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Representative Software Clients
Recent advances in data science, communications, and computing power have converged in a perfect storm to enable companies to begin leveraging the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to reduce valve-related unplanned downtime. The diagnostic capabilities of valve positioners have been increasing for years now, unfortunately; while operators have some basic knowledge and training in the control valves’ mechanical systems, this understanding often does not extend to the intelligent electronics in today’s digital positioners. Consequently, many companies are unable to get the full value from their investment in smart valve technology and continue to rely on expensive and unreliable schedule-based maintenance practices. Traditional schedule-based maintenance methods not only fail to alert end users about impending valve failures, they also lead to end users inspecting control valves that are operating just fine simply because the valve is scheduled for inspection. This often leads to technicians introducing problems while inspecting the valve, resulting in even more costly unplanned downtime that could have been avoided.
Recognizing this challenge, many valve suppliers are exploring methods of leveraging their valve expertise, and recently released IIoT technologies, to fill existing gaps in valve maintenance practices and bring more actionable information pertaining to valve health and performance to end users. These services often remove the burden of valve maintenance from the end users and allow them to realize the true value from their smart positioner investments. For example, at a recent ARC event, Shawn Anderson from Fisher Valves presented how Fisher is leveraging a collaborative environment connecting customers with local Fisher services experts and global valve experts. Shawn detailed how this environment enables data from multiple sources to be visualized and aggregated and allows people located around the world to look and work on the same data in a collaborative manner. The new data visualization tools also allow the company’s analysts to view valve health data in time series and look at valve health trends over several years to determine trends over time and predict impending valve health deterioration so remediation can be scheduled and performed well before an operator alarm is triggered. The advanced warning of impending valve failures helps end users struggling with alarm overload by reducing the number of alarms triggered as well as prioritizing the corrective actions that should be taken to keep the plant running.
End users struggling with their valve maintenance should consider partnering with a valve supplier that can provide expert remote monitoring and diagnostics “as a service.” However, to benefit fully from this type of diagnostic service, operations/maintenance/engineering teams need to begin working together with IT departments to work through any existing roadblocks, allowing valve vendors access to local automation equipment health data. My colleague, Peter Reynolds, wrote a similar article about the benefits and challenges to partnering with valve suppliers. The full article from Peter is available for ARC clients to read on ARC’s website: /blog/improving-control-valve-maintenance-the-industrial-internet-of-things-way. In addition, Shawn Anderson’s presentation at ARC’s Orlando Forum is available for viewing on ARC’s YouTube channel.
Mr. Anderson’s group at Emerson initially began looking at adopting IIoT technologies as a way to collect more valve health data from the field and provide more realistic valve failure information than could be generated in a lab. It soon became apparent that IIoT technologies were a natural fit for developing a remote monitoring service to help optimize end users with their valve maintenance practices. In my view, other leading companies also appear to be heading down a similar path; leveraging IIoT-enabled technologies to deliver new and more effective predictive or prescriptive maintenance services for critical assets.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of the an IIoT solution is the ability to help end users avoid unplanned downtime through early fault detection, analysis, and diagnostics - which can be provided by a valve maintenance service. If a problem is identified early, this approach gives the end users ample time to address it before there is a serious production impact. This service also helps end users prioritize which valves need maintenance and which don’t.
Recognizing this challenge, many valve suppliers are exploring methods of leveraging their valve expertise, and recently released IIoT technologies, to fill existing gaps in valve maintenance practices and bring more actionable information pertaining to valve health and performance to end users. These services often remove the burden of valve maintenance from the end users and allow them to realize the true value from their smart positioner investments. For example, at a recent ARC event, Shawn Anderson from Fisher Valves presented how Fisher is leveraging a collaborative environment connecting customers with local Fisher services experts and global valve experts. Shawn detailed how this environment enables data from multiple sources to be visualized and aggregated and allows people located around the world to look and work on the same data in a collaborative manner. The new data visualization tools also allow the company’s analysts to view valve health data in time series and look at valve health trends over several years to determine trends over time and predict impending valve health deterioration so remediation can be scheduled and performed well before an operator alarm is triggered. The advanced warning of impending valve failures helps end users struggling with alarm overload by reducing the number of alarms triggered as well as prioritizing the corrective actions that should be taken to keep the plant running.
End users struggling with their valve maintenance should consider partnering with a valve supplier that can provide expert remote monitoring and diagnostics “as a service.” However, to benefit fully from this type of diagnostic service, operations/maintenance/engineering teams need to begin working together with IT departments to work through any existing roadblocks, allowing valve vendors access to local automation equipment health data. My colleague, Peter Reynolds, wrote a similar article about the benefits and challenges to partnering with valve suppliers. The full article from Peter is available for ARC clients to read on ARC’s website: /blog/improving-control-valve-maintenance-the-industrial-internet-of-things-way. In addition, Shawn Anderson’s presentation at ARC’s Orlando Forum is available for viewing on ARC’s YouTube channel.
Mr. Anderson’s group at Emerson initially began looking at adopting IIoT technologies as a way to collect more valve health data from the field and provide more realistic valve failure information than could be generated in a lab. It soon became apparent that IIoT technologies were a natural fit for developing a remote monitoring service to help optimize end users with their valve maintenance practices. In my view, other leading companies also appear to be heading down a similar path; leveraging IIoT-enabled technologies to deliver new and more effective predictive or prescriptive maintenance services for critical assets.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of the an IIoT solution is the ability to help end users avoid unplanned downtime through early fault detection, analysis, and diagnostics - which can be provided by a valve maintenance service. If a problem is identified early, this approach gives the end users ample time to address it before there is a serious production impact. This service also helps end users prioritize which valves need maintenance and which don’t.