The Internet of Things (IoT) is a phrase in the limelight. The concept of IoT is extremely appealing, in all forms, to the commercial industry. The technology of IoT has been implemented in various industries globally and it is finally approaching the rotating equipment industry.
To fully explain and understand how IoT technology can be implemented to increase mechanical seal reliability, a description of maintenance philosophies is needed. There are three main types of maintenance philosophies in industry today: reactive, preventative and predictive. Currently in the pump industry, and more specifically with mechanical seals, most of the maintenance is either in the reactive or preventative ideologies. This is where the current model of IoT comes into play. IoT is a powerful tool that will enable the industry to progress to a predictive maintenance model. This is accomplished by using advanced technology in several key areas such as device connectivity, data storage, and cutting-edge analytics.