See more of our State of the Industry 2016 coverage.Pumps & Systems staff spoke with Jack Creamer, market segment manager of pumping equipment for Square D by Schneider Electric, about the current state of the industry and what we should watch for in the coming year.
Q. What are the major trends that will affect the pump industry in 2016?
A. Certainly the energy efficiency guidelines coming out from the Department of Energy (DOE) will be of significant impact. One question yet to be answered is with regard to the system efficiency guidelines being considered. Interesting potential enhancements to pump systems, related to energy solutions, have to do with system monitoring to ensure energy savings. (These enhancements) can also provide feedback on pump system performance that can provide predictive/preventative maintenance alarms. All of which can result in both enhanced system performance and significant operational costs savings, especially due to the remote location of so many pumps.
Q. What global news/occurrences will affect the pump market and economy next year and into the future?
A. While not new news, the impact of the oil and gas industry has already had major impact, and forecasters don't have short-term encouraging news.
Q. What are some things that pump and related equipment OEMs should be doing to prepare for the changing landscape in 2016?
A. In light of the DOE energy guidelines, how will pump OEMs manage the pump system approach? Even those in the system business today may have to enhance offers and step up production to meet demand. How will related equipment OEMs manage the energy guidelines?