High-integrity manifolds
10 Jul 2002
Parker Instrumentation has unveiled a range of high-integrity manifolds designed for instrumentation systems in oil, gas, chemical and other process plants.
The range integrates product portfolios and intellectual property from Parker and Ives Valves, which was acquired by Parker in 2001.
At the core of the new range are around 50 types of manifold, including a variety of 2-, 3- and 5-valve manifolds for pressure and flow transmitters, double-block-and-bleed assemblies and monoflanges, manifolds for Rosemount's 3051 'coplanar' transmitters, miniaturised manifolds, distribution manifolds - plus discrete valves and accessories.
Numerous application-specific manifold designs are also available for major oil and gas companies and instrument OEMs.
The high-integrity options include two developments that enhance safety and reliability. First, manifolds can be specified with integral pre-assembled connections for compression tube fittings. Known as PTFree Connect, this eliminates taper thread interconnections, and with it any need for PTFE tape or anaerobic sealant - a major cause of problems in the field. Secondly, the new manifold designs sport integral weld-necked flanges. This allows double-block-and-bleed valve arrangements to be fabricated in a single piece, reducing the number of connection interfaces - each one a potential leak path - from as many as 10 in traditional double-block-and-bleed implementations, to just one.
The technology additionally reduces the size and weight of the assemblies by 75% or more, providing further important benefits for application areas such as offshore platforms.
