“Ingeteam places a strong emphasis on research and development to enhance our service offerings”
In the water industry, where efficiency and reliability are essential, Ingeteam is focused on improving water management through innovative technology and customer-oriented solutions. In this exclusive interview, we speak with Luis Beracoechea, Water Global After Sales Director at Ingeteam, who has played a key role in evolving the Service and Aftermarket department into a global services team. With an emphasis on optimizing operations and strengthening client relationships, Ingeteam consistently incorporates new technologies to enhance its offerings for water industry applications. Join us as we discuss the insights, challenges, and future trends shaping Ingeteam’s approach to the water sector.
Please tell us briefly about your career path and your current role at Ingeteam.
I joined Ingeteam four years ago as part of a strategic transformation led by senior management, utilizing my IT and railway industry background to drive technological advancements in our service operations. This experience allowed me to reshape the Service and Aftermarket (SAT) department, now evolved into Global Services. Although my role remains nominally unchanged, it has expanded to align operational priorities with sales and customer satisfaction, ensuring service excellence is central to our value proposition.
Thanks to the effort of the service team, we have significantly grown our team in size and expertise, enhancing our knowledge base and strengthening client relationships. These efforts have reduced response times and increased agility, enabling us to deliver a higher quality and more comprehensive service portfolio, ultimately providing substantial added value to clients and driving notable business growth for Ingeteam.
The INGEDRIVE family of low- and medium-voltage variable speed drives provides the water industry with key operational and technical benefits
While I am proud of our achievements — tripling our service business, optimizing processes, and strengthening operational frameworks — I see this as just the beginning. I look forward to addressing new challenges, opportunities and continue contributing to the firm’s growth.
How do INGEDRIVE frequency converters benefit water industry applications, and what unique challenges do they address in this industry?
The INGEDRIVE family of low- and medium-voltage variable speed drives provides the water industry with key operational and technical benefits, adapting to market demands by optimizing energy consumption, reducing mechanical wear, and extending equipment lifespan. By minimizing start-up surges, INGEDRIVE helps lower maintenance costs and enhances system reliability, while its advanced monitoring features allow real-time tracking to anticipate and prevent costly downtime.
Implementing INGEDRIVE often requires clients to shift from traditional operational approaches, as the water industry has historically been slower in adopting real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance. However, as market demands for efficiency grow, clients increasingly prioritize equipment optimization across electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic performance. This shift presents a strategic opportunity for Ingeteam to introduce INGEDRIVE as a comprehensive solution to meet these new expectations.
Ingeteam’s frequency converters are flexible and highly customizable; can you share specific examples or case studies where this adaptability significantly improved client operations in the water sector?
The El Salto - La Red - Calderón aqueduct, starting from El Zapotillo project, is essential to guarantee the water supply to the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (Mexico), with a capacity of one thousand litres per second, which can be increased up to three thousand litres per second. It also contributes to flood prevention and optimizes the management of water resources in the region.
Clients increasingly prioritize service level agreement and a great technical support, fields where Ingeteam provides integral solutions
In the context of these strategic projects, Ingeteam has demonstrated its capacity for innovation and technological flexibility. At El Salto, Ingeteam has supplied five electric pumping units with a capacity of 2400kW at 6600V, each one transporting 750 litres per second. This supply is complemented by an integral electrical package, which includes variable frequency drives, medium voltage switchgear, a reactive compensation system, and a control cabinet that manages the pumping plant.
At El Zapotillo, the technology supply is similar, although with four pumping sets instead of five. The variable frequency drives provide precise control of the motors, maximizing energy efficiency and ensuring system stability under varying operating conditions.
How does Ingeteam enhance the customer service relationship and the overall customer experience for water industry clients, and what specific benefits does Ingeteam Water Service offer throughout its product lifecycle?
Ingeteam focuses on building collaborative client relationships by aligning with their operational needs. In the pre-project phase, we work closely with clients to design tailored solutions, ensuring accurate integration through engineering meetups. During manufacturing and supply, we offer flexibility in delivery timelines, rigorous testing, and thorough documentation to ensure smooth execution.
Following this, in the commissioning and start-up phase, we provide on-site and remote support, with expert supervision and telematics tools for real-time assistance, ensuring systems are operationally ready. Finally, across the operational lifecycle, our services swiftly address any issues, ensuring ongoing support and resolution of unexpected challenges.
Our global reach enhances our service capabilities. Clients benefit from the expertise of our technical teams located around the world, providing support with impressive reach and responsiveness. Recently, we have expanded our global presence by opening two new Excellence Service Centers in the USA and Brazil, further enhancing our ability to deliver high-quality service and support.
How does Ingeteam’s customer-centric approach ensure optimal service and support for water industry clients throughout the product lifecycle?
Ingeteam leverages over 85 years of expertise to deliver client-focused service across the whole Water industry
Ingeteam leverages over 85 years of expertise to deliver comprehensive, client-focused service across the entire product lifecycle. Our aim is to build lasting client relationships through technology, ensuring enhanced efficiency and reliability, cost optimization and profitability, and fast fault detection and repair.
Our service portfolio encompasses a range of essential offerings designed to maximize equipment reliability and longevity. For repairs and overhauls, we conduct thorough root cause analyses and quality repairs, extending the life of critical equipment. Spare parts management ensures the timely availability of high-quality original parts, tailored to meet project-specific needs. Through field services, we provide skilled, reliable support on a global scale, with technical experts and local partners committed to upholding safety and performance standards. Additionally, Ingeteam Premium Support offers comprehensive Life Extension Programs and Long-Term Service Agreements, aimed at ensuring reliability and reducing equipment failure risks for up to 20 years post-commissioning.
Could you explain the functionalities of the INDARCARE App and how it supports water industry clients in managing and maintaining their equipment more effectively?
The INDARCARE App exemplifies Ingeteam's dedication to providing personalized, comprehensive solutions that enhance premium service offerings, ensuring top client satisfaction and continuous improvement. Available in both mobile and web formats, INDARCARE facilitates all interactions between Ingeteam’s Water Division and its clients. Its key functionalities include:
- Commissioning and Start-Up Support: Clients can manage the commissioning and start-up processes for their Indar equipment directly through the app, promoting efficient deployment and operation.
- Service Portfolio Access: Users can explore Ingeteam’s services and solutions, aiding informed decision-making and effective resource management.
- Technical and Engineering Assistance: The app provides streamlined access to technical support via phone or web, ensuring timely assistance.
- Warranty Activation: Clients can activate equipment warranties through INDARCARE, simplifying the process and adding peace of mind.
- Equipment Management: Clients can instantly access specifications, operational data, and maintenance scheduling for their Indar pumps and submerged motors, facilitating seamless equipment oversight.
How do Ingeteam’s digital services use technology to transform the operational and maintenance strategies for water treatment facilities?
Ingeteam, as a technology-driven company, consistently integrates emerging technologies to improve service offerings across the product lifecycle. Our significant R&D investment fuels these innovations.
Our digital services, built on Digital Twins, intelligent algorithms, and IoT connectivity, enable condition-based maintenance and early fault detection to boost operational efficiency and minimize downtime.
Among the key elements of our approach, we may highlight intelligent algorithms that analyse extensive data to support predictive analytics, helping clients detect equipment patterns and anomalies for informed decision-making. We leverage historical data and benchmarking, allowing clients to analyse operational trends and system behaviour through global data comparisons. Additionally, our advanced sensorization and monitoring capabilities provide real-time data collection, shifting from manual monitoring to algorithm-driven analysis. Furthermore, our predictive maintenance software consolidates and analyses equipment data to optimize maintenance strategies, ultimately enhancing equipment performance and longevity.
What future trends and technological advancements do you foresee in the application of frequency converters and digital services within the water industry, and how is Ingeteam preparing to meet these developments?
The water industry is evolving through electrification, decarbonization, digitalization, and globalization — trends Ingeteam fully embraces.
Electrification and Decarbonization: As cleaner energy becomes critical, Ingeteam aligns with sustainable practices through products like the INGEDRIVE frequency converters, which enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon footprints. Our focus on R&D keeps us at the forefront of energy-efficient solutions that support clients’ sustainability goals.
Digitalization and AI: Ingeteam drives digital transformation in the water sector with tools like Digital Twins, Intelligent Algorithms, and IoT solutions, allowing predictive maintenance and performance optimization. Our platforms, including INDARCARE, enable remote monitoring and AI-enhanced reliability, maximizing equipment longevity and efficiency.
Globalization: Ingeteam’s expanding global presence, supported by local expertise and new service centers in the USA and Brazil, allows us to deliver tailored, scalable solutions, helping clients stay competitive across diverse markets.