Kurita Water Industries has added automated action recommendations to its predictive diagnostic service for manufacturing and water-treatment operations.
The new functionality proposes specific checks and operational measures when the system identifies signs of water-quality deterioration, production problems or changing process conditions. It extends the service beyond forecasting and analysis by helping operators decide how to respond.
Service moves from diagnosis to recommended action
Kurita’s predictive diagnostic service collects and visualises operational and process information. This includes water-quality information gathered through the company’s S.sensing water-treatment management services and data generated by manufacturing and treatment equipment.
Proprietary predictive models are used to forecast water-quality conditions, product-quality deterioration and possible operational problems. The service can also analyse contributing factors and simulate the potential effects of preventive measures.
Operators previously had to review those results and independently determine which intervention was appropriate. Kurita said this could place an additional burden on operational teams, particularly at sites facing labour shortages or the loss of experienced personnel.
The new functionality connects diagnostic results with a library of recommended measures accumulated by Kurita and its customers. Its decision logic compares current analysis results with that operational knowledge before suggesting what personnel should inspect and which actions they could take.
Operational records refine recommendations
The service can record when personnel responded, what measures they implemented and the outcome. Kurita said this accumulated information can then be used to review and refine the recommended measures and underlying decision logic.
The intention is to reduce the time between identifying a potential problem and implementing a response. Providing a more consistent decision process may also reduce differences in how individual employees respond to similar operating conditions.
Examples displayed by Kurita include recommendations to adjust chemical dosage in a wastewater recovery tank, change a process-water blowdown rate or reduce drying-steam flow. The management screen also presents predicted trends, factor-impact rankings and the progress of recommended actions.
Recommendations remain part of an operational support system, with site personnel responsible for reviewing and implementing appropriate measures.
S.sensing data supports predictive analysis
Kurita’s S.sensing platform monitors information including water quality, temperature and flow. Its cloud-based interface allows plant personnel to view time-series data, analytical results and reports remotely.
Data from S.sensing can be combined with wider manufacturing and water-treatment process information in the predictive diagnostic service. This gives the system a broader dataset for identifying relationships between water conditions, production performance and operational problems.
Kurita began the full-scale rollout of the predictive service for paper manufacturing processes in September 2024. It has subsequently expanded the technology into other industries and processes, including steel production and wastewater treatment.
Digital tools support operator decision-making
Manufacturing and water-treatment operators are increasingly using predictive systems to identify changing conditions before they result in equipment failure, treatment problems or non-compliant discharge.
H2O Global News recently reported on the launch of WIMS Process Manager for predictive wastewater operations. That platform combines operational, laboratory and simulated data to forecast plant performance and allow proposed changes to be tested digitally.
Predictive technology is also being applied to equipment condition. Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has extended a monitoring programme for critical wastewater assets, while Anglian Water uses condition monitoring across more than 250 clean-water assets.
These applications reflect a broader move towards using operational data to support earlier and more targeted interventions. However, effective deployment depends on data quality, appropriate oversight and operators understanding how recommendations have been produced.
Kurita to demonstrate service in Chiba
Kurita plans to present the expanded service at the 69th Japan Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry Annual Conference.
The event will take place at Chiba Makuhari from 27 to 29 October 2026. The company will demonstrate how the service moves from predicting operational problems and analysing their causes to recommending possible countermeasures.
Kurita said its wider digital technology programme is intended to reduce operating costs and manual workload while supporting water conservation, lower greenhouse-gas emissions and resource circulation.
Frequently asked questions
What has Kurita added to its predictive diagnostic service?
Kurita has added functionality that automatically recommends specific checks and operational actions when potential quality or process problems are identified.
What does the predictive diagnostic service monitor?
The service uses water-quality and operational data to predict quality deterioration, operational problems and future water-quality conditions.
How are recommended actions generated?
The system compares diagnostic results with recommended measures and decision logic created from knowledge accumulated by Kurita and its customers.
Can the recommendations be improved over time?
Yes. Records covering response times, measures taken and resulting outcomes can be used to review and refine future recommendations.
Where is Kurita using the service?
The service was initially rolled out in paper manufacturing and has since expanded to areas including steel manufacturing and wastewater treatment.
