Field Diagnostics Improve Performance & Profitability

Certain diagnostic solutions can leverage the experience of the manufacturer to identify actionable maintenance advice to restore control valves to peak performance.

The demand on facilities to improve profitability has driven many plant managers to prioritize maintenance activities while striving to increase plant output. Traditionally, plants have focused on achieving cost savings through capital and personnel reductions, and improving output by reducing unplanned downtime. While many plant managers struggle with the apparent paradox these two frequently conflicting goals create, improving control valve performance can help make both objectives a reality. 

Improving the process uptime of a control valve requires increasing planned and corrective maintenance in order to maintain peak performance. However, realizing the benefits of proactive maintenance for control valves also depends on another critical assumption - that plant operations and maintenance staff are able to obtain an accurate real-time picture of control valve health, which can be translated into tangible actions to keep the unit in peak performance. 

Diagnostics is a buzzword for solutions that provide this data, but often fall short of the ideal for two key reasons as explained in the ChemInfo PDF article.