Valves play a vital role in industrial operations. In many industries, valves are responsible for regulating the flow of liquids, gasses, and steam through pipelines, refineries, power plants, and manufacturing plants. When you shut the valves off, you shut the production process off. But valves that are misunderstood, misapplied, and/or poorly maintained can have catastrophic consequences.
For this reason, valve training will be fundamental to safe, effective, and CODE-compliant operations. In general, a trained valve technician will not only allow a company’s systems to function properly, but also help a company effectively control its own costs, comply with its regulatory obligations, and reduce its downtime.
This article will outline why valve training should be taken seriously in today’s industries, detail the benefits of valve training for companies and valve technicians, and provide an example of how companies like saVRee are breaking down training barriers with their valve training programs, making them simple, engaging, and effective.
Understanding the Importance of Valves
A valve is not merely a device that turns some flow on and off. A valve regulates a flow at a given rate, controls the pressure at a given rate, maintains safety on various levels, and is a critical part of processes that have strict limits permitted. Some common valve types are:
- Gate valves: Used primarily for isolation and full-flow control
- Globe valves: Designed for throttling applications
- Ball valves: Quick-acting shut-off devices.
- Check valves: Allow flow in one direction and prevent back flow, thus protecting equipment.
- Control valves: Valve actuator devices allow flow and pressure to be adjusted automatically based on conditions of the process.
Many factors differentiate each valve type, including but not limited to valve characteristics, materials of construction, and valve maintenance. For valve training technicians, understanding these differences is imperative; selecting the wrong valve and/or installing the valve incorrectly could result in inefficiencies, safety issues, and catastrophic equipment failure.
Safety: The Top Reason for Valve Training
Safety is the greatest incentive for investing in valve training. Valves process high-pressure steam, flammable gas, corrosive chemicals, and other hazardous substances. If a valve fails due to maintenance or operational problems, it can release energy and/or substances that cause harm to people, equipment, and the environment.
Real-world incidents highlight the importance of having proper valve knowledge. In chemical plants, an incorrect valve position with a correct valve was responsible for unplanned releases of toxic substances. In power plants, the failed operation of relief valves to open properly resulted in over pressurization events.
Through thorough valve training, technicians and engineers will learn how to:
- Recognize valve symbols on P&IDs (piping and instrumentation diagrams)
- Correctly perform lockout/tag out (LOTO) during maintenance
- Inspect valves for signs of wear, leaking, and sticking
- Learn about actuator fail-safe positions and emergency procedures
When employees understand how valves work, including how to maintain each valve, the number of accidents falls dramatically, protecting workers, the public, and the company’s reputation.
Boosting Efficiency and Reliability
Valves have a direct impact on process efficiency. A partially closed, disposition valve can restrict flow, cause bottlenecking, and waste energy. A leaking valve can cause pressure loss, requiring more work from pumps or compressors.
Valves can be trained on:
- Choosing the proper valve size and type for every application
- Positioning valves for the recommenced flow set-point
- Identifying cavitation, vibration, or noise issues
- Increasing valve reliability, for example, proper lubrication and proper packing adjustment.
Better valve knowledge in an organization can help reduce downtime, increase time between maintenance, and increase in Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) metric. This can result in greater throughput, reduced energy costs, and increased profitability.
Staying Compliant with Industry Standards
Most industries have codes and standards about valve operations, inspection, and maintenance. A few examples are as follows:
- API (American Petroleum Institute) publishes standards related to valve designs and testing
- ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) publishes specifications for pressure ratings
- OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) rules on lockout/tag out and Process Safety Management
A valve training technician is well-trained and aware of regulations and standards, and keeps the facility in compliance to reduce potential regulatory fines, disruption of production, and liability claims.
The Limitations of Traditional Valve Training
Conventional education of valves typically takes place in a classroom-like setting utilizing PowerPoint slides, print maps, or textbooks. While this gives students some theoretical knowledge, it can lack the preparation required for the realities technicians face once they enter the field.
- Unengaging Content: Static images do not easily provide a means to recognize how valves operate under real working conditions in varying systems
- Scarce Practical Exposure: Technicians will seldom get to see a cutaway valve or see the internal components.
- Burden and Cost of Logistics: Getting employees together for in-person training or education can be a costly expenditure of time and money if they cannot make it in person.
Modern plants need to look at more scalable, interactive means through which to train their workforce, particularly with the rapid pace of onboarding new hires.
How saVRee Makes Valve Training Simple and Effective
Here is where saVRee’s method of training performs well. saVRee uses 3D models, animation, and online learning to make valves feel real and the training more entertaining.
With saVRee’s valve training, learners can:
- Examine Interactive 3D Models: Rotate valves, zoom into the internals, and see how they perform step by step.
- View Animations: See how it flows, how actuators operate, how control systems interact with flows
- Learn at Their Own Pace: The courses are always available on demand, ensuring accurate learning for teams at multiple locations and time zones.
- Access a Fully Developed Curriculum: Covers it all from standard valve types to advanced topics, including control valve sizing, seat leakage classification, and preventive maintenance.
For corporations, saVRee’s training provides immediate benefits in that it removes the need to put equipment offline for demonstrations, reduces travel spending, and provides measurable learning outcomes.
Preparing the Next Generation of Valve Training Technicians
As skilled technicians leave the industrial workforce as they approach retirement, there is a skills gap affecting the broader workforce. If companies and skilled technicians do not facilitate knowledge transfer, they face the risk of losing decades of practical experience that a skilled technician learned while on the job.
Investing in online valve training technician programs will ensure that new hires become productive technicians at a faster pace, operating consistently. Additionally, saVRee’s unique interactive format accommodates younger technicians who prefer visual, digital learning experiences over manual reading and lecture-type learning.
Your company will protect productivity and safety in the long run by implementing standardized training, which creates a consistent level of competence across multiple shifts and sites.
Key Takeaways for Industry Leaders
- Safety: Training on valves can stop accidents and safeguard workers.
- Efficiency: Properly training the technician maintains optimal performance of a system.
- Compliance: Knowing standards and codes keeps your facility audit-ready.
- Scalability: Online training allows for consistent learning for larger organizations.
- Future Proofing: Training a new generation of technicians protects operational knowledge.
Conclusion
While seemingly insignificant, valves greatly influence safety and efficiency, and compliance within industrial systems. Investing in valve training from the ground up is among the best decisions an organization can make.
Online platforms, like saVRee, have made your valve training investments even more worthwhile. By providing 3D interactive models combined with animations and flexible, online learning environments, it is no longer difficult to train a single valve training technician or an entire team. The choice is clear; saVRee makes it affordable, engaging, and scalable.
So take the necessary steps to ensure a safer and more efficient plant — start your valve training journey by checking out saVRee‘s content and interactive valve training courses. You won’t believe how much your team will learn by experiencing online learning.
You must be logged in to post a comment.