FRAC-CHEM transitions from chemical supplier to managed services provider
A monitoring and analytics solution built on AWS helps this oil field chemical manufacturer and supplier boost efficiency and quality control.
Industry
Oil & Gas
Challenge
Develop IoT prototype to monitor for quality, consistency, usage optimization and failure/risk assessment.
Solutions Cloud Platforms Amazon Web Services (AWS)Our customer
FRAC-CHEM is a Lafayette, Louisiana-based, leading-edge oil field chemical manufacturer and supplier specializing in hydraulic fracturing, stimulation and coiled tubing chemistries. Frac-Chem offers liquid chemistries, dry chemistries, customized field application equipment, real-time field level monitoring capabilities, and a variety of logistical and in-field support services. Rapid response and dedication to providing the highest quality service sets FRAC-CHEM apart from its competition; not only as a chemical supplier, but also as a service company that supplies chemicals.
The obstacles they faced
FRAC-CHEM wanted to strengthen its market position by evolving from a liquid chemicals provider to a fully managed services solution.
By switching to a dry chemical hydration system, FRAC-CHEM was able to differentiate itself from other liquid chemical suppliers as a fully managed service provider. In addition to the cost savings of shipping dry powder versus liquid chemicals, the new system also enabled real-time data monitoring for each hydration unit, allowing customers to visualize, monitor and provide guidance to on-site teams to make real-time adjustments for factors such as:
- Quality of water entering the machine
- Optimal use of the machine for maximum service life
- Quality of chemicals being dispensed
- First- and third-party data or factors such as weather, geography and soil
- Probability of machine failure
How we helped
Rackspace Technology® worked closely with FRAC-CHEM to build a custom IoT prototype, including hardware, firmware, software and cloud infrastructure.
FRAC-CHEM's custom solution retrieves data over the existing hydration unit serial port and transmits the information to the cloud.
It automatically selects the most reliable and cost-effective connectivity option for a given deployment location, whether Wi-Fi, cellular or satellite. The solution uses key AWS services, including AWS IoT, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon S3 and AWS CloudFormation.
Collaborating with FRAC-CHEM, the Rackspace team developed the device software stack to transmit all data received from the serial port to the AWS IoT service.
The team also developed cloud-side applications to parse and store data in AWS, as well as a web-based dashboard to visualize the collected data. Finally, the team installed and integrated the custom solution onsite for FRAC-CHEM.
What we achieved together
FRAC-CHEM successfully installed the finished IoT prototype on a hydration unit, which was then shipped to a working customer site, where it has been collecting and transmitting data continuously since its arrival.
Long term, FRAC-CHEM will use the data and analytics gathered via this solution to improve quality and control costs for both itself and its customers. The solution will enable real-time billing, allowing FRAC-CHEM to invoice and collect payments more quickly.
FRAC-CHEM's "managed service" positioning improved as well, enabling the company to provide data-driven services to clients, optimizing operations while managing costs.
About Rackspace Technology
Rackspace Technology is a hybrid, multicloud solutions expert. We combine our expertise with the world’s leading technologies — across AI, applications, data and security — to deliver end-to-end solutions. We have a proven record of advising customers based on their business challenges, designing solutions that scale, building and managing those solutions, and optimizing returns into the future.
As a global hybrid, multicloud technology services pioneer, we deliver innovative capabilities to help customers build new revenue streams, increase efficiency and create incredible experiences. Named a best place to work, year after year according to Fortune, Forbes and Glassdoor, we attract and develop world-class talent to deliver the best expertise to our customers. Everything we do is wrapped in Fanatical Experience® — our obsession with customer success that drives us to help each customer work faster, smarter and stay ahead of what’s next.
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