Smart Energy Revolution: IoT-Driven Power Management in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

@Faclon Team

September 11, 2025

2min read

About the Company

A pharmaceutical industry leader with a legacy of healthcare and wellness dedication spanning over 70 years. With a commanding $13.8 billion market cap as of 2024, the company operates across multiple business verticals including pharmaceuticals, vaccines, specialty drugs, consumer wellness, and animal health. Employing over 25,000+ professionals across all business verticals, the organization focuses on manufacturing operations as its most prominent entity, developing intermediates, formulations, and APIs at state-of-the-art facilities with a commitment to innovation and operational excellence.

Problem Statement

Critical surveillance and safety challenges in hazardous chemical operations

Tiring data-gathering process Electrical operators physically visited 100+ key meter locations across 6 feeders to manually note readings on log sheets, leading to data insufficiency and inaccuracies
Tedious reporting and analysis Log sheets from different plant locations required manual compilation in Excel, consuming significant portions of reporting managers' time for data-filing activities
High HVAC and utility loads Pharmaceutical manufacturing demands one of the highest HVAC and utility consumption levels, requiring effective asset management strategies
Reactive maintenance approach Electrical anomalies were difficult to identify with handheld instruments, with anomaly source identification taking hours and resulting in significant productivity losses

How Faclon Solved the Problem

I/O Vision: No-code computer vision platform for comprehensive AI-enabled surveillance:

Automated data acquisition

Deployed 101 MFM energy meters across 6 key feeder locations using 9 IoT gateways for automated collection via 4G connectivity from Modbus RTU meters

Live power dashboards

Real-time insights on power consumption, power factor, and harmonics across the entire plant with multidimensional analysis capabilities

Dynamic SLDs implementation

Dynamic single-line diagrams of electrical distribution enabling precise pinpointing of threats in the electrical network infrastructure

Event-based logging system

Comprehensive event-based alerts and logging to identify recurring transient events and enable proactive action-taking

Intelligent reporting framework

Scheduled detailed reports (daily, weekly, monthly) for stakeholders from central teams to plant-level operations with automated benchmarking

The Outcome

Transformational results across key performance indicators:

Enhanced operational efficiency

Automated data acquisition and real-time energy monitoring streamlined workflows, reducing manual tasks and reallocating resources to critical operations

Proactive anomaly detection

Dynamic electrical schematics and event-based alerts enabled quick identification and resolution of anomalies, minimizing downtime and improving asset reliability

Optimized energy consumption

Granular insights into power usage allowed precise management of high-demand utilities like HVAC, reducing energy waste and operational costs

Automated data-driven decisions

Automated reports delivered actionable insights, helping stakeholders make informed decisions and optimize energy use across the plant

Increased asset control and sustainability

Improved control over utility and backup systems enhanced operational stability, supporting both reliability and sustainability goals

Behind the Scenes

Technical implementation and strategic considerations for this deployment

Comprehensive digitization strategy

Seven key equipment categories monitored: Motor Control Centers (MCC), Utility Panels, Chiller/Compressor Panels, Diesel Generator Panels, Fire Hydrant Systems, Spare Meters, and Process Panels

Multi-layered dashboard ecosystem

Navigation dashboard for user-friendly exploration, Management dashboard with drag-and-drop widgets, and specialized MCC dashboards for individual motor monitoring

Advanced analytics capabilities

Real-time alerts via SMS/Email/WhatsApp, T&D loss calculations for transformer efficiency, and energy report scheduler with historical benchmarking

Scalable hardware architecture

ST-54 suite of 4G-based IoT gateways connecting Modbus RS-485 energy meters with cloud/on-premise data processing capabilities

Power quality monitoring

Comprehensive tracking of active power consumption, reactive power wastages, and power factor for each motor enabling proactive maintenance strategies

Fault identification system

Dynamic SLD infrastructure providing exact pinpoint understanding of anomaly locations across plant electrical infrastructure for faster fault resolution

TESTIMONIAL

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