A valve regulates the flow of fluid and helps to start or stop it as per the requirement. This helps in working on a lot of process and industries. These valves are placed inside big machinery and help in boosting their performance. While the big machines are checked and maintained, valves are often ignored as being inconsequential.
Valves need proper maintenance, and there are separate maintenance plans that are being used for them. Some follow the appropriate procedures like preventive maintenance while some look for tests and problems in the valves first, which is predictive maintenance. While these plans are essential, what’s also crucial is to work on extending the lives of the valves. When valves are handled in a better way, they can be used for a longer time at the same efficiency. It works for the benefit and cost savings both.
Benefits Of Extending The Life Of Your Valve
A new valve works with a lot of efficiencies and gives maximum results. It keeps the product consistent and helps to achieve higher profit. However, as the life of a valve increases, there are issues and problems as with any other machine. Life can be extended, and the benefits can be reaped for a longer time. Let us take a look at the benefits when the life of the valve is extended:
Reduces Product Variability
A suitable working valve provides consistency to a significant product. You don’t want the product to be different from another sample in any of the ways. The size, shape, and volume of all products should be identical, and this can be facilitated by the valves when they work better for an extended time.
Reduces Wastage
As the valves work for a more extended period, their efficiency can be reduced. This means that there will be no optimum utilization, and there are chances of higher wastage. With the life of valves increased, this can be changed. The valves will be working for more time with lesser wastage and hence leading to optimum usage for a longer time.
Reduces Cost
If the valves can be used for a longer time, it directly means there is no need to buy new valves for that much period. The cost of buying valves is reduced along with the cost of their installation and working. Also, when the old valve can be used for a more extended period, it would mean that you are incurring more profit at the same cost.
Higher Productivity
If a valve life is extended by even a year due to the measures taken, that would mean that the valve cost incurred is being used for another year and yielding more products. This increases the productivity of the valve, as well as the process overall. Higher productivity means higher profitability.
Seven Ways To Extend The Life Of Your Valve
Now that we have seen so many benefits of the way the increased valve life can help a process overall, you need to know what to take note of to increase the valve life. Simple measures are using which the life of valves can be increased to reap its benefits. Let us take a look at some of these measures:
Valve Selection
While people think valves are small, they can make a huge difference, and the decision to purchase those should not be made without pondering. There should be an entire list of requirements from valves and how much do you expect it to run. Based on this list, the type of valve should be selected. Things to consider would be size, shape, type, etc.
Brand
The life of the valve would depend on its quality, and the quality of the valve is a reflection of the brand most of the times. If you want a valve to function well and stay for a more extended period, ensure that you choose a good brand that knows what you ask and delivers to it’s optimum. There are right products on reputed websites that can be accessed and checked for their viability.
Maintenance
Once a valve is purchased, it should not be ignored. It is a device and needs to be maintained for it to work efficiently and without any issues. Along with smooth working, preventive maintenance can also assure that the valve works for a more extended period. The valve is checked and maintained every few months, which keeps the valve in good health and hence, more extended life.
Regular Usage
An unused valve can go obsolete. It is essential that a machine and valve are put to proper use. It could be by way of consistent exercise if it is not being used daily. This will prevent the valve from giving up altogether or merely getting a part ruined because it was not used for its purpose. Use the valve regularly or do a small exercise to keep it working.
Protective Coat
There are processes which require corrosive applications. A process like an oilfield service would mean that the valve is placed in a very corrosive environment and can cause it’s wearing. For places like these, valves need to have protective coatings. This can reduce the wear and also protect the valves against any damage from such high temperatures.
Field Machining
This is a brilliant cost-effective mechanism which can increase valve life. There are valves which get compromised on the surface due to various reasons, and the field machining technique can fix that without having to disrupt the valve from the application.
Appropriate Using
A valve should be used where it is supposed to be used. You cannot use a control valve in place of an SIO globe valve and expect it to function properly. A valve should be chosen in appropriation with its environment. You must be careful that you operate the valve correctly to make it last longer.
Conclusion
These are a few of how you can work on your valve and increase productivity by extending its life. I hope this article helps you to improve the life expectancy of your valves!
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