10 must-check factors before specifying sealing material for valves

Title image for 10 must-check factors before specifying sealing material for valves.

As a plant planner, you don’t want to go down in history as the person who bought and installed leaky valves in what was supposed to be a breakthrough project. You want to be remembered as the pro who got the resistant valves that ease the plant operators’ lives and lift operational confidence.

On paper, the seals seem like a small detail to care about. In reality, they can make the difference between an efficient plant and one that suffers from frequent downtime due to persistent leakage.

Learn now, what sealing material features should you check out before buying your next valve!

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Are close-coupled installations the secret ingredient for painless measuring and improved TCO?

Examples of close-coupled installations in front of a petrochemical plant.

Am I building the plant my client wants? What needs to be done to make it so? As a plant builder, you have probably asked yourself those questions too many times. Even more, you sure know the answers. They imply technical assurance under the project’s budget and schedule constraints.

Throughout my career as an instrumentation hardware specialist, I have observed a significant trend among EPC engineers, particularly in the chemical industry. When choosing accessories for a measurement system, they tend to prioritize investment savings over the total cost of ownership (TOC). Even when those savings don’t guarantee smooth upkeep for the facility.

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Sealing solutions for valves: Types, materials and applications

Title image for sealing solutions for valves - Types, materials and applications.

During the EPC project, you define the operating conditions, process constraints, and service type for the valves with relative ease. But when the time comes to settle on the right sealing material, you suddenly lack the confidence to complete your specifications without support from your vendor of choice.  

In this blog, you’ll find insight to improve your valve selection process by learning more about sealing materials. Once done, you will know what sealing attributes to consider when buying your next valve.

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Secure remote access to valve data and health information acc. to NAMUR standard

Man check on PC the valve data via remote access acc. to the NAMUR standard.

Industrial facilities are an epicenter for data generation. From the ERP down to the Field Level, countless pieces of data are floating around in real-time.

The NAMUR standard is one of the go-to measures for secure remote access to valve data and healthy intelligence. The regulation excels at preserving integrity against threats from unauthorized sources.

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Asset performance management of mechanical components by industry 4.0 app

Man check on tablet the asset performance of mechanical components by industry 4.0 app.

Building a new facility or upgrading an existing one is a high-stakes mission. Even with modern technological and mechanical advances, there are thousands of tasks to juggle. Each is imperative for the delivery of an asset that withstands the site conditions and the challenges of daily operations.

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Why committee work is so important for you and your business

Overview of different committee work situations.

Being part of an industry comes with different roles and responsibilities to fulfill. Some stakeholders are operators who produce goods or products. Others are suppliers and service providers that get the parts, materials, and solutions demanded by the manufacturing and supply chain processes. There are also distributors and retailers who position the merchandise in the market. The final link in this chain is e.g. the operator. They buy the products, put them to use, and keep this ecosystem running.

If you step back to look at the big picture, this chain might seem to have a stable structure. But let me assure you that this is not the case. One vital part is missing—a puzzle piece that endlessly contributes to the success of the industry.

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How DBB valves help meet offshore size and vibration restrictions

Workers install DBB Valves at a gas lift compression module of a FPSO vessel in west Africa.

Offshore is without question one of the most challenging working environments for the oil and gas sector. The harsh weather conditions and remote location add a unique layer to everyday operations. Having impeccable timing takes on a whole new meaning in maintenance tasks. I’m touching the ground on this subject because AS-Schneider recently had me assist a client with their valve technology. The project was for the gas lift compression module of a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel in West Africa. We not only completed the job but also got to learn genuinely valuable lessons worth sharing. Thus, I’m happy to have the chance to do so today through this blog. Here’s the story of how we helped a dear customer, an upstream contractor, obtain double block and bleed (DBB) valves that met the site’s tight constraints on space, weight, and vibration. Read along!

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Hydrogen embrittlement prevention and control [Part 4 of 4]

Hydrogen pipelines and trees stand for hydrogen embrittlement prevention and control.

At last, we reached the final delivery of our hydrogen embrittlement series. In part IV, we continue our interview with Material Testing Institute’s expert, Brain Kagay. Before, in part III, he shared precise insight into the effect of hydrogen embrittlement in different materials (metallic and non-metallic). Now, he’s disclosing more vital information relevant to the future blended operations of natural gas-hydrogen to be held in Germany’s existing grid and what’s next for research of hydrogen effects on materials.

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Effects of hydrogen embrittlement on different valve materials [Part 3 of 4]

Hydrogen pipelines and trees stand for effects of hydrogen embrittlement on different valve materials.

Here is the third part of our hydrogen embrittlement series with special guest Materials Testing Institute’s expert Brian Kagay. In part II, we addressed the causes of hydrogen embrittlement in valves. So, naturally, in this installment, our conversation flowed toward the effects of embrittlement by H2 in different types of valve materials.

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Causes of hydrogen embrittlement in valves [Part 2 of 4]

Hydrogen pipelines and trees stand for causes of hydrogen embrittlement in valves.

Welcome to the second delivery of our hydrogen embrittlement series. In this follow-up piece, our talk with Materials Testing Institute’s expert Brian Kagay turns to a new topic that complements part I’s basics of H2 embrittlement and its effects on valves. Here, the focus is on the causes behind valve embrittlement by H2. We also go over the enabling factors, how they impact the welding process, and the ways to spot affected materials.

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