Pentair valve position transmitter enables predictive maintenance

Pentair has release Westlock Controls Digital EPIC-2, a second generation intelligent valve position transmitter, which provides smart valve communication enabling plant operators to identify current operating condition and verify valve health.

According to the manufacturer the device allows plant personnel to carry out predictive maintenance before a failure occurs, keeping service interruptions to a minimum.

Automated valves are often used as critical safety components to protect vital plant infrastructure, and as such they must be occasionally tested to make sure they are functional and maintain the safety integrity level (SIL) rating of the safety instrumented system (SIS).

Pentair says the Digital EPIC-2 enables the plant safety team to carry out partial stroke testing (PST), emergency shutdown (ESD) and full stroke testing (FST) with safety integrity level (SIL) 3.

Pentair's Digital EPIC-2 provides equipment analytics with information regarding the status and position of the valves, captures valve performance data to identify if the equipment is operating within the safety configurations, and how the valves respond under test.

The device notifies the control room via alarm in case of deviations from the measured parameters.

Digital EPIC-2 also features a solenoid operated valve testing (SOVT) capability, which reduces the risk of an unplanned shutdown and disruption of the process by allowing plant operators to cycle only the solenoid valve and not the actuator.

The Digital EPIC-2 can be integrated with any control system and the manufacturer says its technology enables plant operators to perform accurate ESD valve diagnostics and identify valve automation maintenance in advance.