Pulp and paper mills rely heavily on manual valve operations. However, the traditional manual methods, involving the use of wrenches or homemade systems, have been associated with significant challenges.
Pulp and Paper Mills have many manual valves. Until Portable Valve Actuating Systems were developed and refined, these valves were operated by hand or with some type of wrench with an extension to provide, the torque needed. In addition, many “homemade” systems were developed over the years that incorporated some type of rotary tool adapted to the valve handwheel for turning. The dangers associated with these manual and improvised methods were primarily due to the absence of safety mechanisms in homemade systems and the physical strain placed on operators. Issues such as back, shoulder, and arm strains, along with the risk of slip and fall accidents, were all too common.
Hence, Portable Valve Actuating Systems offer a superior solution. These advanced systems provide precise and controlled valve manipulation, reducing the potential for accidents and operational inefficiencies.
Let’s look at individual areas/applications in a pulp and paper mill:
Paper Machines have many manual valves that need to be isolated and locked out when the paper machine is brought down for maintenance/changeover. Many of these valves are steam and water valves. There are 2 types of machine shutdowns, an annual one where the machine is shutdown for weeks at a time. There are also shutdowns that occur much more frequently (every 30-45 days) where the machine is brought down for only 24-36 hours. This is typically done to change out the felt on the machine.
Portable Valve Operating Systems allow for the valves that need to be locked out to be operated quickly, faster than manual operation and safer. In cases of emergency or unexpected shutdowns, Portable Valve Operating Systems can rapidly isolate or operate critical valves, minimizing potential damage or hazards.
This allows for the lockout to be done faster, which dispenses more of the shutdown time to be devoted to paper machine maintenance, felt changes, etc. and less of the shutdown time devoted to valve operation.
This area of the facility tends to have the largest valves. It also utilizes a lot of rising stem gate valves.
These valves are ideally suited for Portable Valve Operating Systems, as the break/seat torque required is often greater than what can be done manually.
Also, many of these valves are high pressure valves, which can also contribute to the difficulty of manual operation.
Additionally, this area of the facility will also have many valves that have gearboxes on them. Valve actuators can provide continuous, consistent turning without the physical strain associated with manual operation. This makes the valve turning easier but increases the number of turns of the handwheels exponentially. Operators sometimes refer to these gearbox-operated valves as long winded.
This area will have manual valves as well. Some are large and some are more medium sized. The pulp mill area is also influenced by heat, corrosion, and particulate in the area from the pulping process. In environments affected by heat and particulate matter, manual valve operation can become more challenging due to the risk of physical discomfort and equipment degradation.
All of these can contribute to making manual valve operation more difficult.
All around the fully integrated facility, there are fire valves which provide fire protection to the facility. These fire valves are exercised regularly to make sure that they are in good working order, should there ever be a fire at the facility.
The speed of actuation allows for quick and thorough testing of multiple fire valves in a shorter timeframe. Portable Valve Actuators eliminate the need for manual operation, reducing the risk of operator injuries and human errors during fire valve audits and maintenance.
They control water flow, pressure, and direction in complex systems, ensuring reliable and safe operations. These valves are essential for regulatory compliance, environmental protection, and the maintenance of water supply and wastewater treatment processes.
The areas where the pulp/paper mill bring on water from adjacent rivers along with the areas where water is returned to the adjacent river tend to have large, manual valves that can utilize portable valve actuator systems. These valves tend to be some of the oldest valves and some of the largest valves on site.
All pulp and paper mills have different configurations, and the need for Portable Valve Actuators will vary from department to department, depending on:
All departments will have some applications for these devices, which drive efficiencies and mitigate risk.
In summary, the use of Portable Valve Actuators for valve maintenance, audits, and inspections in a pulp/paper mill enhances safety, efficiency, and compliance.
By avoiding excessive manual operation, actuation systems can contribute to extending their lifespan, reducing the need for frequent replacements.