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There’s a golden rule to follow when sourcing a control valve. Don’t buy on the valve’s initial cost, look instead at the hidden costs throughout its lifetime.
To help you through the process we've developed our Control Valve Buyers Guide, which gives you 12 key questions that will enable you source a valve that will offer long-term value and reducing cost of ownership.
Every Production and Maintenance Manager should ask themselves the following questions during the purchasing process.
1. How quickly can the valve be maintained and restored to duty?
- Can the valve be maintained without removal from the pipeline?
- Does it require special tools to replace any valve components?
It’s vital to reduce costly production delays and release maintenance resource for other productivity critical duties.
2. Is the valve simple to maintain?
The complexity of valve maintenance and required skill level of the operator is a key factor when maintaining the valve, helping to reduce cost of ownership.
Some complex valves will require removal from the line for servicing at external provider with the necessary equipment and skills.
Simple valves, designed with the Operations and Maintenance teams in mind do not require any special skills or off-site input, reducing staff training costs, delays and errors during servicing.
3. Does the valve offer long service intervals?
- Does the valve design minimise the effect of condition?
- Does the valve use hard trim materials to reduce erosion?
Control valves should deliver years of reliable service before major maintenance is required, such as replacing the valve seat – the longer the service interval, the lower the cost of ownership.
4. Can the valve be easily adjusted to meet new demands?
Process requirements change. Valves that can be easily reconfigured to suite changed conditions save the cost of purchasing and installing new valves.
5. Does the valve offer smooth and accurate control?
- Does the valve options to reduce leakage of the process fluid between the plug and seat?
- Does the valve have zero emissions stem sealing options?
- Does the supplier offer low compressed air consumption positioners?
- Does the supplier offer electric actuators as an alternative to expensive compressed air systems?
6. Does the valve supplier provide high quality technical support?
A valve supplier with local support in many countries can respond quickly to enquiries, breakdowns and spares requests.
A supplier with a high level of technical knowledge about the products and customer applications can ensure the correct product is supplied.
Products that are incorrectly specified do not offer smooth and accurate control and will have a reduced lifetime requiring maintenance or complete replacement at shorter intervals.