Would you like a little more?
The digital nameplate — more than just the door to paperless operating instructions.
Digitalization changes the product portfolio
Looking at the development in detail, however, the eye is initially still caught by a pile of printed paper, the multilingual and heavyweight operating manual. But this pile is melting away. With the long-demanded and now imminent regulation of electronic operating instructions in the Machinery Directive, the EU is finally creating legal certainty for an industry offering that has already been part of everyday life in reality for some time. The trade association Valves thus ticks off its corresponding demand as fulfilled.
Today, a digital nameplate on the valve provides access not only to the operating instructions, but also to the complete technical documentation of the product. The impetus for this development was provided by a research project of the trade association Valves, which aimed at the simple availability of information on the installation, use, maintenance or repair of a valve and thus ultimately focused on the entire service life of a valve. Today, DIN SPEC 91406, which was co-designed by the VDMA, serves as an implementation aid. Now that the implementation of the digital nameplate in the valve industry has found an increasing number of "followers," the task at hand is to bundle practical experience and make it usable for the industry.
Digital twins initiate conservation of resources and efficiency gains
The valve industry also realized early on that digital twins, i.e. virtual product models, can be helpful for product development, planning and operation of a plant, and even for training, and can provide valuable insights into their practical performance. Initially, the focus was on product-focused flow simulation for process optimization; today, the view is primarily systemic.
As a clear objective of the Valves Association this was manifested for the first time in the guideline series VDI 3805 (Product Data Exchange in Technical Building Equipment), in which the trade association created the blueprint for numerous other product data sheets in building technology with the data sheet for radiator valves. Today, the guideline serves as the basis for ISO standardization in the context of Building Information Modeling (BIM), a working method for the networked design, construction and management of buildings and other structures with the help of software. Work on corresponding data sheets for radiator valves and drinking water valves is nearing completion.
Established digital flushing and leakage protection systems will benefit in building design.
Leakage protection systems
Water always finds a way
Digitization network Valves - format of the trade association Valves. The focus is on the exchange of best-practice examples and initiates cross-company impulses.
Back to the sausage and cheese counter
Once purchased, the lifespan of the products bought there is very manageable. At Valves , the requirement is known to be different. Long-lasting functionality and process reliability are the basis of the investment decision here.
An important field of development in the valve industry has therefore for some time been the “self-intelligence of valves“, which continuously informs the manufacturer or plant operator about their condition and, if necessary, recommends measures to maintain their function. Depending on the application, sensors for recording flow, pressure and temperature are now simply a “must have“.
But what happens if, contrary to expectations, the sensor system from Abu Dhabi or Perth to Germany signals a malfunction or indicates the need for maintenance? Does a service man now go on the road?
Here, digitization promises an alternative to lower costs with better plant availability and more efficient use of resources. Remote maintenance in connection with smart maintenance and new technologies such as augmented reality are increasingly part of the range of services offered by the valve industry when sales talks are held and the question is “Can I have a little more?“
This and more are topics in the digitization network Valves of our trade association, which sees itself as a multiplier and catalyst for the digital future in the valve industry. Here, experiences are discussed, customer acceptance evaluated and scenarios developed.
Imagine that our chancellor wants to make video calls to his NATO partners. To do so, he has to travel to the Ministry of Defense, because video calls in the Chancellery are not sufficiently protected against espionage and hacker attacks.
By the way ...
Digitalization creates not only opportunities, but also risks. This is well known, but everyone likes to suppress it. Cyber security costs money, and someone has to take care of it. So people put it on the back burner.
With consequences, as companies in our industry have recently had to learn painfully.
Not least against this background, the topic of “data security“ is at the forefront of the agenda of the VDMA and its digitalization network Armaturen. Case analyses and consulting services are intended to have a preventive effect and thus promote readiness for digitization.
