Featured Story

Steve Butler, Valve, Piping and Gasket Subject Matter Expert, has been working in the petrochemical industry for over 28 years in the fields of static equipment, rotating equipment, reliability and safety. Valve World Americas recently had the pleasure of meeting Steve in Houston, Texas to discuss his experiences with product testing and his thoughts on the lack of new engineers entering the valve industry – one of the industry’s biggest issues. Written by Sarah Bradley

There is a sea change in the route to market for valves. One aspect is that IIoT and data analytics will be providing vast amounts of data on total cost of ownership (TCO). Current data will be available to the operator’s corporate specialists who increasingly will be making the major purchasing decisions. By Robert McIlvaine – The McIlvaine Company

Johan Meijer has spent the past four decades solving engineering problems related to pumping system design—working closely with valves, pumps, and hoses. His experience and knowledge became so deep he developed a powerful and strategic calculation program for high pressure peristaltic pumps that is provided free to end users. Written By Michelle Segrest – Contributing Editor

There is a sea change in the obtainable market for high performance valves. High performance is defined as either valves in critical or severe service. However, this high-performance category has now been expanded to include general purpose valves which are packaged into a unique system including controls and remote monitoring and service. By Robert McIlvaine – The McIlvaine Company

In chemistry, catalysis is a means of accelerating a chemical reaction between various chemicals. In a broader sense it denotes any object, activity or event that accelerates or triggers a change. In recent years the chemicals industry is catalyzing change across a whole range of industries and helping to make them more sustainable. Written by James Chater

Justin Farmer has worked in food and beverage processing more than half his life. As a teenager, he learned from his father, who was a master electrician and an industrial maintenance manager and engineer. He started at the bottom, but quickly earned the experience and knowledge to work his way into a leadership role at Rhinegeist Brewery in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he is transforming the maintenance and reliability programs of the historic brewery. By Michelle Segrest

Non-Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) supply valve parts to the process industry at prices that are 30 to 40 percent less than the list price from the original manufacturer, and claim to meet or even exceed the quality of the original parts. The first part is certainly true, but the quality claim is questionable at best. Written by Karl Lanes, Emerson

The most common method of manufacturing valves, pumps and large components is done by using casting of metal by heating the scrap, raw metal, catalyst and pouring into a mold. All this is conducted at foundries. Written by Barry Messer & Gobind Khiani – Fluor Canada

Since the introduction of the U.S. Clean Air Act in 1963, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and individual states have set increasingly stringent consent decrees for fugitive emissions from industrial facilities. Many companies have implemented Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) programs, and industry groups have focused their efforts on helping member companies decrease valve emissions. Written by Greg Cole of A.W. Chesterton

Valve World Americas recently sat down for an informal lunch with Philip Ovanessians, who has twenty years of experience managing the supply of industrial components and equipment destined for capital projects.