Automated technology can help plant operators manage valve health across their infrastructure.
Maintaining the health of component parts in any manufacturing setting is essential, and valves, since they are crucial to controlling liquid and gas flows, are no exception. Their proper functioning ensures the smooth operation of a plant’s systems and processes.
Maintenance considerations
An operator will need full knowledge of their valves, including physical properties, technical specifications, constituent parts and the systems for which they were designed. Most will upkeep a detailed maintenance programme. Valve cleaning will depend on the type of plant, with the cleanest done typically once a year, while dusty facilities or those using corrosive materials require more regular cleaning.
Many valves operate under high pressure or at extreme temperatures and should therefore be checked more regularly. Leak detection is also often a part of the inspection routine, whether that is liquid or air.
Most plants have hundreds of control valves operating across various applications and many of these are complex and comprise multiple parts. They often also need to operate in unison to regulate flows of gas or water, and will come into direct contact with these potentially corrosive substances. With all this in mind, adequate maintenance is essential and will require considerable time and expertise.
An app can help with that
New technology can help operators assess the health of valves across a plant using automation. Engineering manufacturer, Emerson, has recently released such a technology called the Plantweb Insight Health Application, using analytics algorithms to help maintenance workers visualise the fleet of valves and how they are connected, while prioritising actions based on the health of each valve.
Downloaded as a mobile application for use by maintenance staff or managers, the app has an intuitive interface and graphics and includes a valve health index produced by a proprietary algorithm. Operators can enter information regarding their plant’s processes, including criticality of the valve and financial impact if the valve were to fail.
Alerts
An alerts page on the app tells operators what to do when a valve needs maintenance allowing the user to make quick decisions based on several considerations. Additionally, this screen describes the issue with the valve as well as recommended actions for repair.
Reports
A reports page tells maintenance staff what their priorities should be as well as the extent of any degradation caused by wear and tear. This is all provided in a single document for easy access.