensions, 

surface quality, rotational speed, and 

load but also by the pressure, viscosity, 

and the temperature of the lubricant. 

INTERESTING RESEARCH 

PROJECT 

VTT has participated in the EU-funded 

and Spanish IKERLAN-coordinated 

INNTERESTING research project 

(https://doi.org/10.3030/851245). In 

this project VTT has developed, among 

other things, the data-based classification 

method (Figure 1) for observing the 

operation of a hydrodynamic bearing, 

the prevailing lubrication situation, as 

well as the disturbances and abnormal 

operational conditions. In the experimental 

study, a hydrodynamic bearing 

test device designed and built by VTT 

(Figure 2) was utilized, where the bearing 

and shaft are interchangeable, and 

the materials can be selected according 

to each specific investigation. In the experiments, 

the torque caused by sliding 

friction on the bearing was measured in 

relation to the load and sliding speed. 

Measurement of friction in a journal 

bearing is a relatively unsensitive method 

for detecting changes in lubrication 

conditions. Therefore, the hydrodynamic 

bearing test device was equipped 

with a sensitive 

acoustic 

emission (AE) 

sensor to 

measure the 

intensity and 

quantity of 

elastic waves 

caused by 

mechanical 

interactions. 

By utilizing 

a broadband 

AE sensor, information about variations 

in the frequency content of the 

elastic waves was also obtained. AE 

measurements have previously been 

used, for example, in the detection of 

Measurement data 

and simulated 

virtual data were 

utilized to create a 

data-driven hybrid 

model. 

fatigue damage, but recent research results 

have shown that even the contact 

and elastic yielding of microscopic surface 

roughness aperities on the bearing 

surfaces can cause measurable acoustic 

emission. By exploiting this phenomenon, 

changes occurring in the lubrication 

conditions of the hydrodynamic 

bearing can be observed. 

In the study, the digital twin of a 

journal bearing test rig was utilized 

by creating a multi-body simulation 

model (MBS) using Dassault Systemes/ 

Simpack software. The model included 

elastic element models (FEM-based 

models) of key components (Figure 

4), as well as the lubrication situation 

of the journal bearing modeled using 

HD and EHD models. 

The validation and sensitivity 

analysis of the 

simulation model was 

performed by comparing 

the simulation results 

with experimental 

results. By utilizing both 

experimental data and 

virtual representation, 

information about the 

pressure and thickness 

of the lubricant 

film, as well as indications of contacting 

between bearing surfaces, can be 

obtained. By combining simulated and 

experimental data, a comprehensive 

understanding of the friction behaviour 

of the lubricated journal bearing is obtained 

up to the boundary lubrication 

situation. 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1. VTT concept for 

lubrication regime detection 

in journal bearing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


RESEARCH 

DATA-BASED CLASSIFICATION 

Measurement data and simulated 

virtual data were utilized to create a 

data-driven hybrid model (Figure 1) 

that can determine the lubrication situation 

of the journal bearing as the operating 

conditions change. Mean shift 

clustering algorithm was employed in 

the modeling to divide the measured 

data into different clusters or groups. 

The goal was to find calculated features 

from the experimental data that could 

serve as a basis for forming the clusters 

based on the lubrication situation. 

The selected features were calculated 

from the acoustic emission (AE) 

data, based on previous studies and 

available experimental data. The selected 

features were as follows: 

• Kurtosis is a measure of distribution 

tailedness. The high kurtosis 

indicates a high number of outliers. 

Kurtosis is a well-known parameter in 

vibration signal analysis in the field of 

condition monitoring. 

• The coefficient of variation is a 

statistical measure used to assess the 

relative variability of a data set. It is 

calculated as the ratio of the standard 

deviation to the mean. 

• The root mean square (RMS) of 

AE signal is applied to measure the 

magnitude of a fluctuating quantity, e.g., 

vibration levels in mechanical systems. 

It is calculated by taking the square root 

of the mean of the squared values of a 

set of data. 

• The dimensionless Hersey number 

is a function of viscosity, rotational 

speed, load, and the dimensions of the 

bearing. This term is used in the study 

and analysis of lubrication and lubricants, 

particularly in relation to the 

performance and efficiency of bearings. 

It can be used for determining the lubrication 

requirements and characteristics 

IDEAL OPERATING RANGE OF A SLIDING BEARING 

In a plain bearing, the load is carried by a lubricant film that forms 

between the rotating shaft and the bearing (Figure 3). The pressure 

within the lubricant film, which differs from the supply pressure 

of the lubricant, and the thickness of the lubricant film (h) are the 

most important parameters describing the operating conditions of 

hydrodynamic sliding bearings. The hydrodynamic lubrication (HD) 

situation prevails when the lubricant film completely separates the 

bearing surfaces. In elastohydrodynamic (EHD) lubrication, the lubricant 

film also separates the bearing surfaces, but as the contact pressure 

increases, the bearing surfaces undergo elastic deformations. When 

the lubricant film thickness decreases, there are contacts between 

the bearing surfaces in addition to fluid lubrication, leading to a mixed 

lubrication (ML) situation. When the contacts between the bearing 

surfaces dominate, a boundary lubrication (BL) situation occurs. The 

ideal operating range for a sliding bearing is within the hydrodynamic 

lubrication zone, where friction is low. As the operating conditions 

change to mixed lubrication and further to boundary lubrication, friction 

increases and the wear and damage of the bearing surfaces become 

possible. Typically, boundary and mixed lubrication situations occur 

during the startup and shutdown of equipment, but for many devices, 

these conditions can also occur during actual operation at low speeds. 

Figure 2. VTT journal bearing test device. 

The goal was to 

find calculated features 

from the experimental 

data that could 

serve as a basis for 

forming the clusters 

based on the lubrication 

situation. 


RESEARCH 

Load 

 

1 

2 

3 

Figure 3. Components of a journal bearing are 1) lubricant, 2) shaft and 3) 

bearing cylinder. The load is carried by the lubricating film, which has a pressure 

distribution and minimum thickness. Bearing friction affects opposite to the 

direction of rotation. The Stribeck curve shows the friction as lubrication mode 

changes. The figure has been modified from https://www.tribonet.org/wiki/ 

hydrodynamic-lubrication-regime/ (i.e., Mahadeshwara, M.R., Hydrodynamic 

Lubrication Regime, cited January 2024). 

ACOUSTIC EMISSION 

Acoustic emission refers to the 

propagation of transient elastic 

waves in a material, caused by rapid 

energy release in localized point 

or points. Since acoustic emission 

is the motion of sound waves, the 

propagation of acoustic emission in 

a material can be described using 

the equations of normal elasticity 

theory. Acoustic emission can be 

caused by various phenomena 

occurring in the material or external 

impact-like excitations on the 

material. These phenomena may 

include phase transformations in 

certain metals causing mechanical 

stresses, crack growth or plastic 

deformation, and contacts between 

surfaces in lubricated systems, for 

example. The detection of acoustic 

emission, i.e., the intensity of the 

signal, depends on the type of wave, 

the medium being measured, and 

the reflection caused by interfaces. 

Knowledge of special mounting 

solutions for installing sensors 

that measure acoustic emission is 

required, as well as understanding 

the effect of the sensor and the 

measurement method used on 

the measured signal. Acoustic 

emission is normally measured in 

the frequency range of 50 kHz to 

1 MHz, depending on the type of 

sensor. Various quantities can be 

calculated from the signals, which 

can be used to characterize the 

phenomena. With a wideband sensor 

and an efficient measurement card, 

it is possible to detect deviations 

and phenomena also in terms of 

frequency. It is also possible to 

measure at lower frequencies, but 

in this case, the increasing impurity 

of the signals naturally leads to a 

stronger need for filtering. 

Figure 4. Elastic MBS-model (Simpack) for lubricated journal bearing. The model takes 

account, e.g., surface roughness and temperature effects on lubrication properties. 


RESEARCH 

Friction 

Cluster 1 

Cluster 2 

Cluster 3 

Acoustic 

Acoustic 

emission 

emission 

rms 

rms 

Cluster 1 

Cluster 2 

Cluster 3 

Friction coefficient 

Root mean square 

Acoustic emission cv 

Acoustic emission kurtosis 

Coefficient of variation 

Cluster 1 

Cluster 2 

Cluster 3 

Kurtosis 

Cluster 1 

Cluster 2 

Cluster 3 

Hersey number 

Hersey number 

Figure 5. The result of databased clustering (friction curve) and the feature vectors from AE-signal. The green color denotes hydrodynamic 

lubrication, orange denotes transform towards mixed lubrication, and blue represents danger to boundary lubrication. The classification 

was based on parameters calculated from AE-signal and Hersey number. The friction was not applied as a parameter for data clustering. 

needed for optimal bearing operation. 

When referring to friction, the root 

mean square of friction provides a 

measure of the average frictional force 

acting on an object. It considers both 

the magnitude and direction of the 

frictional forces experienced by the 

object. 

The developed hybrid method 

enables in situ monitoring of the lubrication 

mode of the hydrodynamic 

bearing (Figure 5). Similar type of development 

work has been carried out 

in multiple locations in recent years, 

for example, Mokhtari et al. (2020), as 

well as König et al. (2021). 

Improving the 

discriminability with 

respect to alternative 

anomalies requires 

stronger utilization of 

simulation and 

determination of 

additional 

features. 

MODEL-BASED SIMULATION 

VTT's approach also utilizes virtual 

data, i.e., model-based simulation. The 

aim of future research is to further 

develop the concept so that the determination 

of the lubrication situation 

can be implemented in larger scale 

devices. Improving the discriminability 

between alternative anomalies requires 

stronger utilization of simulation and 

determination of additional features. 

The goal is to create a concept that can 

be used in real-time pilot-scale as well 

as in final products for monitoring and 

control of the lubrication situation of 

hydrodynamic bearings. 


RESEARCH 

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 

Artificial intelligence has been applied for the diagnosis of machine 

condition for decades, and the number of applications has been 

growing rapidly recently. The goal of classifying or clustering data 

into classes or clusters is to maximize the similarity of data points 

within the same class or cluster, and, on the other hand, minimize the 

similarity between different classes or clusters. The key difference 

between classification and clustering methods is the supervision of 

learning (supervised or unsupervised learning). If the location of data 

samples within a specific lubrication interval on the Stribeck curve is 

known, supervised learning methods could be utilized. In the present 

study there are no clear boundaries between lubrication regimes 

and, thus, unsupervised machine learning, has been employed to 

distinguish data clusters. The most common clustering methods 

can be categorized into centroid-based, density-based, distributionbased, 

and hierarchical methods. The commonly mentioned clustering 

method in learning materials, K-means, belongs to the centroid-based 

methods. It aims to partition the data into a predetermined number of 

clusters (k). The method chosen for this work is Mean Shift Clustering 

(MSC) since the Stribeck curve forms a continuum of lubrication 

intervals that are difficult to separate. MSC was able to achieve data 

segmentation with the least amount of information in this case. 

MSC also belongs to the centroid-based methods, where each data 

point converges towards the centroid of its cluster by iterating the 

mean-shift function. The selection of the kernel size/bandwidth of the 

mean-shift function affects the number of clusters (centroids) and 

must be done with care. Therefore, a good result cannot be completely 

achieved purely through machine computation. 

SOURCES: 

• Eitzen, D., Wadley, H., Acoustic Emission: 

Establishing the Fundamentals. Journal of 

Research of the National Bureau of Standards, 

Vol. 89, No.1, January-February 1984, pp. 75 – 

100. 

• Fukunaga, K., Hostetler, L., The estimation 

of the gradient of a density function, with 

applications in pattern recognition. IEEE 

Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 21 

(1975), no. 1, ss. 32-40. https://doi.org/10.1109/ 

TIT.1975.1055330 

• Halme, J., Parikka, R., Tervo, J., Akustinen 

emissio ja sen kaytto koneiden ja laitteiden 

monitoroinnissa ja diagnostiikassa. Julkinen 

tutkimusraportti BVAL73-001063, VTT, 2001. 

28 s. 

• Konig, F., Marnheineke, J., Jacobs. G., Sous, 

C., Zuo, Ming, J., Tian, Z., Data-driven wear 

monitoring for sliding bearings using acoustic 

emission signals and long short-term memory 

neural networks. Wear, Vol 476 (2021), 

pp. 203616 – 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. 

wear.2021.203616 

• Mokhtari, N., Pelham, J., Nowoisky, S., Bote- 

Garcia, J-L, Guhmann, C., Friction and Wear 

Monitoring Methods for Journal Bearings 

of Geared Turbofans Based on Acoustic 

Emission Signals and Machine Learning. 

Lubricants 2020, 8, 29; https://doi:10.3390/ 

lubricants8030029 

• Sato, I., Rotating Machinery Diagnosis with 

AcousticEmission Techniques. Electrical 

Engineering in Japan, Vol 110(1990), No. 2, ss. 

115 – 127. 

• Tribonet, https://www.tribonet.org/wiki/ 

journal-bearing/. 

Acknowledgements 

The work was carried out in the INNTERESTING 

(Innovative Future-Proof Testing Methods for 

Reliable Critical Components in Wind Turbines) 

project that received funding from the European 

Union’s Horizon 2020 –Research and Innovation 

Framework Programme (2014-2020) in the 

call H2020-LC-SC3-2019-RES under grant 

agreement No. 851245. 

www.innterestingproject.eu 

VTT Headquarters in Espoo, Finland. 

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd is a Finnish, fully state-owned limited 

liability company. The special duty of VTT as an independent and impartial research 

centre is to promote the wide-ranging utilisation and commercialisation of research 

and technology in commerce and society. 


INDUSTRIAL MECHANICS 

TEXT: GENE VOGEL, PUMP AND VIBRATION SPECIALIST AT EASA 

IMAGES: EASA AND SHUTTERSTOCK 

Pinning down 

possibilies for 

pump problems 

Troubleshooting should start 

by looking at the pump, the fluid 

and the system 

Problems in pumping systems can, seemingly logically, be 

blamed on the pump. There could however be other hidden 

issues; ambient conditions can affect pumpage, or perhaps 

there are problems in the system itself. In this article we 

discuss a systematic approach to help determine where the 

problem really lies. 



When a newly 

repaired pump 

performs poorly, it 

seems logical that 

something is wrong 

with it. While that might be true, 

good troubleshooting procedures 

should also eliminate several other 

possibilities, including problems 

with the fluid being pumped (the 

pumpage), or with the pipes, fittings 

and vessels that are connected to 

the pump (the system). Fortunately, 

a savvy technician with just a basic 

understanding of pump curves and 

performance parameters can quickly 

narrow down the possibilities– 

especially those 

associated with the 

pump. 

PUMP CURVES 

This discussion 

is limited to the 

most common 

pumps in industrial 

and commercial 

applications– centrifugal 

pumps. The 

performance curves 

in Figure 1 illustrate 

how the parameters of head, 

flow rate, efficiency and power 

relate to one another for a typical 

centrifugal pump. Note that as head 

increases, flow decreases, and vice 

versa (Head-Flow Pump Curve, 

Figure 1). 

For any certain flow rate, there is 

a corresponding amount of head. The 

impeller design dictates a specific 

flow rate at which the pump will 

perform most efficiently–i.e., its Best 

Efficiency Point 

(BEP). Many pump problems, and 

some system problems, will cause the 

pump to operate at a point below its 

normal pump curve line. A technician 

who understands this relationship 

can measure the pump parameters 

and isolate the problem to the pump, 

the pumpage, or the system. 

IS IT THE PUMP? 

To determine if the problem is the 

pump, the Total Dynamic Head 

(TDH) and flow should be measured 

at the pump and compared to the 

pump curve for 

that pump (see 

Many pump 

problems, and some 

system problems, will 

cause the pump to 

operate at a point below 

its normal pump 

curve line. 

sidebar on page 

49). The TDH 

is the difference 

between 

discharge and 

suction pressure, 

converted to 

feet or meters of 

head. (Caution: 

If there is little 

or no head or 

flow on start-up, 

the pump should immediately be 

shut off to verify that there is sufficient 

fluid in it–i.e., that the pump 

is primed. Running a pump dry may 

damage the seal.) 

• If the operating point is on the 

pump curve, the pump is operating 

properly. Therefore, the problem 

is with the system or possibly the 

pumpage. 

Figure 1. The pump curve plots normal head and flow performance and includes 

efficiency and power data. 



• If the operating point is below 

the pump curve, the problem could 

be the pump, the system, or possibly 

the pumpage. 

When the pumpage 

is a strong acid or base, 

dilution can change its 

specific gravity, which 

may affect the power 

curve. 

IS IT THE PUMPAGE? 

Ambient conditions like temperature 

can change the viscosity of the 

pumpage, which in turn may change 

the head, flow and efficiency of the 

pump. Mineral-based oil is a good 

example of a liquid that changes 

viscosity with temperature. When 

the pumpage is a strong acid or 

base, dilution can change its specific 

gravity, which may affect the power 

curve. 

To find out if the pumpage is the 

problem, its properties need to be 

verified. Tests for viscosity, specific 

gravity and temperature of the fluid 

are readily available and inexpensive. 

Standard conversion charts 

and formulas from the Hydraulics 

Institute and elsewhere can then be 

used to determine if the pumpage 

is adversely affecting the pump’s 

performance. 

IS IT THE SYSTEM? 

Assuming the fluid properties have 

been ruled out, the problem must be 

with the pump or the system. Again, 

if the pump is operating on the 

pump curve, it is working properly. 

In that case, the problem must be 

the system to which the pump is 

connected. 

There are two possibilities 

here. Either the flow is too low (and 

therefore the head is too high), or 

the head is too low (indicating the 

flow is too high). When considering 

head and flow, remember that 

the pump is operating on its curve. 

Therefore, if one is too low, the 

other must be too high. 

Low flow (head too high). A 

low flow condition usually indicates 

a restricted line. If the restriction is 

in the suction line, there will likely 

be cavitation; otherwise, it is probably 

in the discharge line. 

Other possibilities are that the 

suction static head is too low, or that 

the discharge static head is too high. 

For example, a suction tank may 

have a float switch that fails to shut 

off the pump when the fluid level 

drops below the set point. Similarly, 

a discharge tank may have a “high 

level” switch that has malfunctioned. 

Low head (flow too high). 

A low head condition indicates too 

much flow. And it is likely that the 

flow is not going where it should. 

System leaks can be internal or 

external. A diverter valve that allows 

too much flow to bypass, or a failed 

check valve that lets flow circulate 

backwards through a parallel pump, 

would result in too much flow and 

low head. On a municipal water 

system with buried water mains, a 

major leak or line break will allow 

too much flow and result in low 

head (low line pressure). 

Blockages and leaks. Looking 

for blockage or leaks in a hydraulic 

system is like looking for opens and 

shorts in an electrical system, except 

that the parameters to measure 

are pressure and flow rather than 

voltage and current. Where there 

is a blockage or a leak, there will 

be an abnormal pressure differential 

across the area or component 

involved. It is easier to locate a 

problem by checking pressure 

(THD) than by measuring flow (see 

sidebar). 

Other system problems. 

Even if the pump is not operating 

on its curve, there are some system 

problems that must be ruled out 

before the pump can be identified 

as the culprit. For example, if vapor 

is getting into the pump by air 

entrainment or cavitation, the pump 

will not operate on its curve, even 

if there is nothing wrong with it. 

Performing vibration analysis in real 

time while varying the pump suction 

will help identify cavitation and 

air entrainment. If the pump does 

not operate on its curve after these 

While drive speed 

can be verified 

externally, investigating 

the other causes will 

involve opening the 

pump. 

Figure 2. An ultrasonic flow meter 

measures flow by transmitting a signal 

through the pipe and into the pumpage. 



Figure 3. A clogged impeller causes pump performance that falls below the pump curve. 

conditions have been eliminated, there is very 

likely a problem with the pump. 

WHAT COULD BE WRONG WITH THE 

PUMP? 

When a pump does not operate on its curve and 

cavitation and air entrainment have been eliminated, 

the most likely causes are a damaged 

impeller, blockage in the impeller (see Figure 

3), blockage in the volute, or excessive wear 

ring or impeller clearance. Other causes would 

be related to the speed of the pump, such as the 

shaft spinning in the impeller, or an incorrect 

drive speed. While drive speed can be verified 

externally, investigating the other causes will 

involve opening the pump. 

CONCLUSION 

Troubleshooting pump performance is straightforward. 

By measuring the pump’s head and 

flow and comparing the results to the manufacturer’s 

pump curve, and checking for air 

entrainment and cavitation, the technician 

can readily determine if the problem is with 

the pump or the system. The properties of the 

pumpage can also be tested to rule them out as 

the cause of the problem. 

EASA is an international trade association of more than 

1,700 firms in nearly 70 countries that sell and service 

electromechanical apparatus. For more information, visit 

www.easa.com. 

MEASURING PUMP OPERATING PARAMETERS 

Often the most difficult parts of troubleshooting pump 

performance is measuring the pressure and flow. To 

determine pump TDH (i.e., the difference between the 

suction and discharge pressures), a suction gauge and a 

discharge gauge are required at both the pump suction 

and discharge. Pump suction pressure can be below 

atmosphere (a vacuum), so the suction gauges should 

read vacuum or pressure. 

Although flow can be harder to measure than pressure, 

ultrasonic flow meters can accomplish the task from the 

outside of the pipe (Figure 2). There are several kinds 

that may work, depending on the type of pumpage, so it is 

important that the correct type is selected, and that it is 

installed and calibrated properly. 

Another way to determine flow is a method which works 

well on pumps that draw from an open sump. Simply 

measure the change in depth of the liquid during a short 

interval (15–60 seconds) with all other flows into and out 

of the sump closed. Compute the flow as the volume of the 

change in sump level, converted to gallons (m 3 ) per unit 

time. 


CSRD 

Text: Nina Broström Images: Shutterstock 

Sustainability reporng 

- a necessity or a competitive 

advantage? 

New standards under the EU's CSRD Directive, which came into force at the beginning of this 

year, aim to increase transparency and provide comparable information on how companies impact 

people, the environment, and the climate. 

The new EU Corporate 

Sustainability Reporting 

Directive (CSRD) came into 

force at the beginning of 

this year. It will gradually 

extend sustainability reporting to 

almost all European listed companies 

by the end of the decade. It will also 

cover foreign companies with significant 

operations in the EU. 

In the first phase, the reporting 

obligation will apply to the largest 

companies, i.e. listed companies with 

more than 500 employees, and large 

national public utility companies. They 

will be required to report sustainability 

issues in their 2025 financial statements 

based on data collected for that 

year according to CSRD standards. 

From the start of next year, sustainability 

reporting will be extended to larger 

mid-sized companies, and from 2026 

the obligation will also cover listed 

SMEs. In the future, sustainability 

reporting will therefore be mandatory 

for all listed companies except for the 

smallest micro companies. 

REPLACES SUSTAINABILITY 

REPORTING 

In practice, the reform corrects the 

previously criticized patchy and 

inconsistent sustainability reporting. 

The aim is to harmonize the content, 

reliability, and comparability of corporate 

sustainability reporting. This will 

make it easier for partners, investors, 

and financiers for example, to access 

information and assess how responsible 

a company is in practice and 

whether it is meeting the EU's green 

sustainability goals. 

The aim is to increase transparency 

and highlight how non-financial information 

affects business performance. 

The focus of the reporting is on the 

'double bottom line': on the one hand, 

to look at the impact the company's 

business has on people and the 

environment, and on the other hand, 

to measure how different sustainability 

factors in turn impact the business. 

THE IMPACT OF THE 

ASSESSMENT 

The CSRD will create additional work 

for companies, as they will also have 

to report on all indirect emissions 

from their value chain (scope 3). In 

addition, reporting processes and data 

will need to be of high quality and 

independently validated. 

Each sustainability issue is assessed 

not only in terms of its impacts but 

also in terms of the risks and opportunities 

it presents. Looking beyond 

the company's operations, for example 

to the supply chain, will improve the 

company's understanding of its operating 

environment and the associated 

threats and opportunities. The EU 

hopes this will encourage companies 

to make more conscious investments 

in green and sustainable development 

and, among other things, to invest in 

building a more socially just working 

life. 

At the same time, reporting can 

bring significant benefits and advantages 

for companies: for example, it 

will be easier to convince investors or 

financiers of the genuine green and 

responsible nature of a company's 

activities if there is verified evidence 

of these. And, especially in the early 

stages of the directive's implementation, 

fast adopters can use the information 

as a competitive advantage to 

differentiate themselves from other 

producers and to attract the best 

employees and partners into their 

chain. 

CSRD SCOPE 

2024 

1st reporting phase (large 

companies, i.e. those already 

covered by the Non-Financial 

Reporting Directive (NFRD)) financial 

statements 2025. 

2025 

Reporting obligation for listed 

companies with at least 250 

employees/net turnover of €40 

million/balance sheet total of €20 

million (2 criteria to be met). 

2026 

Reporting obligation for listed SMEs. 

The first reports are to be published 

in 2027 (2026 data). If data is not 

collected immediately, the company 

has a 3-year transition period to 

implement sustainability reporting. 

2027 

The three-year transition period for 

SMEs to start sustainability reporting 

starts. 

2028 

Non-European companies with a net 

turnover in the EU of more than €150 

million and at least one subsidiary 

above the thresholds to be covered 

by sustainability reporting (reporting 

in 2029). 


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