BÜRKERT

Automated control of water systems, whether in swimming pools, washrooms, or drinking water supplies, needs reliable equipment that minimises water hammer and the effects of dezincification. Bürkert’s Type 6213 solenoid valve achieves this and can be specified to meet even the most demanding applications. It is available through the company’s e-commerce site and local valve suppliers.

Modern process control valves offer a wide range of features and benefits for industries that require precise control over fluids, steam and other gases. With so many control valves on the market, it is important to establish the features that will deliver the most cost-effective design for a particular application. Damien Moran, Field Segment Manager, Hygienic - Pharmaceutical at Bürkert, looks at some of the basic differentiators as well as some recent design developments.

Creating a pharmaceutical manufacturing suite is a complex task that is governed by a host of standards and specifications. For the AstraZeneca manufacturing plant in North Ryde, Sydney, Australia, the decision to change its primary supplier of process control valves to Bürkert, reduced installation and commissioning costs while also improving process data availability.

Fuel cells have been hailed as the energy source of the future; they can provide a non-polluting supply of power by re-combining hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity and water. The chemistry sounds very simple, however creating a reliable, efficient and safe energy source requires considerable expertise, especially in the control of the fluids and gases that are involved in this exciting technology. Tony Brennan, Field Segment Manager, at Bürkert, looks at the process in more detail, what is needed to develop the technology and make it more widely available.

Aiming to minimise the complexity of process control projects in a number of industries; from water to food and beverage and pharma, Bürkert has increased its product range and its UK stock-holding. Bürkert now holds a wide variety of the more common valve designs including ball valves, butterfly valves and quarter-turn valves in standard sizes on the shelf.

Supporting process system integrators is a priority for at least one fluid power and process valve component manufacturer. Bürkert, as it believes process control systems frequently require updates to account for changes in the manufacturing process, new lines, improvements in efficiency and system upgrades. Whatever the situation, system integrators will very often play an important role in defining system structures and specifying new components; then carrying-out the installation and commissioning work.

Producing high quality champagne takes time and expertise; ensuring consistent quality requires precision process control and a reliable infrastructure. For CRVC (Coopérative Régionales des Vins de Champagne) the installation of a special disgorging line requires a high level of support, which was delivered through a partnership with Bürkert.

The automation of process control systems is very important for improving efficiency and reliability. In the majority of cases, this can be achieved quite easily, but in situations where the whole atmosphere poses a potential risk, finding the best solution can be quite a challenge. Paul Hobden, Bürkert UK ATEX solenoid valve champion, looks at the challenges surrounding process control in potentially explosive atmospheres and how they can be overcome.

Precise control over the oxygenation of brewers’ wort is one of the key aspects to manufacturing a high-quality beer with consistent flavour and strength. Bürkert’s Air Dosing System has been trialled by respected independent food and drink technology company Campden BRI and found to deliver on-target results.

Flowmeter technology has made some significant steps in the past few years. While the traditional mechanical systems have remained relatively unchanged, the development of ultrasonic, sonar and magnetic systems has progressed significantly. Bürkert for example has developed a flowmeter in which none of the components are in direct contact with the fluid and which causes no restriction to flow. 

An essential requirement for the control of many manufacturing processes is the flow measurement of liquids, because accurate control improves efficiency and guarantees quality. Whilst there are a number of different technologies available, when high accuracy is the requirement the Coriolis flowmeter has so far been the default choice. However, the development of Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology for use in flowmeters has presented a challenger in the market with potentially a host of additional benefits.

Using pneumatic control to automate and manufacture delivers many benefits, especially in hygienic applications where improved productivity, cleanliness and safety have been achieved. The launch of Bürkert’s Type 8652 AirLINE valve island builds on this progress with greatly improved communications, diagnostics and safety features.

Adopting aspects of the fourth industrial revolution, the interconnection and digitisation of products, business models and value chains, otherwise known as Industry 4.0, is something that almost every industrial process is capable of, and as more manufacturers and businesses adopt the principles and more common protocols are implemented, the benefits become more accessible.

A host of benefits is brought to industries such as water treatment, food and beverage and pharmaceuticals through automated process control. Increasing productivity, safety and cleanliness are just a few of the advantages to controlling a range of processes with either centralised or distributed pneumatic automation.

With a wide range of high quality, innovative flow control products on offer from Bürkert, the innovative flow control products can be used to create tailored measurement and control systems. For customers that are not already panel builders or system integrators these products need to be connected together to create process assemblies and mounted onto panels or into cabinets.

Back in the 1970s, Coriolis flowmeters first came into commercial use and ever since they have been developed and refined to meet a growing number of applications across a wide range of industries. However, where fluid density is not required, there is now an alternative that offers all of the accuracy of Coriolis as well as addressing many of its substantial drawbacks.

Mark Lilley, Field Segment Manager, Hygienic - Food and Beverage for Bürkert Fluid Control Systems, looks at the essential features required to maintain effective and efficient level and flow control.

It can be a lengthy but essential process validating and approving industry design, which ensures components are suitable for operation in specialist applications. Bürkert Fluid Control Systems has achieved over 20 approvals for its solenoid valve range - that together provide a guarantee to end users that every product has met or surpassed the required standard.

In recent years, modern coatings technology has been advancing rapidly; used to prevent oxidation, corrosion and improve wear resistance as well as provide protection from high temperatures, manufacturers are keen to exploit new coatings to improve the durability of their products. However, not all coatings are the same and the quality of the final product relies on high quality equipment and expert application techniques.

The more companies that tighten maintenance budgets, the less are willing to hold stocks of spare parts. Instead they are expecting original equipment manufacturers and their service agents to hold stock for them. Bürkert Fluid Control Systems is one manufacturer that supports this model, with a complete parts and specifications catalogue online and distributors holding increased stock levels.