August 13, 2012 - The introduction of Rotork CVA all-electric control valve actuation technology has improved the efficiency of the production process for a leading polymer manufacturing company in Australia. Era Polymers is a world-class manufacturer of polyurethane systems, producing a diverse range of cast elastomer prepolymers including spray polyurethane and polyureas, rigid and flexible foam systems, rubber binders and floor coatings. The company wanted to automate the manually operated temperature control of water supplied to the condenser as part of the water/glycol separation process during the manufacture of polyurethane elastomer.
The existing temperature variation of only 1-2°C resulted in an unacceptable level of wasted product, so the success of the project relied on the achievement of exceptionally accurate temperature control, within ±0.1°C. The application also called for full automation, operating from a 4-20mA control signal. Rotork Australia proposed an all-electric control package, consisting of a V-port ball valve operated by a CVA actuator and, following a product demonstration, this package was selected as the ‘stand-out’ best option. With the equipment now installed, the CVA has successfully and autonomously operated with the sophisticated site control system to maintain the water temperature within the required parameters, delivering a ten-fold improvement in performance.
As a result, product waste during manufacture has been greatly reduced. The CVA is designed to provide precise and fully modulating valve operation, with repeatability and resolution performance within 0.1% of full scale. The actuator also features quick and easy non-intrusive setting and commissioning using wireless Bluetooth communication technology, whilst an integral data-logger stores an extensive record of operational and maintenance related information, including valve torque profiles and dwell times.