The Increasingly Important Role of Industrial Valve Actuators

Valves are critical components of industries that provide the backbone of the modern world. Because valves are standard in engineering, mechanics, and science, each valve must perform to a specific standard. The valve actuator is as crucial to the valve as the valve is to the industry in which it operates.  

Actuators are powered devices that move valves between open and closed states; the actuators can be controlled manually or as part of an automated control loop. The actuator responds to a remote control signal. Valve types can be closed, fully open, or somewhere in between, depending on the valve and actuator combination. Current actuation technology enables remote indication of valve position as well as other diagnostic and operational data. Regardless of its power source, whether electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, or another, all actuators create either linear or rotating motion when controlled by a control source. 

Multiple valves in a process system are operated in a coordinated manner thanks to actuators; imagine if engineers in a vast industrial environment had to change every valve through a hand wheel or lever physically! While such a manual system may produce jobs, it is, unfortunately, logistically and economically impractical. Actuators make it possible to automate valve action. 

Pneumatic actuators use air pressure as a driving force to adjust the position of a valve. Hydraulic actuators are devices that rely on pressurized fluids. Electric actuators, whether motor-driven or solenoid-driven, use electricity to move the valve trim into position. Changes in valve position provide the needed response to maintain the desired process condition. Signals from controllers constantly monitor the process and evaluate inputs, subsequently adjusting the actuator's motion.

Manual valve operation and regulation are becoming less common as automation gains traction across many industries. Valve actuators serve as the link between control intelligence and physical valve movement. The timeliness and automation advantages of valve actuators also serve as enormous assistance in risk mitigation. Severe tragedies in either environmental conditions or a facility can be pre-empted and rapidly stopped as long as the system is functioning correctly. Manual actuators rely on the hand operation of levers, gears, or wheels in general. Still, valves that are frequently changed (or that exist in remote areas) benefit from an automatic actuator with an external power source for various practical reasons, most notably being located in an impractical area for manual operation or complicated by hazardous conditions. 

Actuators serve as industrial keystones to one of the essential control elements of industries worldwide due to their variety and tiered usage. Valves are vital building blocks of industrial processes, just as industries are the backbones of society, with actuators serving as an invaluable device assuring both safe and precise functioning.

Swanson Flo produces tested, certified, and exceptionally reliable actuated valves for fully automated essential valve systems with optimum fit, highest performance, and most extended life. Swanson Flo professionals combine decades of experience and knowledge with a wide range of readily available components that are carefully selected to provide customers with the highest quality and value possible.

Swanson Flo
https://swansonflo.com
800-288-7926

Benefits and Drawbacks of Electric Valve Actuators in Process Control

Electric actuators use electricity to operate a valve. While most of the basic principles utilized in electric actuators have been present since the 1930s, decades of incremental progress have considerably enhanced their capability while lowering their cost. These advancements have reached a tipping point in recent years, making electric actuators the preferred choice for many applications. 

There are many advantages to electric valve actuation. Electricity is relatively cheap, simple to control, and usually available at most industrial sites. Electric actuators often have a lower capital cost per equivalent unit of torque/thrust production. They are also more environmentally friendly and safer to use. Electric actuators can provide higher positioning accuracy for control or modulating valve tasks and options for extensive process monitoring, data logging, and information feedback. Electric actuators include all necessary control functions, lowering capital expenditures. By enabling distributed control, the electric actuator's considerable cost in wiring is cut—through efficient and straightforward control logic through integrating control commands and feedback into customer SCADA or DCS systems. (Traditional electromechanical control systems require a distinct wire for each command and feedback signal, resulting in cable bundles with at least seven cores for each actuator.

On the other hand, a standard bus system can use one twisted pair wire in a daisy chain configuration to transport all required input and output signals.) Electric actuators weigh less and have smaller footprints than pneumatic actuators as torque and thrust requirements increase. Finally, electric actuators can generate exceptionally high output thrust and torque values in conjunction with external gears. 

There are also some disadvantages to electric valve actuation to note. Except for a few specific combinations, electric actuators cannot ensure a fail-safe stroke. Still, they will "fail in the last position"  - the ability of an actuator to move a valve to a specified safe position when power ceases is known as fail-safe stroke. Electric actuators contain more sophisticated and delicate components than other forms of actuators. Electronic technology likewise necessitates regular updating to stay up with component changes and advances. Compared to pneumatic and hydraulic actuators, electric actuators are less cost-effective and have operating speed restrictions beyond a specific size/torque range. Electric actuators require more rigorous certifications and construction features to be regarded safe for usage in hazardous regions with potential exposure to explosive process material. 

For more information about electric valve actuation, contact Swanson Flo. Call them at 800-288-7926 or visit their web site at https://swansonflo.com.

Is Your Ashcroft Pressure Gauge Off Zero? Here's Why and How to Fix It

New, open front stainless steel dry or liquid-filled pressure gauges straight out of the box can surprise you with a pointer that is off zero. This may lead you to think that the gauge is defective.

In fact it may just be that the pressure trapped inside the gauge case is higher or lower than the surrounding atmosphere.

Most Ashcroft open front gauges are equipped with a top vent plug. This permits you to open the gauge case allowing the inside and outside pressures to equalize.

Venting or burping gauges with ranges 200 psi and above should not be required.

Before installation, stand the gauge upright to eliminate gravitational effect on the bourdon tube and pointer. 

Make sure to prevent fluid leakage if the gauge is liquid filled.

Locate the pop-up plug on top and simply pull up the blue stopper.

To prevent inaccuracy due to zero offset in dry areas, the vent plug can be left open, however this practice should be limited to dry areas because it will lower the ingress rating to IP54 and risk water infiltrating the gauge.

Ashcroft pressure gauges come in various sizes, accuracies, and range from 0 – 10 in. H2O through 0-100,000 psi. Choices include differential pressure gauges, test gauges, sanitary gauges, high-purity gauges, subsea gauges, digital pressure gauges, OEM pressure gauges, and more. Ashcroft pressure gauges are known for high quality and reliability and are available to fit nearly any budget and application requirement.

For more information about Ashcroft products, contact Swanson Flo. Call 800-288-7926 or visit https://swansonflo.com.

This Memorial Day Weekend, Honor and Remember

O-Ring Style Stem Seal Sanitary Process Control Valves for Cosmetic, Dairy and Food and Beverage Industries

The Steriflow FBCV O-Ring Series meets the rigid specifications for sanitary process control valves for customers who prefer an O-ring style stem seal. This valve series is suitable for various cosmetic, dairy, and food and beverage industries. Conforming to 3A guidelines, the FBCV is ideal for a wide range of flowing media in sanitary systems' utility and process areas.

The FBCV-OR's high rangeability, characterized trim, high capacities, superior temperature and pressure ratings, and a selection of sealing methods make the sanitary control valve ideal for liquid, gas, and steam services. Whether the need is to control pressure, temperature, flow, pH, or another variable, the FBCV is the correct valve for your process.

For more information, contact Swansonflo. Call 800-288-7926 or visit https://swansonflo.com.

The RealStream™ Lift Station Solution

The RealStream™ Lift Station solution is a fully configurable lift station controller and display that enables monitoring and control of lift stations leveraging the Schneider Electric SCADAPack™ E Smart RTU technology. The RealStream™ supports the control of up to four pumps. This easy-to-deploy solution allows standardization of collection network assets and can improve the equipment's visibility and life. The RealStream™ Solution includes a RealStream Lift Station Controller and a Graphic Display Terminal.

LEARN MORE AT SWANSONFLO.COM/REALSTREAM

Swanson Flo High Purity Valves, Instruments & Process Equipment

Swanson Flo maintains our position as an industry leader in high purity valves and instrumentation by partnering with the world's top manufacturers and satisfying customers with unmatched project success.

Swanson Flo
https://swansonflo.com
800-288-7926