25 years ago, then-publisher David Hill kicked off the inaugural issue of Pumps & Systems with the headline, “Change. It’s the one constant in the 1990s.” He was right.
Pumps & Systems
01/10/2018
Much in the rotating equipment industry has changed in the 25 years since
Pumps & Systems
sent its first issue to the printer.
But the pumping industry is, in its heart, a conservative one. Many pump designs are unchanged from the original. And pumps and pumping professionals do their work behind the scenes, steadily focused on keeping infrastructure moving and serving communities around the world.
In 1993, the magazine covered the big technology challenge of the day, the adoption of computer-aided design (CAD) software. And in its pages James Fluharty, then-executive vice president of Viking Pump, was quoted saying, “Technology continues to have a major impact on the industry. The use of computerized design, modeling, and manufacturing create improved performance in both product and process.”
Today, CAD is ubiquitous, but technology is still an issue. The technological game-changer in 2018 is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Cybersecurity threats are a mounting concern for the pump industry but, according to experts, most companies are not yet prepared to handle potential attacks.
And new systems can pose even more risk.
That first issue of
Pumps & Systems
also covered topics that remain relevant after 25 years of writing about pumps and pumping systems. Making the best informed purchasing decisions; troubleshooting issues with suction, pressure, vibration and overheating; recruiting, hiring and training; operating at the best efficiency point (BEP); understanding net positive suction head (NPSH), sealing technology and performance; mean time between failure (MTBF); all of these were covered in the magazine in 1993—and they are equally relevant today.