Scaling Condition Monitoring

What It Takes to Deploy Condition Monitoring Across a Network of Pump Stations

Condition monitoring isn’t new, but scaling it effectively across a large network of rotating assets presents challenges that go far beyond just selecting the right sensors. At Resonate Systems, we’ve been fortunate to work on several real-world projects that reveal just how critical integration, data flow, and long-term usability are to making these systems work in practice.

This blog explores what’s involved in implementing a condition-based monitoring (CBM) solution across multiple pump stations, each with its own unique demands, and why the success of these systems often comes down to thoughtful design at every level.

Moving Beyond Manual Inspections

For many asset owners, the reality is that mechanical maintenance still relies heavily on scheduled servicing or reactive repairs. In distributed infrastructure, such as water, wastewater, or industrial utilities, that often means crews are dispatched to remote pump sites without prior insight into the actual condition of the equipment.

The shift toward condition-based monitoring (CBM) allows organisations to focus resources where they’re truly needed. But to do this well requires more than a vibration sensor and a pie chart. It means building a system that can collect, analyse and isolate useful insights, at scale.

Getting the Foundation Right

In a recent deployment, we helped design and implement a system that monitored over 130 pumps across more than 30 stations. Each pump was instrumented with a combination of:

• Accelerometers, for general vibration monitoring

• Proximity probes, to observe shaft movement and orbit

• Tachometers, to provide speed reference and enable phase-based diagnostics

• Temperature sensors, to track thermal trends at the bearings

Each sensor tells part of the story. Together, they allow for a fuller diagnostic picture: imbalance, misalignment, bearing wear, oil instabilities, and more. But even the best sensor layout is only the beginning.

Proximity probe and tachometer custom bracketry

Edge Processing and Smart Data Collection

Rather than pushing raw data from every site to a central server 24/7, edge devices, in this case, real-time controllers with local processing, are used to perform initial signal analysis and event detection. This keeps data volumes manageable and ensures that only relevant, high-quality data is sent upstream for further analysis.

The ability to sample at high rates (e.g. 5,000 Hz/channel), and still flag meaningful operating states like start-up, ramp-down, or variable speed transitions, is critical for early fault detection.

From Raw Data to Real Insights

A key part of delivering value is ensuring users, whether they’re on-site technicians or central asset managers, can access and understand the data.

A browser-based dashboard allows users to:

• View machine condition across sites

• Drill into specific vibration or temperature trends

• Configure alarms and thresholds

• Compare asset behaviour over time

It’s this layer that connects engineering data to operational decisions, allowing maintenance teams to act before failures escalate.

Integration Isn’t an Afterthought

What we’ve learned is that even the best condition monitoring solution risks being sidelined if it doesn’t integrate cleanly with the systems already in use, SCADA, CMMS platforms like Maximo, and increasingly, enterprise analytics and data lakes.

That’s why flexibility is baked into our approach. Whether it’s through Modbus, APIs, or direct database access, the ability to push and pull data where it’s needed makes all the difference in long-term system success.

Why It Matters

Rolling out condition monitoring at scale takes more than sensors and software. It takes a systems-level mindset, one that considers the physical environment, data architecture, operator workflows, and organisational goals.

For asset-intensive industries, investing in this kind of infrastructure pays off. Early warnings, fewer site visits, reduced downtime, and data-informed planning are just the beginning.

At Resonate Systems, we continue to support clients as they evolve from reactive maintenance to proactive asset strategies, building systems that deliver real insight into the physical world.

Find out more about Resonate Systems' Machince Condition Monitoring solutions:

https://www.resonatesystems.com.au/machine-condition-monitoring