Recycling Foreign Metals: Buyer Beware
The North American steel-making industry, with its historic record of quality control, is no longer the world’s top producer.
Orest Protch
Former senior lab technologist and foreman
Managing Valve Repair on Short Turnarounds and Downtimes
Valves are integral components in most industrial processes' overall operating efficiency, especially those in power, chemical and paper plants.
Pneumatic Valves: New Technology for a Digital Transformation
Principles built around the Industrial Internet of Things have guided the automation industry’s rapid adoption and mainstreaming of many production systems.
Beauty or a Beast? Using NDE on Valve Components
When it comes to valves, “beauty is only skin-deep” is often a true statement. Since Superman and his X-ray eyes don’t really exist, there is no way to verify the quality of a valve or valve component just by looking at it.
Stress Wave Monitoring
Surfaces in relative motion or in contact with each other — such as bearing or gear components — produce a frequency response when they interact.
The Valve Industry Finds Value in ESG Initiatives
The valve manufacturing industry in North America is one of the industries that have embraced this new way of thinking and is leading the way with the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. These initiatives range from valves designed to mitigate climate change to community involvement activities.
Leak Testing Gas Components and Systems
Leak testing is performed for four basic reasons, says John McLaren, product manager, leak detection at Agilent Technologies, Inc.
Selecting Non-metal Materials for Valve Components and Coatings
Non-metallic materials are commonly used for valve components, and the selection of non-metallic materials for valve design and for application-specific conditions is critical to ensuring product reliability.
Electric Actuators in the Oil and Gas Industry
Actuators in the oil and gas industry operate many types of valves, and they must do so with great precision and accuracy.
The Case for RFID in Process Plants
Today, much of the information regarding the status of components installed in the field is housed in paper files, which poses problems for technicians and engineers.
The Challenges of Creating Super-Clean
Because biopharmaceuticals are produced using living organisms, and the drugs produced are used in humans and animals, the cost of contamination is very high and sterilization of the process system is critical.
Thermodynamic Processes: Flashing and Cavitation
From time to time, we re-publish well-received or particularly valuable articles that have previously run on VALVEMagazine.com so that those who might have missed them will be able to catch up on the best of the best.
Gaskets Are Not Created Equal
Gaskets are near the bottom of the food chain of valve components; trim, body materials and packing seem to get a lot more press.
The Critical Stem Nut: Who is Responsible for Maintenance?
One of the most important components of an automated threaded stem valve is the ubiquitous stem nut, a relatively simple and unsophisticated mechanical device that converts the rotary motion of an actuator into the linear stem movement needed to open or close one of the many types of gate valves or sluice gates.
Enhanced Safety in LNG Applications
For more than 40 years, the safety record of the global LNG industry has been excellent, due to attention to detail in engineering, construction and operations.
Hardfacing Alloys and Processes for Advanced Ultra-Supercritical
Cobalt-based Stellite 6 has been the workhorse for providing improved wear resistance and service life in valve components installed in power generating facilities for over 75 years.
The Underappreciated Mounting Kit
All too often, the mounting kit is considered trivial, an afterthought deemed a commodity within all the other specified control components that comprise a complete automated valve package.
Enhancing Valve Component Performance Through Design by Nanolamination
Today, the total cost of corrosion in the U.S. exceeds $1 trillion annually—and from oil & gas operations to municipal infrastructure, metal-based components like valves are in some of the most corrosive environments imaginable.
European vs. U.S. Temperature Code Ratings for Solenoid Valves
Solenoid valves are vital components of many process automation systems.
New CAD Modeling Tools for Pneumatic Components
Experienced engineers know that not all supplier CAD tools or files are created equal.
A.W. Chesterton: 1724 Low E Sealing System
Achieving Low E Fugitive Emissions Compliance in Chemical Industry Valve Stem Sealing A.W.
The Next Step in Functional Safety
The primary goal of functional safety is to prevent accidents.
A Primer on Castings
Valve components, such as bodies, bonnets and caps, are manufactured either by forging or casting.
Understanding and Selecting Valve Flanges, Pt. I: Design and Standards
Because flanges allow the assembly and maintenance of system components without the need for cutting and welding pipe, they play an important role in piping systems.
Choosing Valves for New No-Lead Water System Regulations
In the U.S., regulations governing lead content of the components of potable water systems have seen considerable changes as safety restrictions tighten.
Tapping into Wastewater Heat
Anyone who plans, builds or operates water distribution systems attachs great importance to efficiency as well as the reliability of system components.
Success Through Supply Chain Collaboration
With valve components sourced from numerous suppliers around the globe, valve, actuator and control manufacturers are faced with a significant number of challenges while attempting to meet the desired flow control at a competitive price.
Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products Introduces Fluorosint 135
Quadrant EPP announces the Fluorosint 135, a polytetrafluoroethylene material uniquely designed to provide the lowest coefficient of friction and deformation for seals, bearings and washer applications.