A Profile of the Company That's Intelligently Automating the World's
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Limitorque Actuation Systems A profile of the company that’s intelligently automating the world’s valves Making valve control eas for customers When the gates of a huge hydroelectric dam open and allow millions of gallons of water to around the surge through, there’s a hidden force that moves them. When oil pipelines stretch over hundreds of miles of frozen tundra or across furnace-like wor desert sands, there’s a control mechanism that automates the flow no matter how hostile the environment. When a nuclear-powered super carrier puts to sea, it becomes a floating city supported by a network of pipes and valves delivering everything from the steam that powers the propellers to water for the kitchen sink. The complex engineering behind each of these systems depends on the precise, reliable operation of a relatively simple mechanism: a valve. For well over half a century, valves in applications from the extraordinary to the everyday have depended on valve actuators from a company called Limitorque. 2 A heritage of innovation that spans more than seven decades. Limitorque is an operating unit of Limitorque’s original torque-limiting Flowserve, a $2.5+ billion-a-year innovation was devised, company strongly focused on then was adopted by essentially all automation. Limitorque has evolved electric valve actuator makers world- over 70 years since its strategic intro- wide. Limitorque has shipped more ier duction of a “torque-limiting” design than one million actuators—which that changed an industry. have logged more than one billion Limitorque’s commitment to hours of reliable service—an incom- extraordinary valve control solutions parable achievement, unmatched by emphasizes automation choices that any other actuator supplier. produce profits for customers due to: • cost savings from field devices such Limitorque continues to develop as electric valve actuators, innovative valve-control solutions • greater operating efficiencies from for customers. control-room performance sequenc- Limitorque’s most recent innovations ing, interlocking, and continuous include: process optimization, and • an innovative, absolute-position • competitive advantages derived encoder that enables electronic from increased management visibility actuators to track valve position and financial reporting databases and without using batteries, even when networks. handwheel-operated during power outages, ld. Limitorque’s commitment to • special electronic circuits and extraordinary valve control solutions techniques, called LimiGard, that makes valve control easier at the eliminate single sources of failure due field-device level. to component failures, noise-induced This is where control is closest to bit errors, and software corruption. function. Limitorque actuators drive LimiGard ensures fail-no-action multi-turn and quarter-turn industrial capability for the electronics-based valves and dampers, day after day, Accutronix MX family. year after year, using conventional While eliminating the need for bat- and advanced technologies to reduce teries, these technologies make valve costs and increase operating efficien- control easier through the reduction cies for customers. of maintenance requirements and the Limitorque’s team-driven commit- improved performance benefits of ment has devised state-of-the-art dependable electronics in harsh applications, for example, the industrial environments. Accutronix MXTM electronic valve actu- ator, with its easy-to-use human interface and a choice of seven languages. Open-standards-based DDC (either with or without master station gateways), Foundation Fieldbus H1 to IEC 1158-2, and Profibus to EN 50170 network tech- nologies are used to connect to virtually all PC, PLC, and DCS-based automation systems. 3 Flow Control Division Limitorque Actuation Systems Limitorque products enable automation versatility and reliability. Industrial valves face an extraordinary range of torque requirements. Limitorque actuator product families comprise as many as 11 distinct sizes and a multitude of configurations and combinations to meet electrical, electronic, environmental, safety, compliance, and automation strategies. Generally, valves are manually operated by either quarter-turn or multi-turn rotations of a valve-coupling stem nut. Limitorque’s newly designed PT and HBC worm-gear operators are used for quarter-turn applications such as butterfly, ball, and plug valves. The B320 bevel- gear operators are used for multi-turn applications, such as gate and globe valves. For larger valves and those requiring rotation or remote operation, electric valve actuators are applied to produce an integrated device called a Motor-Operated Valve (MOV). Limitorque’s Accutronix MX, SMBTM, and L120TM electric valve actu- ators directly mount to produce multi-turn actuation. Torque output can be increased in these applications through combinations of actu- ators and B320 gearboxes. Large quarter-turn applications are served by combining electric actuators with PT or HBC quarter-turn gearboxes. The LYTM quarter-turn electric actuator utilizes dual inte- grated worm-gears to serve smaller quarter-turn requirements with a compact solution. The L270TM air/gas motor actuator supports applications where electrical power is not available or desirable. Remote operations are typically supported through a two, three, or four-wire discrete I/O connected to an actuator’s integral motor- reversing contactors and torque-limit-switch, plus position-limit- switch interlocks achieving open-closed automation. Modulating capability, called Modutronic or Multi-Position Control (MPC), can be added to receive a 4-20 mA position reference signal. Fieldbus network capabilities are available for Accutronix MX appli- cations. Limitorque’s DDC-Modbus network technology fully supports direct-to-host network communications, from Limitorque actuator field devices to the user’s choice of major DCS, PLC, and PC-based automation systems. The user also has a choice between open standards-based technology which eliminates the need for any interposed master station gateway, or Limitorque can supply an eco- nomical master station solution. A further enhancement of the DDC network is that all field units contain built-in repeaters for dramati- cally extended network distances. DDC-100 networks are redundant-loop-based to survive any single break in the wiring with no loss of communications integrity. Accutronix MX actuators can be fitted with the FF-H1 field unit connected to a Foundation Fieldbus H1 network. This device is certi- fied for interoperability by the Fieldbus Foundation and employs two-wire technology. Limitorque is the only electronic valve actuator manufacturer that provides the user with both Profibus options; the speed of Profibus- DP-V1 (up to 1.5 MB/s) and Profibus PA, for loop-powered, IS applications. Profibus is an international standard (EN 50170) and Accutronix MX actuators fitted with PB DP-V1 and the PA field unit device are immediately compliant with this standard and other Profibus user organization certified devices. 4 Flow Control Division Limitorque Actuation Systems Limitorque solutions apply to: Limitorque is focused on • Oil and gas wells and platforms • Steam distribution systems satisfying customer needs. • Oil and gas pipelines • Mines and ore refineries • Petroleum distribution terminals • Steelworks and metals A growing demand for automated industrial valves is driven by and tank farms processing plants three principal needs—increased safety, increased productivity, • Petrochemical refineries and • Pulp mills and reduced operating costs. hydrocarbon processing plants • Paper mills As automation increases, more industrial valves are being • Chemical plants • Tankers, submarines, installed with valve actuators. As a result, the valve • Fossil fuel and nuclear power plants and marine vessels automation market that Limitorque serves is growing. • Hydroelectric facilities • Port facilities Presently Limitorque actuators automate valves at more than • Water treatment plants • Commercial HVAC systems 100,000 sites around the world. Each application fits a distinct • Aqueducts, irrigation, and water • Commercial and industrial set of customer needs. distribution systems machinery and processes • Dams and flood gates A worldwide customer base includes a full range of Limitorque customers include: ABB Combustion Engineering Goodyear Tire & Rubber automation requirements. Aluminum Company of America GPU Nuclear American Cyanamid Gulf Oil In addition to a wide variety of end users, Limitorque’s Amoco Oil Co. Hanjung Corp. customers also include over 500 industrial valve manufactur- ARAMCO Hitachi ers and original equipment manufacturers; more than 80 Arco Petroleum Products Co. Hoechst Celanese professional valve equipment representatives and distributors; Arizona Public Service Hunt Wesson Inc. over 1,000 architects, engineers, and construction Armco Steel Hyundai Engineering contractors; and hundreds of municipal/ governmental utilities Avondale Shipyard IHI around the world. Babcock & Wilcox IMC Fertilizer Bechtel Corp Ingalls Shipbuilding Black & Veatch Inland Steel Support is nearby. Boott Hydro Power International Paper Ninety Limitorque locations in over 40 countries comprise a Borden Chemical James River Corp. British Petroleum Co. JGC Corporation global network that assures support is in close proximity, with Burroughs Wellcome Co. Martin Marietta Corp. help that is fluent in the language of the customer. Additional Caltex Mitsubishi Heavy Industries