Pump industry expert Charles Tahara—marketing director of the Industrial Control Division at Eaton—spoke with Pumps & Systems on the state of the industry as 2022 begins.
What are your thoughts regarding COVID-19 vaccines for employees? Has your company instituted a mandate?
As a federal contractor, Eaton will comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including consideration of employee medical and religious accommodations and discussion of this requirement with union bargaining unit representatives.
What needs to happen in regards to industry improvements?
Advancing global cybersecurity standards and efficiency calculations will help drive the industry forward:
- Clear guidelines and expectations around cybersecurity, particularly for industrial sites. Industrial fieldbus is applied differently than residential or commercial applications, so a one-size-fits-all approach does not always make sense.
- Efficiency calculations and standards that reflect the contribution or performance of each component in a pump system, so customers can pick and choose the optimum combination for their application.
What industry trends are you seeing as we go into 2022?
Supply chain flexibility is going to continue to be a key for success in 2022. Long-standing designs are being updated to allow for alternate electronic components, purchasing teams are getting more creative than ever, and I expect that to continue through most of next year.