Issues with valve maintenance after a long period of shutdown
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The company ceased production for nearly three years due to environmental regulations and issues related to product prices. It is now preparing to resume production. I would like to ask those in the instrumentation industry: do pneumatic valves need to be overhauled, and if so, which parts should be given priority in the inspection? If anyone has experience in this area, I would appreciate your help. Thank you
After the entire system has been shut down for three years, many preliminary checks must be carried out before it can be put back into operation; of course, the specific checks required will depend on the particular conditions of your process. In my opinion, the main aspects to consider are as follows: 1. For rotating equipment, it is necessary to turn it manually, add lubricant, or replace the lubricating oil. 2. Regarding stationary equipment, some devices and pipelines may need to be opened for inspection, and cleaning may be required if necessary. 3. Some safety components, safety valves, and monitoring instruments need to be recalibrated. 4. Filters should be taken apart for inspection, as rust or corrosion may exist inside them. 5. Some rotating equipment should be operated without a load or using water as a medium to check for any abnormal noises. 7. The system may need to undergo a gas-tightness test to determine whether there are any leaks. 8. For valves, it is necessary to check whether the bolts are corroded； Whether the operation is proper: When adjusting valves, it is necessary to conduct not only operation tests but also opening degree tests ； (Also, make sure to check the air pipelines before putting them into use, especially the instrument pipelines, as rust may have formed inside them.) 9. Most importantly, if personnel are away from their posts for an extended period of time, they need to undergo training again before starting to operate the equipment. It is necessary to keep records of such training and assessments to prevent accidents in the early stages of operation; otherwise, your team may be held accountable for failing to provide proper training
It should be verified to check whether the operation is normal; important valves should be disassembled for inspection.
Inspection of the entire valve surface; stroke must be verified
At least before driving, test opening and closing each valve.
Treat it as the first time driving the machine: start with individual component testing, then integrated testing, and finally trial production