Maintenance and Repair of Industrial Valves
No matter which industry you are involved in, undoubtedly one of the equipment you always deal with is valves. These industrial equipment are crucial for guiding and controlling fluid flow in production lines and play a vital role in various industries such as oil and Gas, chemical and pharmaceutical, water and beverage pipelines. Ensuring the health of these equipment and taking preventive measures is a concern for all different industries because their shutdown or any decrease in performance quality can significantly disrupt production lines and lead to substantial financial losses. Given the importance of these equipment, this article reviews a set of maintenance and repair tips for industrial valves.
Maintenance and Repair of Industrial Valves
There are two methods for maintenance and repair of industrial valves: repair the valve after it breaks down or perform preventive maintenance and repairs to ensure smooth operation of valves. Valves that are not properly maintained do not last as they should and are prone to sudden failures. These failures lead to slow operation, fundamental damage, increased replacement costs, and maintenance. Therefore, it is important to understand how to increase the life and maintain the performance quality of valves.
To increase the life of your valves, it is necessary to understand their structure, operation, and technical specifications so that you can implement a suitable plan for the valve you are dealing with. This familiarity also helps you use the appropriate valve based on your needs, which plays a crucial role in improving performance quality and valve life.
As mentioned earlier, the maintenance and repair program for industrial valves depends on their type. However, considering the similarity in their operation, common elements can be seen in all maintenance and repair programs.
Below are preventive measures defined in the sections, and the most important of them must be considered in the program of maintenance and repair of industrial valves:
- The storage location of valves must be clean, dry, and well-ventilated.
- Valves must be regularly inspected to be free of contaminants. For this purpose, use rust-proof oil.
- Valves must be checked for performance adjustment checklist after installation and commissioning.
- If there is rust on the valve body, it should be replaced.
- Check the wear of seals and valve nuts, and replace them if necessary.
- Insulate the valve properly to ensure proper operation.
- Valve connections must be continuously checked and confirmed to be secure.
- If the valve stem is broken, it must be replaced in a timely manner, and the adjusting key cannot be replaced with a strap.
- Extra compression caps are not allowed to deviate.
- If a valve is used in environments susceptible to contamination such as rain, snow, dust, sand, and other pollutants, consider a protective cover for the valve.
- Avoid hitting the valves during use, and pay attention to this point during inspections.
Introduction to Types of Industrial Valves and Their Performance
Valves or industrial valves are equipment used to control the flow and pressure of fluids and gases in a system. They are also known as system regulators used in various production lines. Valves are classified based on various parameters; however, their general function can be defined in three main categories, including stopping and starting flow, flow control, and regulating return flow.
Maintenance and Repair of Ball Type Industrial Valves
A ball valve or shut-off valve is used to control the flow and pressure. Ball valves may have full holes or reduced ports. Due to the fact that they only need a quarter turn of the actuator, they have high speed during use. Ball valves are mainly used for flow and pressure control in gas distribution systems and pressure reduction connections to gas reserves. This type of valve is also used in food processing factories and oil.
Source: Negin
