Single Source Providers for Valve Automation Solutions: Your Best Bet

It’s just easier and much more efficient to do business with a single valve and valve automation supplier. This is why Process Control Solutions' Flow Control Group provides complete turnkey valve, automation and control systems.

PCS custom valve automation systems are precisely engineered based on an end-user’s specific application. The PCS process includes application review and recommendation of valve, actuator, control accessories (filter regulator, solenoid valve, positioner ) and all mounting devices.

Every Process Control Solutions valve automation system comes with support documentation including installation manuals, quick service guides, drawings, warranty certificate and maintenance schedules. Everything the end-user needs for maintenance and operation of the valve, actuator, controls, and optional components. The benefits are obvious:

Benefits:

• Reduces costs
• Optimizes customer service efficiency
• Deal with a single entity with proven expertise.
• Simplified ordering, procurement, and deployment.
• Centralized documentation and support.

For more information about valve automation systems, contact Process Control Solutions by visiting https://flowcontrol.processcontrolsolutions.com or by calling (800) 462-5769.

Advantages of Rotary Pneumatic Actuators Over Rack & Pinion and Scotch Yoke Actuators

Rotary actuator control valve.
(Easytork)

By virtue of their design, pure rotary-to-rotary actuators experience zero repeatability loss, regardless of how long the actuator is used, making them a better choice than linear-to-rotary actuators.

The Problem

Rack and pinion or scotch-yoke actuators on the market today convert linear to rotary movement. The wear between the racks and pinion will worsen over time, increasing the repeatability losses. Rack and pinion, and diaphragm actuators, all require gears to convert linear motion to rotary motion, adding rack and gearing tolerances which add backlash or hysteresis. Over time, wear in the rack and gearing areas add additional backlash or hysteresis, degrading the actuators repeatability.

The Solution

Pneumatic vane actuators are pure rotary-to-rotary, meaning all motion produced by the vane actuator transfers unfiltered to the valve stem with zero motion loss. Unlike linear-to-rotary actuators, where the pinion experiences wear and lost motion which leads to increased backlash over time, rotary-to-rotary designs do not have to contend with the increased backlash.

For more information, contact:
Process Control Solutions
https://flowcontrol.processcontrolsolutions.com
(800) 462-5769

EIM TEC2 Electric Actuator with Model 500 Quick-Start Guide

EIM TEC2 Electric Actuator

This Emerson/EIM electric valve actuator is the next generation of the non-intrusive TEC2000 actuator. Robust and compact design that are widely used on valves for marine, oil and gas, chemical, power, and water and wastewater applications.

Features:

• Superior corrosion protection polyester powder-coating, inside and out, for all environments, 316 stainless steel cover screws, marine-grade, low copper content, aluminum provides compartment and covers with extra corrosion protection.
• Separately Sealed Terminal Chamber (STC), dual sealed, allows installation wiring to be performed without exposing electronic control components.
• Anti-condensation space heater thermostat prevents internal condensation due to temperature cycling with solid-state thermo-statically controlled to turn heater off.
• Large LCD message screen uses icons and text to display status of valve and provide diagnostic data, easy to guide operator through multi-language capable, calibration, setup, and diagnostics.
• Non-penetrating control knobs operate with vibration resistant Hall-effect switches enabling actuator calibration and diagnostics without opening covers.
• Double-reduction motor gears provide flexibility, enables worm gearing to operate at lower speeds for minimum wear and long life.
• Self-locking gearing even during declutching and manual override and valve stem cannot be back-driven under high process pressures or heavy weight of gate.

TEC2 Electric Actuator with Model 500 Quick-Start Guide:

EIM TEC2 Electric Actuator with Model 500 Quick-Start Guide from Process Control Solutions, LLC

Electric Valve Actuator with Time-tested Brawn and Sophisticated Control

EIM M2CP actuators were introduced in 1979 as the Series 2000 electric valve actuator. Since that time, the model has added increasingly sophisticated control capabilities—but retained all the mechanical strengths that have established its three decade record of reliability. As a result, many parts can interchange across the entire M2CP/Series 2000 range, and upgrades are remarkably easy to retrofit.

The robust mechanical design of the M2CP is evident in its ductile iron gear case, bronze worm gear, and heat-treated alloy steel worm and modular control packages.


For more information, visit https://flowcontrol.processcontrolsolutions.com/products/suppliers/eim-actuators/ or call (800) 462-5769.

EIM M2CP Electric Actuators from Process Control Solutions, LLC

Easytork Pneumatic Actuator Double-acting and Fail-safe Conversion

Easytork Pneumatic Actuator

Easytork manufactures high-performance, quarter-turn rotary pneumatic vane actuators.  Easytork's patented pneumatic valve actuator improves on the reliability and direct mount ability of vane actuators while simplifying vane’s single-acting design so that vane actuators can be smaller, lighter, and more competitive than single-acting rack & pinions actuators on every measurable scale.

The video below demonstrates how to convert double acting actuators to fail-safe mode.

Process Control Solutions
https://processcontrolsolutions.com
(800) 462-5769

The Process Equipment Sales Engineer - Your Valuable Resource

Next time you have a tough process control challenge,
call your local process equipment Sales Engineer.

Process control equipment is often sold with the support of Sales Engineers working at the local or regional level. Realizing what these specialists have to contribute when specifying, purchasing and installing process control equipment, and taking advantage of their knowledge and talent, will save you time, keep budgets in line, and deliver a better project outcome . Here's how:

Experience: 
Whether you're a project engineer, maintenance manager, specifying engineer, or purchasing agent, you may be working with a piece of process equipment of which you have little first-hand experience. Past exposure or training may provide an overall understanding, but you're missing the detail. It's impossible for one person to know it all. Safety, cost, and quality are tied to questions ranging from optimal valve selection for a given application, to proper heat exchanger sizing, to the limitations of certain kinds of pressure transmitters. For this reason, it's important to remember one of your best assets - the Technical Sales Rep.

Product Knowledge:
Specialized Sales Engineers, by the nature of their job, have product knowledge that is both broad and deep. They've applied every type of valve, actuator, instrument, and pneumatic device known. They've dealt with many other process plants who have similar needs.They are also current on new products, their capabilities and their proper application. Unlike information available on the Web, Sales Engineers can get advanced notice of product obsolescence and replacement options, new technologies coming to the market, and more. Also, because they are exposed to so many different types of applications and situations, sales engineers are a wealth of tacit knowledge that they readily share with their customers.

Access:
Through a technical Sales Engineer, you may be able to look “behind the scenes” with a particular manufacturer and garner important information not publicly available. Sales reps deal with people, making connections between customers and manufacturer's support personnel that may not normally be public facing. They make it their business to know what’s going on with products, companies, and industries.

Of course, Sales Engineers will be biased. Any solutions proposed are likely to be based upon the products sold by the representative. But the best sales people will share the virtues of their products openly and honestly, and tell you when they do not have the right product for your application. This is where the discussion, consideration and evaluation of several solutions becomes part of achieving the best project outcome.

As a stakeholder in your process operations, it's highly recommended you develop a professional, mutually beneficial relationship with a process equipment specialist. Look at a relationship with the local Sales Engineer as symbiotic. Their success, and your success, go hand-in-hand.

Electric Actuators Improve Delayed Coker Operational Uptime and Reliability at Refinery

Reprinted with permission by EIM

EIM 2000 M2CP

APPLICATION
Operating ball valves, water purge and slurry gate valves on delayed coking unit process valving.

CUSTOMER
Refinery in USA

CHALLENGE
Operating conditions in any refinery’s delayed coker units are extremely severe. Inlet temperatures of the residual oil flowing through the transfer line into the coke drum exceeds 700° F (375°C). During the filling of the coking process, torques are high and tend to increase as the process media builds up in the valve’s wetted parts. The process of coking requires multiple actuators to perform a sequenced series of valve strokes to divert process in a precisely timed event. This sequenced event is controlled by a programmed logic command and must be executed at each actuator reliably and consistently every time. This decoking cycle occurs at regular intervals every twelve to eighteen hours. Upon completion of the cycle, feed is switched to a second drum while the filled vessel is being decoked. During the coke removal process, there is a high level of vibration and water hammer effect as the coke is drilled out by high pressure water jets blasting the coke residue from the lines and coke drums. The introduction of high pressure water into a 700 °F piping system creates rapid expansion and temperature fluctuations. The coke product naturally has traces of sulfur which can be corrosive when subjected to water during the unit wash down. Wash down is necessary due to the abundance of abrasive airborne coke dust that covers every surface within the working coke process unit. The coke dust not only creates challenges for corrosion protection but also builds up in small crevice spaces and impedes instrumentation functionality.

Actuators operating the switching and recirculation valves are subjected to all of these harsh conditions. As such, the Meantime Between Failure (MTBF) of competitors’ actuators in this service has ranged from as little as two months to approximately one year. Valve and/or actuator failure results in unscheduled shutdowns of the coker units and unplanned service repairs or replacement. Actuator failure necessitates manual valve operation and extra manpower. More importantly, process time is extended and, since the coke is used as feed stock in Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) units, production can be curtailed.

SOLUTION
Production has increased since installing EIM actuators and maintenance cost has been reduced. The use of EIM 2000 M2CP actuators in this application has been successful due to its robust design and protective coatings. EIM actuators have performed continuously for more than six years in the refinery’s two coker units (eight drums total) where others have failed prematurely. The long life can be attributed, in part, to the Series 2000 gear train durable ductile iron housing and superior powder coating on all surfaces. Because of the rugged design of the EIM M2CP electrical control package and components, the vibration and violent shaking of the actuator during coking process has little adverse effect on the M2CP components. The smaller mass components such as the limit switches are also designed to resist destruction from inertia and momentum generated by operations.The other major design advantage is the ductile iron linear power train Series 2000 gear assembly which is built to withstand the high torque and thrust loads without cracking or deforming. This durability is important in order to maintain precise gear alignment for the rigors of high service demands. The EIM M2CP actuator is well-suited for operations where vibration and water hammer effect are present. There have been nearly no failures or unplanned service requirements in more than six years in the coke application. The plant has been able to conduct shutdowns on schedule. Actuators have been eliminated as a cause of process interruption.

For more information about EIM actuators in Missouri, Kansas, or Illinois, contact Process Controls Solutions by visiting https://flowcontrol.processcontrolsolutions.com or calling (800) 462-5769.

EIM Electric Valve Actuator Product Selection Guide from Process Control Solutions, LLC

Need a Tough Electric Actuator with Proven Performance? Check Out EIM Electric Valve Actuators

EIM electric actuator.

EIM electric actuators are well known for their innovation, quality and ability to withstand for harsh industrial applications.  EIM actuators are found throughout the processing industries - oil and gas, power, refining, chemical, petrochemical, water/wastewater and mining.  EIM actuators and controls have a proven track record for reliable performance in critical shutdown applications as well.

For more about EIM Actuators visit Process Control Solutions website here, or call (800) 462-5769.

Watch the video below for a general overview of EIM actuators.