Press Releases

2016

September 27, 2016

Enhancing Functions of Water Treatment Management Service S.sensingTM. Full-Scale Global Roll-out
Advanced water treatment IT service that monitors water treatment information remotely in 10,000 premises in 30 countries worldwide

Kurita Water Industries Ltd. (Head Office: Nakano-ku, Tokyo; President: Michiya Kadota) is pleased to announce the enhancement of functions such as monitoring and analysis in the water treatment management service that utilizes sensing technology "S.sensingTM" in its treatment chemicals business , as well as the implementation of a full-scale global roll-out.

Kurita is currently bringing about a major change in the status of water treatment services. Positioning IT and sensing technology as a platform to provide solutions to our customers, and visualizing the water treatment status using our original system, we are aiming to achieve higher quality problem resolution, including stable operation and enhanced productivity of our customers’ facilities, as well as reduction of the environmental burden. As part of such efforts, our water treatment chemicals business commenced operation of the new water treatment management service S.sensingTM in December 2013*. This service enables optimal water treatment on a real-time basis by installing the sensing equipment in the customer’s existing factory, and bundling the "measurement," "analysis," "control," and "monitoring" functions. Previously, we had deployed the service mainly in Japan, but in order to respond to the rapid expansion of the overseas market and achieve a unified group-wide water treatment service globally, we have been committed to developing and expanding our telecommunications environments and delivering high added value information services.

These latest function enhancements will strengthen the diversified and statistical automatic analysis function for accumulated chronological data, in order to enhance the value of the data collected. In addition, we have updated the specification and content of the management screen as "S.sensingTM WEB (Customer Portal)," with the aim of sharing the remote monitoring status and changes over time with customers in a way that is easy to understand.
The common global portal screen employs a flat design with superior visibility and operability, providing an overall display of the water treatment status clearly at a glance throughout the entire factory (refer to supplementary document 1).
Further, we have newly developed the common global data collection terminal "S.sensingTM GW". By connecting it to the customer’s water treatment facility or chemical injection control equipment, water treatment data from around the world is automatically collected and accumulated in the cloud (refer to supplementary document 2).

The telecommunications links have also been enhanced from the existing specification, enabling remote monitoring of on-site data on a real-time basis around the world, which in turn will achieve low communications costs. The customer is able to check the measurement data relating to their own factory and the water treatment status at any time through the internet.

Overseas, S.sensingTM had first been applied in China and Southeast Asia, but with this amplification of the system, we will aim to deploy it in approximately 10,000 premises in 30 countries, including Europe and North and South America. Currently, the Kurita Group’s business area is wide-ranging both in terms of areas and countries, and not only will the S.sensingTM service enhance operational efficiency, it will also promote the speedier resolution of customers’ problems. What is more, by delivering a unified water treatment IT solution globally utilizing water treatment chemicals sales offices in each region across the world, we will establish the water treatment chemicals service system in four regions: Asia, Europe, and North and South America.

■ S.sensingTMWEB (customer portal)

  1. (1)We have collected all the information about the customer's facilities and water treatment status on the portal screen.
  2. (2)We have employed the latest flat design, boosting operability and visibility. Important functions are displayed clearly, allowing the user to search the required information at a glance.
  3. (3)The gazette function makes it possible to customize the management screen that the user (customer and Kurita managers) is viewing and the information displayed (it can be set to the optimal management screen for the person who is viewing).
  4. (4)The status of equipment in the factory is displayed in full based on equipment flow. Further, the user can immediately access details of the relevant equipment and the equipment information that the user wishes to read, and can download the necessary report* at a single click.
    • Includes reports generated through automatic analysis, for example the operational status of equipment on a real-time basis and water quality analysis data, as well as treatment trend prediction diagnosis and evaluation of the effect on operation. Also includes regular reports for customers.
  5. (5)Can be accessed from either PCs or mobile terminals (smartphones, tablets), and on-site operation possible.The available language interfaces are English and Japanese.

*S.sensingTM WEB screen (image)

■ Global telecommunications network using S.sensingTM GW

  1. (1)The data collection terminal S.sensingTM GW is a single model that can be used and communicated in various countries.
  2. (2)The customer can connect it easily on-site with a single cable, enabling them to start remote monitoring right away.
  3. (3)While the security of the telecommunications network is ensured through encryption, the communications data volume can be tuned, enabling low cost communication throughout the world.

Photo: S.sensingTMGW

(Reference diagram) How S.sensingTM works