Visibility For Switching Applications With New Neles Switchguard

Published: 25th September 2009 | Issue 4

Neles SmartSolution products

by Metso Automation

Metso is proud to announce that we are broadening our Neles SmartSolution product offering with the addition of a new product - Neles SwitchGuard. SwitchGuard is an intelligent controller for pneumatic on/off valves - it operates with all valve actuators and in all sectors of industry. After that Neles SwitchGuard is part of the Neles SmartSolution product family, we can offer a full range of products that bring intelligence to your valve applications and help you to increase process availability and process performance.

Innovative diagnostic features that are now available for on/off valves (i.e. not only for control valves) will help in planning maintenance before that onset of problems that could have a major impact on the process!

What is Neles SwitchGuard?

Neles SwitchGuard brings intelligence to the operation of on/off applications. Its large pneumatic capacity range enables SwitchGuard to be used with a wide variety of actuator sizes. The product is designed to meet the demanding requirements of process-critical switching operations, particularly in high cycling applications. Excellent reliability and large air capacity are essential characteristics for products operating in such conditions. Neles SwitchGuard’s integrated design cuts installation costs, eliminates the need for solenoid valves and minimizes engineering work. It also makes maintenance easier.

SwitchGuard’s superb design and embedded diagnostics guarantee high availability in on/off applications. Neles SwitchGuard takes switching applications to a new level!

What does Neles SwitchGuard bring to process applications?

The most important benefit SwitchGuard provides is that you now have visibility - you can see what is going on in automated valves in on/off applications. In a number of process applications, on/off valves are the most critical in terms of process availability, but many such highly critical valves have no provision for predicting failure. Also, with the traditional instrumentation solution, many components are involved and their failure can have adverse effects on process control. In the worst case, component failure can cause process shutdown. What if there were a means of predicting such a failure? What if you could check remotely, before regular maintenance, whether the valve needs any such action? These possibilities now exist - with Neles SwitchGuard!

What are the special features of Neles SwitchGuard?

As described earlier, diagnostics are the key feature of Neles SwitchGuard. They analyse the operation of an automated on/off valve while it is operating in the process, and this diagnostic information is stored within the device. With open communication technology, e.g. FDT/DTM and especially Neles FieldCare, you can bring these diagnostics features to the level at which you can use the information to plan your maintenance programme. This ensures high availability for switching applications and increases the valve’s reliability to a higher level.

But there is yet more to Neles SwitchGuard. You can use it to control valve opening and closing with ramp profiles, i.e. you can define valve opening and closing times and the stroking ramp profile. For example, you can decide that valve opening should take place within 10 seconds, with the first phase happening very slowly and then (after flow starts through the valve) for the rest of the procedure to be much faster. This is useful when minimizing pressure impact in piping (water hammer).

For more information call Metso Automation on 0870 606 1478.

Valmet UK Ltd