Technical Report

BVAA Technical Service

The demand for Technical Service is wide ranging. The new initiative of Technical Expert Groups (TEGs) has helped to bring experts together to address specific topics which could never have been dealt with by the Valve WG en masse.

Training is hugely important. We must pass on our knowledge to members, customers and suppliers. Every attendee at our courses benefits from the unrivalled expertise of the BVAA trainers. Standards and Directives are essential tools for everyone in the industry. There is continuous change which needs monitoring and the information communicating to all members in a way that allows the relevant information to be easily found. Members’ day-to-day business activity generates specific questions with which they need help. Attendance at BVAA events such as conferences, trade shows and working group meetings helps to ensure that the technical service has up to date knowledge that can then be shared with the membership.

Technical Expert Group Activity

The Butterfly Valve TEG completed a review of the draft standard prEN593 Butterfly Valves. UK (BVAA) comments were submitted via BSi. The BVAA comments were then followed up by attendance at the meeting of TC69 WG4 in October.

A new TEG has been formed to consider the need for a UK qualification scheme for Service/Repair Centres of Safety and Relief valves manufactured to the requirements of ISO 4126.

BS EN 13397 Industrial Valves-Diaphragm valves made of metallic materials was subject to its 5 year review. This standard was published in 2001 and has not been updated since. The UK held the convenorship of ANNUAL REVIEW | SPRING 2017 the CEN TC69 working group that originally developed this standard. The Diaphragm TEG met and produced recommendations for revision of this standard that BSi submitted to CEN.

The Safety Integrity Level TEG are finalising a BVAA Guideline that will give members practical instructions as to how to answer customer requests for certification for their SIL systems.

Training

It is important that our training courses are both technically up to date and also interesting and easy to listen to. The Introduction to Valves Course – which I deliver - has been substantially updated. Minor updates have been done as well to the Valves - Advanced Level Course that I prepare and deliver for BVAA. The feedback from those attending the Advanced Level course continues to be very enthusiastic. The feedback from the Introduction course suggests that we need more interactive elements which we will look to include. What form to take with this is to be discussed and changes introduced for the Spring 2017 training.

Standards Activity

In my role as chairman of PSE/18 I have attended the plenary meetings of CEN TC69 in June and ISO TC153 in October as the UK’s principal delegate. The ISO committee has a new chairman and plans a consultation process in the first 6 months of 2017 to try and agree a strategy for ISO standards making over the next 5 years.

Mike Gray (Safety Systems) continues to be responsible for all Safety Valve activity at both PSE/18 and TC185 and similarly Peter Hirst (Rotork) takes care of the Actuator standards activities as Chairman of PSE/18/5 and UK’s principal expert to both CEN and ISO. I am very grateful for their significant contributions.

The new format of the monthly Standards Activity Report has been positively received by members of the Valve and Actuator WGs. The ‘keyword’ column allows members to efficiently find those activities that are of interest to them.

24 ‘HOT SPOTS’ have been issued in the last 12 months to members advising them of EN/ISO standards that are published, EN/ISO New Work Item Proposals, EN/ISO Draft Standards that are issued for public comment. These HOT SPOTS are clearly being read as indicated by the feedback we are receiving.

Charlie Duncombe the BSi programme manager for PSE myself and my predecessor Peter Churm. He has done a lot to support the BVAA over his many years of service at BSi for which we are most grateful.

Directives

We have continued to support CEIR in their work to achieve an agreed position in respect of actuated valves and the Machinery Directive. Meetings have been held with CEIR in February and the HSE in September. This is a long term issue that will need the involvement of the Directive Working Groups for both Pressure and Machinery to resolve.

The new PED 2014/68/EU came into effect within the European Community on the 19th July. The directive work is shared with Ron Strang (Alco Valves). Ron’s expertise and commitment to helping members with Directive issues is an extremely valuable resource.

Goals for 2017

Complete the revision of the text for 7th Edition of Valve and Actuator User Manual by 2017-3-31.

Continue to develop TEG’s to support active Standards work and other interest areas.

Work with other members of the BVAA team to update the Directive Guidelines for the PED, Machinery Directive and ATEX.

Finally, I am indebted to the rest of BVAA team for their ongoing support which ensures an efficient communication of all the Technical Service output to the members.retired at the end of 2016. Charlie has been an invaluable help to both

Published: 3rd February 2017