Is It Time to Expand Your Valve Automation Approach?

As we recently learned, Emerson hopes to alleviate this situation through its acquisition of Pentair’s Valves & Controls business. With this acquisition, the company now owns some of the leading global isolation and pressure relief valve brands. Emerson’s plan is to leverage the company’s expanded scope of valve and automation solutions to revolutionize how isolation and pressure relief valves are bought, sold, and maintained. By combining Pentair’s leading isolation and pressure relief valve brands with Emerson’s leading control valve brand (Fisher), the company plans to become a main valve contractor (MVC) capable of handling all the valve needs of the owner-operators.

Benefits of Taking a “Main Valve Contractor” Approach

By acting as a one-stop-shop for isolation and pressure relief valve bodies, actuation, and instrumentation purchases, installation, and servicing; Emerson hopes to strip away the unnecessary level of uncertainty to help reduce the time, cost, and effort required to install and commission these valves. Taking this one step further; the company also hopes to leverage its strengths in wireless networking and intelligent field devices to increase the availability and reliability of critical emergency shutdown and other safety valves, thereby increasing overall plant safety.

Control valve installation and maintenance practices have changed dramatically with the adoption of digital positioners, digital field networks, and predictive maintenance practices. While there is still plenty of room for improvement, these changes have already helped reduce costs and unplanned downtime for owner-operators that have successfully adopted these new technologies and corresponding work processes. ARC feels the time is right for owner-operators to begin expanding their valve automation landscape by treating the installation and maintenance practices for isolation and pressure relief valves the same as they do for their control valves. Automating and connecting isolation and pressure relief valves can provide significant economic benefits, but success depends on a willingness to embrace new technologies and buying practices. You can learn more about Emerson’s plans to digitize the Isolation and Pressure Relief Valve Markets by reading the full article on ARC’s website.