Automation Trends Revealed

Craig Correia, process automation manager with Festo Corporation, talks about industry drivers for automated systems.

Automation is not a new trend. As Festo’s Craig Correia explains, “Municipalities have been moving towards automation for a long time – 15, 20, 25 years.”

But the adoption curve is steepening as of late, and the reason should strike a familiar chord with utility operators…

“As the regulations get tighter, you have to add more sensors to check your water, test things that are happening, and react to it in real time,” says Correia, speaking with Water Online Radio. “As [utilities] are adding automation, the trends and regulations in the industry push for even further automation.”

There are also technology trends at play, particularly when it comes to membranes and packaged skid systems. Correia shares Festo’s view of the landscape:

“Festo’s focus is standard filtration skids or semi-standard filtration skids that are both for the municipal industry and the industrial industry. That’s what’s really taking off. That’s where we’re seeing most of the automation innovations, or let’s say the requirements are pushed on us to create some new solutions.

“It really boils down to the cost of membranes. It’s really stabilizing, getting much lower. …The acceptance of third-party membranes has really leveled the playing field between companies, large and small.”

Listen to the entire interview below to hear more about automation-specific and industry-wide trends.