June 26, 2018 – Spurring growth through innovation, Daher is leveraging its expertise in the design, manufacture and assembly of high-performance valves for the nuclear and energy sectors. The Group has developed a connected smart valve for predictive maintenance. This disruptive technology is both a strategic priority for Daher and its customers, as well as operational performance and sales driver.
Predictive maintenance on smart valves optimizes operating costs
Daher has maintained its place as market leader in high-performance valves for the nuclear and energy sectors for many years, supporting the largest facilities worldwide. It was only logical for the Group to develop a predictive maintenance solution, which reduces maintenance costs by 10 to 15%. Operators currently use two types of maintenance plans:
- Valve replacement after a set number of years, even when in perfect working order, which incurs financial losses.
- Valve replacement in the event of a breakdown in between two maintenance plans, often leading to downtime on the line, which can incur additional costs. In addition to the stoppage of operation, time is needed to identify the breakdown, order a new valve, wait for delivery, install the valve, etc.
In response to the situation, Daher embarked on an employee-led development project to implement predictive maintenance for smart valves. The solution entails equipping the valves with sensors and connecting them to an IoT platform developed by Nexess, which detects weak signals in the valves’ “signature” (vibration speed, temperature, flow, etc.) to predict potential breakdowns.
Daher leverages its expertise to handle the manufacturing of the valves, installation of sensors on the valves and signal diagnostics.