Selecting the Right Automation Solutions for Valves

Create a customized solution for your valve automation today. Whether you’re looking to update your current equipment or installing a brand-new valve that requires automation, compare these essential components for valve actuation and other automation solutions designed to streamline your process and improve your overall efficiency.

Linear Vs. Rotary Actuators

One of the most important factors in selecting the right automation is choosing between linear and rotary actuators. Linear actuators operate with pinch, gate and globe valves to create an efficient automated valve operation. Each of these options require movement in a straight line, so a linear actuator manipulates the valve in this pattern.

A rotary actuator works with different types of motor operated valves. These actuators produce more traditional rotational movements. Choose a rotary actuator if you need automation for your plug, ball or butterfly valves.

Comparing Power Sources

Once you’ve selected the ideal actuator movement, your controllers and positioners require a specific power source. Whether you’ve chosen linear or rotary actuators, select one of these reliable sources of power:

• Electric

• Hydraulic

• Pneumatic

Electric is a popular option for custom linear actuators. It allows you to control your actuator with precision, requires a cost-effective maintenance schedule and is flexible enough to be used for a variety of industrial valves. However, heavy-duty valves require stronger electric motors, pneumatic power or hydraulic pressure for proper use.

Selecting Accessories

Finally, your valve actuator requires a series of accessories for precision performance. Pneumatic actuators in particular require solenoid valves, positioners and limit switches for safe and effective operation.

Solenoid valves are used as a pilot valve for your heavy duty linear actuator and other pneumatic rotary actuator designs. These control devices control the air pressure through either manual manipulation or electrical signal. When connected with the latest computer software, your solenoid valve will automatically adjust the pressure and timing of your pneumatic actuator for precision control of your valve.

A positioner is essential for throttling your air flow. Be sure your pneumatic positioner allows you the level of control and maximum air flow you need to operate your valve and accurately adjust the flow rate as necessary.

Finally, a limit switch is necessary for accurate control of your valve. Similar to an electrical actuator, a pneumatic actuator requires a limit switch to signal when you’ve reached the appropriate rotational point on your valve.

Automate Your Valves Today

Discover how you can select the ideal automation solution using the proper flow control valve actuators in order to achieve precision results and improve your industrial performance. Discuss your options with a respected flow control automation engineer and select the actuator that controls your valves and produces proven results today.

Ball Valves or Globe Valves: Which Is Better for Flow Control?

Actuators play a major role in flow control. Suboptimal performance in this area can have noticeable effects on overall efficiency, wear and tear, costs and safety. A reputable valve manufacturer can help you select the most appropriate product for your purposes.

Globe Valve Operation

Globe valves operate by linear motion and are used today for many types of flow control despite presenting several problems you may have discovered through your research. A globe valve has the advantage of effective shutoff capability, as well as fairly good throttling. On the other hand, these valves need a larger actuator in order to seat the valve when there is significant pressure underneath the valve. A larger actuator means longer response times. They can also produce a higher pressure drop compared to other types of valves.

Ball Valve Operation

Ball valves have a spherical unit with a bore through it. When the bore is aligned with the pipeline, flow passes through it. Rotating the unit takes the bore out of alignment and shuts off fluid flow. A top advantage of a ball valve is that it provides complete shutoff with zero leakage if it I properly constructed and sealed.

Impact of Valve Characteristics on Flow Control

One problem with globe valves is the lack of precise control as it opens. Typically, a globe valve opens abruptly, as it initially needs more force from the actuator. Once opening has begun and flow is established, the flow creates pressure that continues to push upward, which in turn increases the rate of flow to beyond what is needed.

Ball valves, on the other hand, open smoothly, as rotation occurs gradually. Even with minimum flow, the actuator does not have to apply that initial push which then results in excessive flow you may find for globe valves.

Today, ball valves can be made in a variety of materials, including those that resist heat and moisture. An electric actuator manufacturer can offer a range of products, including rotary actuators for valves, that optimize the desired functions of a ball valve and maximize the advantages it offers.

Globe valves tend to dominate the market, specifically in the HVAC space. The reason for this is because specifying engineers and installation contractors taught in school and therefore have more experience with the use of globe valves because they have been around longer than ball valves. Ball valves were first introduced in the 1950’s and the education effort for thee types of valves has been inferior to that of globe valves. This lack of effort to educate industry professionals like valve actuator manufacturers, engineers that specify process control for valves and installation professionals does not change the fact that ball valves are superior to globe valves in many industrial flow control situations.

Actuators for High-Temperature Situations

Actuator performance plays a vital role in overall process optimization. To prevent unnecessary outages, excessive wear and tear, and other problems, boiler control should be accomplished through actuators manufactured to perform well in that particular setting. Often that setting involves excessive temperatures where standard actuators not designed for high temperatures have the potential to fail. The dampers that regulate air flow in boiler operations require:

• Consistent performance under varying conditions

• The ability to make small adjustments

• Continuous modulation

• Low periodic maintenance requirements

Good boiler control requires an actuator that delivers both precision and reliability. The issue with many actuators on the market today is that they often provide one at the expense of the other.

Pneumatic and hydraulic actuators are generally not suitable for high-temperature situations. Pneumatic actuators tend to lack consistency and suffer from stick-slip response. Hydraulic actuators provide better control, but potential leaks may create a hazard near a boiler. Thus, electric actuators tend to be the standard for boiler control. However, not all electrical actuators have the right design for this application.

Continuous Modulating Control

The major shortcoming of standard actuators is that they are typically under duty-cycle limitations. While this works to prevent the motor from overheating, it also results in periodic losses of control. Boiler function without continuous control tends to result in more frequent outages and poor control.

Importance of Precision

Optimal process control for dampers and valves includes the ability to make minor adjustments remotely as situations change. Without it, cycling increases and there is a decrease in process consistency. For some boiler actuator manufacturers, the solution to avoiding an overheating engine is making the actuator with a large band, which leads to suboptimal valve placement. An actuator that offers continuous control has the capacity to respond to changing conditions. Some boilers are subject to extreme load swings and the actuator would require an instantaneous response capability to compensate for these changes, without overshooting the positioning.  Precise, instant control responses help improve boiler function.

Reliability

Boiler actuators must function reliably under significant and varying loads, in changing and high-temperature environments. Effectiveness in this realm requires materials that perform well in harsh environments. High quality design and strict adherence to precision manufacturing practices are all important components. A continuous control actuator ends up experiencing less wear and tear due to the fact that it makes corrections instantly.

Benefits of Optimizing Boiler Control

When selecting actuators for high temperatures, plant managers naturally take into account cost effectiveness. However, this should not lead to choosing the lowest priced product, just meeting minimal standards. In the short term, a more efficient actuator cuts down on the amount of repairs and maintenance that will be needed. In the long run, it supports optimal boiler function, which yields lower maintenance costs in additional to many additional benefits.

Improved boiler efficiency cuts down on fuel costs and improves process performance. In addition, well-designed high-temperature actuators help reduce emissions, including NOx, excess oxygen and coal fire particles. Obtaining continuous control actuators can help improve compliance with relevant emissions standards.

The Role of Actuators in Productivity Growth

The United States economy relies heavily on the manufacturing industry. The production of commercial goods, exports and the abundance of jobs helps this country thrive. Last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that over the last decade, growth in manufacturing productivity only increased an average of 0.7% versus an astounding 4.3% the previous decade.

Industry leaders strive for improvement through upgrades in factory machinery and manufacturing techniques. One example of these efforts is the implementation of actuators in valve operation.

How Do Valves Work With Actuators?

Valves are responsible for controlling the amount of air or fluid that is directed into various parts of the machine. Although valves can be opened and closed manually, there are benefits to using automated solutions.

Actuators can be programmed, decreasing the risk of human error. In emergency situations, they can automatically revert to an open or closed position, depending on which is safest for that particular machine. Not only does this neutralize a dangerous situation automatically, but it removes a human worker from a potentially threatening position.

There are many different applications for actuators in the manufacturing and industrial space. Many factories are switching from pneumatic rotary actuators to electric actuators, because electric models tend to be more reliable and require less maintenance. Electric actuators also operate with greater accuracy.

Why Do Actuators Increase Productivity?

Production lines are often precise processes that rely on a narrow margin of error. When one stage of the operation breaks down, the entire workflow breaks down. Lost time means smaller manufacturing yields and less profitability; this can put a factory way behind schedule and cause it to fail to meet demands on time.

Actuators have the ability to automate valve operation, resulting in fewer human errors. A facility that can operate for more hours throughout the day has the potential to produce greater volumes of goods. Larger manufacturing operations help contribute to the U.S.’s GNP, which ultimately helps the economic forecasts.

How Can You Help Improve the Numbers? The use of industrial actuators for boilers is most common in the metal manufacturing sector. Often a more compact rotary actuator is required when dealing with manufacturing equipment. Conversion to electric actuators can do the same job of its counterparts with added benefits to the environment. To start the process of upgrading your own factory equipment, reach out to a valve actuator manufacturer that has a good engineering team to help configure a solution for your application.

Control Valves Work on Precision Timing and Repeatability

Valve actuators are one of the most important parts of any mechanical system. In industries that rely on accuracy and streamlined processes, you can’t afford to have a control valve that malfunctions. When the flow of fluids or gases within your mechanical system is unreliable, it costs you more in reduced quality, equipment repairs and even down time when vales or actuators fail to function. So what makes one industrial actuator superior to another? Whether you’re processing gasoline or filtering wastewater, it’s imperative to invest in reliable technology for your control loop. Reduce Risk Through Improved Timing

Regardless of what fluid you are dealing with, it’s imperative that you be able to accurately control the flow rate and regulate the variables that determine mechanical efficiencies and service consistency. A faulty actuator may not manage the ratio of the fluids with the precision you require, so you need to ensure you’re achieving top-notch process control for valves. Valve timing is one of the most important yet often overlooked functions to look out for. Why? The timing function controls the following outcomes:

• Set point controls the valve lift event

• Ratio of various fluids allowed into your tanks

• Overload and overheating probability is minimized

All of these functions are dependent upon your control valve actuators’ ability to achieve accurate timing at each and every valve lift event.

Why Repeatability Matters     

When a scientist achieves a particular outcome in the process of an experiment, it is all but worthless if that outcome cannot be replicated. The same is true of actuators for valves. If a globe valve only produces results intermittently, your process will suffer. Time is of the essence in an industrial environment, so you should seek globe valves with precision metrics down to the millisecond. Valves with a high repeatability rate won’t be compromised by continual operation throughout the day—whether it’s constant or varying. Any valve with a limited duty cycle,  is prone to overheating that can cause errors and delays.

Choosing the Right Globe Valve Actuator

Some globe valve actuators are higher quality than others. There are also several types to choose from—pneumatic, hydraulic, electric, and spring. No matter what kind your line of work requires, investing in an actuator manufactured with quality is worth investing in. The quality of your mechanical systems depends upon a reliable flow through fluid gateways. Find an actuator for globe valves that produces reliable repeatability and precision timing for optimal results and minimal downtime in your fluid management process.

Partner with a supplier who can provide you with all of the valve and actuator parts that your control loop requires. Process control for valves is one of the most important aspects for your plant’s productivity. This is not an area you can skimp on without sacrificing quality.

What is an Actuator? And What Kind Do I Need?

Shopping for the right components for your automatic control processes means weighing the needs of the system in terms of performance against both the costs and the timing demands necessary to produce it to order. This means that when you are designing those systems, you need actuators with the precision to meet your quality control specifications and the speed to keep your entire system in balance.

What is an actuator? It’s the part of the system that executes, or actuates, the command from the control to perform a mechanical action. There are several kinds, and they are involved in everything from automated manufacturing processes to boiler control for power plants and heating systems, wastewater treatment, and many more applications.

Flow Control Valve Actuators

Fluid control systems allow for everything from the treatment of a city’s water and wastewater to the regulation of building heating systems and even the power plants that run entire cities. To do this, they depend on flow control valves and the actuators that control them. The rise of automated systems across industries has led to growth projections in the demand for actuators that see expansion clear to 2023.

Finding the Right Actuators

What is an actuator good for if it is less reliable than having a manual operator? This is the limiting factor in many processes that prevent their automation. If you’re looking for an actuator manufacturer in the USAwhose product offers a level of speed and precision unmatched by other models, you need an actuator that performs consistently.

• Responsive

• Precise

• Instantaneously responds to control systems

That way, you’re going to be able to deliver a consistent performance throughout the fluid control system you’re designing or updating. It’s also important to remember the shipping costs and times associated with suppliers. If you’re in the USA, it’s a good idea to find an electric actuator manufacturer in the USA.

Learn More About Actuator Options

All industry analysis points to the continued rise of automation in many industrial processes, from the extraction of resources to the production of energy and manufactured goods. It contains costs, increases output, and allows businesses to do more with the same resources. That is driving a push to automate more and more industries.

You should consider working with the kind of supplier who constantly asks the right questions and then delivers answers that have the best, most relevant and well thought-out solutions for your infrastructure. Harold Beck and Sons has been making flow control valve actuators for a variety of applications since 1936 and continues to improve upon an already strong product line.

Figuring Out Which Actuator is Right for Our Needs

An actuator is designed to control the flow of liquids, gases, steam through a mechanical system. The actuator device more often than not receives a control signal electronically that instructs a motor to power the valve or damper system to open, close or partially move based upon the flow control needs of that mechanical system. There is a great answer to the question “What is an Actuator” here on this page. In industrial applications such as petroleum processing, building mechanical systems, metal manufacturing and even the creation of electricity in power plants, the systems involved are very different and the actuator types can vary greatly.

Flow Control Valve Actuators

Automated systems require a variety of process changes to build products, from assembly and fabrication actions like gluing parts together or drilling holes in them to fluid control systems that blend ingredients in chemical processes. They act by controlling the rate of flow through valves in the system, introducing raw materials at the right speed to move them through the rest of the manufacturing process. Actuators use a variety of methods, including electric, pneumatic, and hydraulic action. They ensure raw materials do not enter pressure and temperature-controlled parts of their treatment process in ways that disrupt the necessary chemical reactions. They also provide the control necessary for activities like bottling.

Finding the Right Actuators

An actuator needs to be more reliable than humans and built to withstand repetitious movements, often during harsh environments. Automating monotonous tasks like opening and closing of valves has been around since the industrial revolution. When looking for an actuator manufacturer in the USA whose product offers a level of speed and precision unmatched by other models, you need to look hard at the manufactures quality manufacturing  processes and commitment to excellence. An actuator needs to perform consistently for years to come. It should be:

• Responsive

• Precise

• Instantaneously responds to control systems

Learn More About Actuator Options

All industry analysis points to the continued rise of automation in manufacturing. It contains costs, increases output, and allows businesses to do more with the same resources. In the end, it looks almost certain that companies who don’t resolve to build automatic systems as they become available for new procedures will be outpaced by the competition. Your supplier should have a knowledgeable engineering team that can answer your tough questions and an online resource library of flow control valve actuators, diagrams and answers to commonly asked questions.

Not only do top electric actuator manufacturers constantly offer new products to meet the changing needs of the industries they serve, they should also of a rapid response actuator repair service that can step up in case of emergencies. There can big dollars at stake when an actuator fails.