Alfa Laval pushes boundaries of valve position indication to Industry 4.0
20/06/2023
The new Alfa Laval ThinkTop V20, the next generation of hygienic valve indication units, is driving digital transformation within the process industries. Moving valve position monitoring into the Industry 4.0 era delivers competitive advantage. With automation, digitalisation and real-time communication, the ThinkTop V20 raises the bar on process control, making it more reliable and accurate while saving time and money on installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance.
The ThinkTop V20 is said to be the first pure valve-sensing unit that is maintenance-free and does not require manual adjustment or programming. It enables 360° light-emitting diode (LED) visual status indication from all directions. It also provides convenient control room monitoring of the real-time status of Alfa Laval hygienic valves used across the dairy, food, beverage, home and personal care, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, among others.
Purpose-designed to digitalise essential on-off valve monitoring, the ThinkTop V20 sensing unit provides a pragmatic approach to enhancing the reliability of valve status and position. This new addition to the advanced Alfa Laval ThinkTop V-series paves the way to a higher level of process control for manufacturers that rely on visual and signal feedback of the open or closed valve positions.
Ebbe Bundesen, Portfolio Manager, Valves and Automation at Alfa Laval, said: “The intuitive ThinkTop V20 is a faster, more intelligent valve indication unit than what is available today. It brings reliable process control to a higher level with fast, accurate, intuitive live set-up, the convenience of real-time valve position monitoring and access to real-time and historical data from the control room.
Overall, it is an invaluable saver of time and money considering the efficiency demand factories are facing. A few seconds is all it takes to commission the ThinkTop V20 by simply installing, activating and deactivating the unit. Live set-up is fast and intuitive. Sensors automatically recognise the valve type and size, calibrate and record valve opening and closing distances and complete the set-up without requiring manual interaction. Moreover, replacing or hot swapping the valve top is easy without disrupting production. No expertise, training, adaptors or special tools are required. Anyone can correctly install a new ThinkTop V20 or replace an older valve indication unit while safeguarding hygiene, productivity and uptime and saving time and money.
Part of the proven ThinkTop V-series family, the ThinkTop V20 shares the same look, maintenance-free housing and enhanced 360° LED visual status indication as the best-selling ThinkTop V-series control tops. Its compact, robust design makes it suitable for tight installations. Manufacturers select the communication protocol that best suits their processing needs, be it digital, AS-Interface or IO-Link. The V20 is hermetically sealed to ensure reliable readings of the valve position and prevent the risk of water, dust and other unauthorised substances entering into the unit. Using the point-to-point IO-Link communication protocol allows for the connection of sensors to automation systems. IO-Link also makes access to meaningful real-time data easier, improving diagnostics and simplifying configurability and control while supporting Industry 4.0.
It is claimed that the real-time visibility and remote monitoring capabilities of the ThinkTop V20 unit will provide a competitive advantage to those who rely on hygienic valve status data. The V20 stretches beyond what manufacturers thought possible from conventional valve position indicators through faster set-up time and more reliable process control.
