Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things are allowing increased use of adaptive analytics in running our plants. But how did we get to the point where we are depending on this new expanded world of data and what does it mean?

According to a 2014 U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) forecast, U.S. unconventional natural gas production from shale formations will double by 2035 to generate about half of the total domestic natural gas production. At the same time, domestic oil production from unconventional shale formations was projected to increase by as much as 15% over the next several decades.

Because so many of the applications where valves are used are sensitive to the danger of fire and explosion, fire testing is a critical part of the process of designing the right valves. Much has occurred in the world of fire testing standards over the last 30-40 years.

The last 25 years have seen standards created and implemented to increase the quality and repeatability of valves procured from low-cost manufacturing sources around the world. As part of the process, potential sellers into the U.S. market have reportedly spent millions of dollars improving facilities and processes. But what’s the consensus: has it worked?