BEYONDVALVES BY PETER CLEAVELAND
Website Tools for the Taking
The days when companies populated their websites primarily with PDFs
of catalogs, a few paragraphs “About
the Company,” a list of “Contacts,” and
highlights of “Products” and “
Customers Served” are behind us. Saavy
companies today know that to draw customers and potential customers to their
sites requires coming up with ways to
add value to those who visit. After all,
the world is now bombarded with places
to go on the Web so companies need to
find reasons why people should visit
their website.
One of the ways many valve and
actuator companies are appealing to
Internet audiences is to offer useful and
unique technology tools.
Valve Magazine took a spin around
VMA member websites and asked companies to share some of what they offer.
We found an array of diagnostic and
other software, helpful tools such as
calculators, and a wealth of informational papers and articles. A small sampling of value-added Web tools is
included here. For a more complete list,
go to the “Web-Exclusive” section on
www.valvemagazine.com.
VIDEO LIBRARY
Emerson Process Management has a
video center ( www.emersonprocess.com/
videos) that offers a host of educational
demo videos on a number of technical
topics related to the types of products
the company makes. The videos review
the features of the specific technologies
and explain how they work. The topics
are divided into different categories
including Valves & Regulation, Systems
& Software, Wireless, Safety, Measurement & Analytical and Asset Reliability.
Each video features Emerson technical
experts that focus on their area of
expertise, and each of the categories
have dozens of videos that show hands-on how the technology works.
right pressure-relief valve for a job
( http://farris.cwfc.com). The tool calculates the pressure relief valve orifice
area required to relieve any process scenario or combination of scenarios (such
as blocked flow, fire vapor generation or
liquid expansion), under best-case and
worst-case conditions. The tool is available at no cost to registered users.
ASK THE EXPERT
Crane Energy Flow Solutions
( www.cranenergy.com) has come up
with a list of its own experts and listed
them on its site (click on the “Ask the
Experts” link). Subjects are broken
down by valve type and are further broken into subcategories. Those seeking
information can click on the appropriate email address for answers. Also
from Crane, the 2009 edition of Crane’s
Technical Paper No. 410
( www.tp410.com) introduced Web-based calculators that can solve equations found within the paper.
DIAGNOSTICS AND MORE
Flowserve has a diagnostic solution for
control valves that can be integrated
seamlessly into a host control and/or
plant asset management system
( www.valvesight.com). The tool has a
powerful intelligent diagnostic engineer
that can detect emerging performance,
safety or environmental problems with
the valve, actuator or positioner and
advise on corrective actions. Flowserve
(www.flowserve. com, see “Online
Tools”) also has a tool for selecting
SIZING THAT VALVE
Farris Engineering (a division of
Curtiss-Wright Flow Control) offers a
tool that can help size and select the
