The future of liquid analysis is digital: How smarter sensors are transforming process reliability
Key Highlights
- Liquid analysis involves continuous measurement of key chemical and physical properties directly in the process stream, replacing labor-intensive sampling methods.
- Digital sensors like Memosens offer improved reliability, diagnostics, and ease of maintenance, supporting compliance and operational efficiency.
- Innovations such as compact, prewired transmitters reduce installation time and costs, especially in space-constrained environments.
- The shift from analog to digital technology enhances data transparency, reduces signal drift, and enables plug-and-play sensor replacement.
- Future trends include predictive diagnostics, smarter sensing platforms, and cloud-based asset management to optimize process control and sustainability.
As the process industries continue their rapid shift toward digital, data-driven operations, liquid analysis has become one of the most critical levers for ensuring product quality, regulatory compliance and long-term operational efficiency.
Plants are facing tighter margins, higher sustainability expectations and increasingly complex measurement requirements, making the expertise behind modern analytical platforms more valuable than ever.
To help unpack these trends and explore where the field is headed, we spoke with Evelina Rickeviciute, Product Marketing Manager for Liquid Analysis at Endress+Hauser. Evelina works closely with cross functional marketing and product teams and brings deep insight into how digital sensor technologies, smarter diagnostics and evolving customer needs are reshaping the future of liquid analysis.
For readers who may not work with process instrumentation every day, what exactly defines liquid analysis in an industrial process and what is the significance of this inline monitoring?
Liquid analysis refers to the continuous measurement of critical chemical and physical properties — such as pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, disinfection parameters, nutrients or organic load — directly in the process stream. Endress+Hauser’s portfolio spans more than 30 analytical parameters used across water/wastewater, food and beverage, life sciences, chemical, power and energy and more.
Inline monitoring is significant because it replaces slow, labor-intensive sampling with real-time measurements that improve process stability, product quality, yield and compliance. Inline systems reduce delays inherent to grab samples and laboratory testing, which helps operators optimize processes, avoid off-spec batches and ensure environmental and regulatory requirements are met.
Over the past several years, what major changes have you seen in liquid analysis technology and in the industries that rely on it? Are there specific trends — such as digitalization, tighter regulations or sustainability initiatives — that are reshaping how customers approach measurement?
The last several years have brought transformative shifts. The move from analog to digital sensors is now mainstream. Technologies such as Endress+Hauser’s Memosens provide fully digital signal transmission, non‑contact inductive coupling for maximum moisture resistance, onboard memory storing calibration, adjustment data, operating hours and sensor health indicators as well as serving as a foundation for predictive maintenance and IIoT strategies.
Regulated sectors such as municipalities, pharma, biotech and chemical manufacturing require higher levels of traceability, documentation, and continuous compliance. There are strict regulations and higher expectations for analyzer performance and supplier service, pushing customers toward modern digital platforms with richer diagnostics and verification capabilities.
Customers are under pressure to reduce chemical consumption, lower energy usage, meet ESG goals and extend sensor life and avoid failures.
Digitalization technologies, like Endress+Hauser’s Heartbeat Technology, supports these aims by enabling condition-based maintenance, in-situ verification and fewer intrusive calibrations, directly reducing operational expenses and environmental footprints.
When plants invest in new liquid analysis platforms, ROI is always top of mind. Are there specific products that help reduce installation effort or streamline system design?
Endress+Hauser has introduced several platform-level innovations that significantly reduce installation effort and upfront cost. We can look at the Liquiline CM44xR DIN rail transmitters, for example. These ultracompact transmitters fit into existing cabinets, reduce panel footprint, allow connection of up to eight Memosens sensors, support multiple communication protocols (EtherNet/IP, Modbus, PROFINET, HART) and share a common software/UI across devices. Moreover, these are flexible, scalable transmitter solutions with automatic sensor recognition and uniform handling. This helps reduce wiring, space requirements and commissioning time, which directly reduces CAPEX.
Also, prefabricated, prewired liquid analysis transmitters, such as Liquiline CM72/CM82, accelerate commissioning and minimize installation risks. This leads to faster installation, consistent build quality, reduced wiring complexity, space savings and simplified maintenance and cable management. Because these prefabricated, prewired liquid analysis transmitters are compact and space‑efficient, they’re particularly valuable in industries where instrumentation density is high and cabinet space is limited, such as life sciences, OEM skid manufacturing and power and energy applications. These ready‑to‑install builds help streamline commissioning, reduce wiring complexity and deliver consistent, repeatable quality across identical units.
Users are still transitioning from analog sensors to digital platforms. What are the biggest differences operators notice between analog and digital liquid analysis devices? And within digital technologies, how does Memosens' second generation build on the first generation to support better process reliability and data quality?
First and foremost, operators may immediately notice improved reliability, ease of use and data transparency when transitioning from analog to digital liquid analysis systems. Analog sensors transmit raw mV data that is highly susceptible to moisture, EMC interference, cable length limitations and connector corrosion. They require field‑based calibration, involve more troubleshooting and offer minimal diagnostic insight.
By contrast, digital Memosens sensors convert the measured value internally and communicate via a robust digital protocol using inductive, non‑contact coupling. This eliminates signal drift, moisture ingress issues and contact corrosion while enabling true plug‑and‑play replacement of pre‑calibrated sensors. Stored calibration and operating data allow operators to standardize maintenance routines and significantly reduce downtime while providing ease of use for “hot swapping” sensors without the need for skilled labor. The second generation of Endress+Hauser Memosens sensors elevates these capabilities with expanded onboard memory, detailed calibration histories new sensor‑health indicators such as load matrices and electrolyte counters, improved reference systems for longer sensor life and simplified commissioning procedures. For disinfection sensors, the electrolyte counter tracks the remaining electrolyte and provides a warning or alarm when levels run low, ensuring timely replacement without manual timers or tracking. Together, the enhancements of Memosens provide even greater process reliability, predictive insights and long‑term stability, ensuring lower lifecycle cost and more confidence in critical measurements.
Looking ahead, where do you see process instrumentation and liquid analysis heading in the next five to ten years? How will advancements like predictive diagnostics, smarter sensor platforms or cloud‑connected asset management shape the next generation of process control?
Based on trends, the next decade of liquid analysis will likely center on deeper digitalization, smarter sensing and tighter integration with cloud-based asset management ecosystems. Predictive diagnostics and automated verification will be in the conversation, too. While Endress+Hauser’s devices are already enabled by Heartbeat Technology, this may expand into more sophisticated forecasting tools capable of predicting sensor drift, contamination or failure before they affect the process.
As sensors become more intelligent, plants will increasingly rely on condition-based maintenance rather than fixed calibration schedules, enabling significant OPEX reductions and improved system uptime. The Memosens–Liquiline platform already points toward a future where lab and field measurements converge on standardized hardware and data structures, streamlining calibration workflows and supporting seamless handoffs between environments.
At the same time, IIoT ready sensors and cloud tools such as Endress+Hauser’s cloud-based Industrial IoT ecosystem, Netilion, will enable centralized fleet-level monitoring of sensor health, verification status and performance benchmarking across sites in every industry. This connected ecosystem will allow organizations to make data-driven decisions at scale, improving process efficiency, reducing environmental impact and accelerating digital transformation initiatives.
As industries push for higher sustainability, lower CO₂ footprints and more resilient operations, smart analytical platforms will play an increasingly critical role in optimizing sensor turnover and usage, process efficiencies and overall energy consumption.