How To Minimize Plant Downtime Due To Safety Valve Testing
In the manufacturing world, safety valve testing is perceived as a kind of necessary evil. You know that you need to do it to satisfy your insurance company and industry requirements, and you also know that without testing, you’re likely to have massive problems down the road. It’s also a pain that can eat into your profits with plant downtime. But what if it didn’t always have to be that way? Many companies find they’re able to implement in-line testing to satisfy frequent valve testing, rather than always sending your valves out (and incurring additional downtime). Here’s how to minimize plant downtime due to safety valve testing.
The problem with sending valves out for testing: downtime
What happens when safety valves have to be tested? In most cases, safety valves must be disassembled and removed from their operating position, then sent out of the facility for testing. This can take significant time, during which the line isn’t operational, and the plant is experiencing downtime, which, as we know, can cause massive profit loss from lost productivity.
Additionally, in this model of testing, there are a lot of opportunities for valves to be damaged. Damage can occur during removal from the line, transit to and from testing, and during replacement on the line. Replacing damaged valves, especially after you’ve already paid for testing, can be costly. Luckily, you don’t always have to send your valves out to be tested. Depending on your insurance company and industry requirements, you can implement in-line testing to satisfy some of your more frequent valve testing requirements.
The solution: inline safety valve testing
Inline safety valve testing offers another safety valve testing option that can completely eliminate downtime and provide more accurate results. How? Well, with inline testing, you’re testing the valves in their operating position, no more need to remove valves from the line and send them out. This eliminates the possibility of damaging the valves in transit, plus the time eaten up by transporting and reassembling the valve before it can be put back in use.
Inline testing also offers extremely reliable results. Our testing system automatically calibrates before use, detecting, fault checking, and zeroing the sensors to ensure accuracy. Our system also works quickly and calculates set pressure within 0.5% accuracy. The automated system reduces significantly the opportunities for human error in the testing process, giving you accurate results that you can easily replicate. Faster, more accurate results = less plant downtime.
Though we know you’ll have to send your valves out for testing eventually, inline testing is a great addition to your safety valve testing program, offering you a more efficient method for interim testing, giving you the accurate results you need now, without causing downtime.
If you’re looking for safety valve testing options that can minimize plant downtime, while still providing accurate results, AccuTEST Systems can help.
