A topping answer to the question of valve control
15 Jan 2000
Automated valves are not new, but Alfa Laval has put more thought into the process than most manufacturers. The result is the stylishly designed Think Top, a new valve control unit that, says the company, `brings valves to life'.
Under its attractive blue housing, the device incorporates a sensor system consisting of a magnet mounted on the valve stem and sensor chips inside the unit to sense the magnetic field. The angle measured from each chip is used to locate stem position to an accuracy of +/-0.1mm.
Once in place - a simple operation without need to dismantle the valve - the Think Top not only indicates whether the valve is open or closed, it also monitors and indicates seat lift and reports on overall valve condition.
Using a remote device, the operator can configure the valve/control interface and also select the optimum service frequencies. Think Top then automatically monitors and visually indicates valve condition and sends signals to the control computer.
The Think Tops have been on trial at major food plants around the world, including an installation (pictured) at the Trappisten Brewery in Westmalle, Belgium. Here some 120 units operate a range of Alfa Laval valves including air-actuated butterfly, single seat and mixproof valves.
The brewery's technical manager, Jan Adziansens commented: `Our maintenance engineers all agreed that the simple installation of the Think Tops saved a great deal of time'.
