Would you accept valve refurbishment? ? ? ?

Remanufacturing brings benefits: cost reduction of 50%, energy savings of 60%, material savings of 70%, and emission reductions of 80%. Valve remanufacturing refers to the process in which valves that have lost some of their functional capabilities have their main components (castings) processed according to manufacturing standards, other components are replaced, and the valves are reassembled and tested to ensure they meet all quality standards. According to Li Xingsheng, as a general-purpose equipment product, valves feature a wide range of applications and a large volume of existing assets. Our country has now become the world’s largest manufacturer and consumer of valves, meeting the needs of new projects as well as partial replacements for existing ones – more than 30% of these existing valves require replacement and maintenance each year. Therefore, valve remanufacturing has a broad market foundation. 　　It is understood that the raw materials for valves consist of various industrial base materials, and these products are used in all sectors of the national economy. The remanufacturing process of such valves represents a typical form of recycling, thereby fulfilling the “3R” principles of the circular economy: reduction, reuse, and recycling. 　　“The petrochemical industry is characterized by conditions of high temperature, high pressure, severe erosion, and intense wear; it represents an important application area for valve products in China. In particular, valves used in such extreme conditions often have a service life of less than one year. ”Li Xingsheng said that encouraging the remanufacturing sector within the valve industry is an important way to promote resource conservation and recycling, reduce environmental pollution, and help achieve the \"dual carbon\" goals. 　　“Compared to manufacturing new products, remanufactured products can reduce costs by 50%, save 60% on energy use, cut material consumption by 70%, generate almost no solid waste, and reduce atmospheric pollutant emissions by over 80%, offering significant economic and environmental benefits. ”Li Xingsheng believes that there are broad market prospects for valve remanufacturing. 　　Zhao Haiyan, an expert from the Industry Development Department of the Valve Maintenance and Remanufacturing Branch of the China Machinery Maintenance Association, said that over the course of their long-term production and operation, companies often accumulate large quantities of valve spare parts due to leftover items from installations or those that become obsolete as a result of technological upgrades. For example, a chemical company in Shandong had valves worth nearly 160 million yuan lying in storage for extended periods over the past few years. Valve remanufacturing can help eliminate the excess inventory held by user enterprises, creating a secondary market and promoting resource conservation and the development of a circular economy across the industry; it is worth trying to promote.

Remanufacturing: Driving innovation to promote the localization of high-end valves and the development of technical talent. According to industry experts, valve remanufacturing is not a traditional form of inspection and maintenance; rather, it involves the use of modern testing techniques, reverse engineering techniques, material science technologies, as well as advanced processes such as surfacing technology, thermal spraying, and additive manufacturing. These techniques, combined with design principles, are used to technically repair and upgrade the performance of used equipment. Remanufactured products can achieve or even exceed the technical performance of the original new products, and their foundation lies in the deep integration of advanced manufacturing and modern service industries. 　　Li Xingsheng said that remanufacturing is an upgraded version of inspection and maintenance. Developing valve remanufacturing is of great significance for technological innovation in the domestic production of high-end valves as well as for the training and development of talent in this field. Zhu Rongting, chairman of Wuxi ADI Fluid Control Technology Co., Ltd., also said that entrusting enterprises with capabilities in remanufacturing and maintenance services to remanufacture valves, especially high-end ones, can promote the localization of high-end valves in two ways. First, understand the technical performance of foreign products through inspection, maintenance, and remanufacturing, in order to identify the technical challenges involved in developing domestic versions of such products ； Secondly, by analyzing the process design of high-end valve products, production techniques are developed, process knowledge is accumulated, and high-caliber talent for the industry is trained and retained. 　　“Conversely, the localization of high-end valves will also boost the level of inspection, maintenance, and remanufacturing, enabling a ‘two-wheel drive’ business model that fosters innovation in technology and equipment development. ”Zhu Rongting said that, thanks to the technical expertise accumulated through inspection, maintenance, and remanufacturing processes, the company is able to introduce imported valve products, assimilate them, and then innovate upon them. The temperature and pressure reducing valve (vent valve) developed by them has been successfully applied in Shenhua’s 4 million tons per year coal indirect liquefaction project, replacing imported products.

Remanufacturing: A Long Way to Go Still in its initial stages, with limited acceptance Li Xingsheng said that in developed countries and regions such as the United States, Japan, and Europe, valve remanufacturing has become a mature industry. Among them, the remanufacturing industry in the United States is at the forefront of the world. So, what is the current status of related industries in China? The development of the valve remanufacturing industry in our country is still in its initial stage compared to sectors such as auto parts, internal combustion engines, machine tools, and construction machinery. ”Li Xingsheng admitted that in terms of after-sales services for valves, at present, it is still mainly valve manufacturing companies and specialized valve inspection and maintenance firms that provide such services to users. 　　The author has learned that a considerable number of companies in the petroleum and chemical industries currently know very little about valve remanufacturing, or they have only heard of it without understanding its meaning. “It is very necessary to promote and popularize the concept of remanufacturing among user enterprises. ”Zhang Pan, the equipment supervisor at China Coal Jiu Xin Coking Co., Ltd., said that many end-user companies still have doubts about the quality of remanufactured valve products. 　　As a senior engineer in the field of valve applications, Zhang Pan possesses extensive experience in valve inspection and maintenance. He said that there are some issues in the valve industry at present; many valve products are not properly tested for pressure and leakage before leaving the factory, which leads to leaks when they are used in actual applications. The valve body is usually fine; it’s often the small components that have problems. Valve remanufacturing can give these valves a \"second life\". 　　“At present, there is insufficient promotion and guidance for valve remanufacturing, and the standard system is not yet fully developed. Although user enterprises have a basic understanding of remanufactured valve products, their awareness of the quality of such products for critical applications remains unclear, which significantly hinders the development of the valve remanufacturing industry. ”Li Xingsheng said that in light of this, the group standard titled \"General Technical Specifications for the Remanufacturing of Valve Products\" developed by the branch organization sets specific requirements regarding the quality and service life of remanufactured valves, which should meet or exceed those of new valves. If these requirements are effectively implemented, it is believed that more and more valve-using enterprises will choose remanufacturing services for their valve products.

Remanufacturing requires cooperation; it is necessary to build an industrial ecosystem to create a collective effort. Several industry experts say that valve remanufacturing in China should bring together efforts from all parties, with the goal of establishing a regulated, orderly, and healthy industrial ecosystem. 　　Zhao Haiyan suggested that developing valve remanufacturing requires attention at the **level, as well as excellent industry standards to regulate and guide it. At present, valve manufacturing enterprises in our country, as well as professional maintenance firms with strong technical capabilities, are already carrying out valve repair work in accordance with the requirements of remanufacturing. However, the technical methods and standard systems for remanufacturing still need to be improved. It is reported that in recent years, this branch has mobilized various stakeholders in the industry to make continuous efforts in areas such as the development and dissemination of relevant standards; it has also called for valve remanufacturing to be included in the **Catalogue of Remanufactured Products**. 　　Liang Lianjin, technical director of Shanghai Kaiweixi Valve Co., Ltd., said that the development of the valve remanufacturing industry requires not only a comprehensive remanufacturing system in factories but also a standardized testing and evaluation system, the establishment of testing platforms for remanufactured valves, as well as authoritative institutions capable of assessing the quality of remanufacturing. 　　Zhao Haiyan also said that information technologies such as the industrial Internet can be applied to the valve remanufacturing process. By monitoring the status of valves in real time, collecting data on their operation, and sending this data to equipment management analysis software, it is possible to arrange predictive maintenance for valves in a systematic manner. This approach enables intelligent management and improved upgrades for these valves in the secondary market. 　　Li Xingsheng believes that it is also necessary to carry out promotional activities for remanufactured valve products, in order to raise users’ awareness of such products; to strengthen training and exchanges related to remanufacturing technology; to motivate enterprises to produce remanufactured products; and to create a collective effort for the development of the remanufacturing industry.

Remanufacturing refers to the process of reprocessing a used item to restore it to a usable state. The advantage of remanufacturing is the comprehensive utilization of resources, reduction of environmental pollution, and turning waste items into useful products. On the one hand, effectively protect the environment and prevent the loss of energy and human resources ； On the other hand, the circular remanufacturing industry can also help **** reduce the heavy burden caused by discarded waste. With the growing awareness of environmental protection and increasing attention from countries around the world, remanufacturing technology has become an important area of research for scientific institutions, and the quality of products manufactured through this method can rival that of newly produced products. 　　With the development of productivity and technology, environmental protection is an objective and severe issue faced by all of humanity. Developing environmentally friendly products, promoting the concept of green printing, and guiding users toward rational consumption are initiatives that bring benefits not only in the present but also for future generations. In the consumables industry, the development of remanufactured consumables is also a trend across countries around the world. With the increasing depletion of resources and worsening environmental pollution, the remanufacturing industry, adapting to the needs of circular economic development, is emerging as a highly promising new industry in China. It offers enterprises new opportunities for innovation and improved market competitiveness. Xu Binshi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said in an interview with a reporter from China Mining News recently that the market prospects for the remanufacturing industry are extremely promising, as evidenced by its benefits in terms of resource utilization, environmental protection, and social welfare. 　　Remanufacturing engineering refers to the collective term for a range of technical measures and engineering activities aimed at repairing and modifying used products. It is a green industry and emerging sector with great potential in terms of resource utilization, significant economic benefits, notable environmental benefits, and alignment with sustainable development principles. For damaged or scrapped components, it carries out remanufacturing engineering design based on analyses such as failure analysis and life assessment, and utilizes advanced manufacturing technologies such as high-tech surface engineering techniques and rapid prototyping techniques to ensure that the quality of the remanufactured products is equal to or exceeds that of new products. Remanufacturing not only extends the service life of products and improves their technical performance, but it also provides information for product design, modification, and maintenance, thereby covering the entire life cycle of the product and maximizing its utility.

It turns out that some large companies have “reprocessing workshops,” whose main task is to handle the reprocessing of oils and the repair of valves. Purchases submitted by various units must be certified by the recycling workshop before they can be purchased externally; otherwise, repaired items have to be used.

To make valve manufacturers fulfill their social responsibilities, just like in the case of home appliances and mobile phones, recycling for compensation can effectively achieve this goal. Another point to mention is that the recycling of hazardous waste (mainly referring to packaging containers for hazardous chemicals) is also a key aspect of the circular economy.

I remember discussing similar issues before; for valves that have been repaired in this way, the manufacturer no longer assumes any responsibility. In the event of an accident, it’s unclear who is responsible. Local inspection agencies follow their own regulations – replaced valves must come with certificates of conformity. But can certificates of conformity be issued for valves that have been repaired in this manner?