Decreasing chemical consumption by 30% and sludge generation by 20% for an automobile manufacturer in India using FM Digital

A prominent automobile manufacturer in Uttarakhand, India was facing challenges in the discharge of the acidic effluent generated through the manual alkali dosing at the paint shop. Maintaining consistent pH levels during discharge was difficult as:

  1. the manual alkali dosing process resulted in dosing errors,
  2. and/or basis the plant load,

increasing operational costs. The acidic effluent generated through this requires a precise pH correction before discharge from the Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP).

Their partnership with Forbes Marshall Digital began in February 2025 with the implementation of 2 services: EverSense for WaterMAP and EverSense for Water Validation and Utility System (WaterVU). This includes monitoring ETP outlet parameters, plant level water balance and freshwater consumption levels.

Objective

PROBLEM

Manual alkali dosing at the effluent treatment plant (ETP) was causing inconsistent pH correction.

There were frequent pH excursions below the mandated 6.5 limit, with readings as low as 5.8.

During root cause analysis, a direct link between paint shop water consumption and subsequent pH drops (~2 hours) was established.

A high risk of non-compliance with regulatory discharge norms.

Overuse or underuse of chemicals leading to wastage and inefficiency.

Increased sludge generation, higher Multi Effect Evaporators (MEE) treatment costs, and RO membrane damage.

Heavy operator dependency for monitoring and correction, adding to labor costs.

Solution

SOLUTION

Installation of a closed-loop automated pH dosing system at the paint shop outlet.

Real-time pH monitoring using industrial-grade sensors for continuous feedback with EverSense integration.

Benefit

BENEFITS

Annual monetary savings of INR 4,745,000.

30% reduction in chemical consumption through precise automated dosing.

20% reduction in sludge generation, lowering MEE treatment volume and cost.

INR 3,025,000 annual savings from reduced MEE treatment.

INR 1,335,000 annual chemical cost savings due to optimised alkali use.

INR 152,000 annual labor savings by reducing manual monitoring hours.

INR 20,000 savings from extended RO membrane life (up to 33% longer).

Additional INR 800,000 to 1,200,000 annual savings from water reuse for non-critical applications.

23% potential reduction in fresh water consumption.

Zero pH excursions below the 6.5 regulatory limit ensuring compliance.

Elimination of manual dosing errors and reduced operator workload.

Improved process reliability with real-time monitoring and automated correction.

Enhanced equipment protection due to stable pH control.

Environmentally sustainable operations with reduced chemical use and carbon footprint.

Treated water suitable for reuse without affecting paint quality or cleaning efficiency.

Associated Services

Process Optimization

Process Optimization

Arrow
Improving Uptime

Improving Uptime

Arrow
Forbes Marshal Digital

Forbes Marshal Digital

Arrow

Associated Services

What to read next