Now read in Europoort Kringen: "Predictive maintenance starts with procurement."
In Europoort Kringen , brothers Hans van der Ende and Theo van der Ende discuss the workings of predictive maintenance and other groundbreaking innovations. Read the full article below.
"A continuous smooth process with optimally performing equipment and minimal downtime. It is the dream of every asset owner and manager. If only the reality were as beautiful. However, nowadays you can get quite close thanks to predictive maintenance and a few other crucial factors."
Text: Kim de Booij
Predictive maintenance with sensors, data, and smart software—innovative? Yes, but at the same time, Van der Ende Valve Services has been working with predictive maintenance for over twenty years. Owner/director Hans van der Ende explains: "Back then, we started creating a passport for all our equipment. We made datasheets/blueprints for valves and shut-off valves and added maintenance data to this information. This way, we could track what was happening and anticipate it."
Valvekeep/valveaware
What was once tracked on paper is now in smart software. "We work with the systems ValvKeep/ValveAware. Both we and the customer can track and monitor all technical data, revision history, and performance per part," explains Theo van der Ende, Hans's brother and the technical expert in the company. "Every valve has its own fingerprint, which we visualize through smart positioners, including the friction and performance of seals and diaphragms. This results in a report. The customer receives advice on what might be wrong with the valves so that they can make the right maintenance decision."
Before predictive maintenance
Thanks to this form of predictive maintenance, you can fix faults before they occur and save considerably on maintenance costs. But predictive maintenance actually begins much earlier, explains Hans van der Ende: "In advance, during a new build or expansion, you need to make predictions about maintenance. For example, one valve might be more expensive to purchase than another, but you could save a lot of money and hassle later because the parts last longer."
Smart choices
"And it works the same way with process setup choices," Theo van der Ende continues. "For crucial valves, we recommend installing a bypass. This may incur extra investment costs, but if there's ever a fault, you've already recouped those costs. That's how we always think along with the customer. For revisions, we never blindly revise but always look for underlying issues that can be solved so that failures are less frequent and revisions are needed less often."
Quality, not quantity
A layperson might say: not the best business case for a revision specialist. Hans van der Ende is happy to respond: "A customer isn't interested in a revision; a customer is interested in a smooth process, and everything we do is focused on that. Everyone in our company, including our technicians, knows what matters to the customer and is fully focused on providing the best possible solution. We regularly help customers save hundreds of thousands of euros by reducing downtime and maintenance. This is recognized and appreciated. We are not the oldest revision company in the Netherlands for nothing. Our wealth lies not in our revenue but in long-term relationships with our customers."
Project coordination turnaround
What is not always recognized is the added value of quality in the preliminary phase, says Hans van der Ende. "During a large maintenance shutdown, we are sometimes only brought in during the execution phase. At that point, a contractor has already determined what needs to be revised and ordered the parts. However, these parties sometimes lack the specialized knowledge in our specific field. We've encountered situations where tens of thousands of euros' worth of unusable materials ended up on the shelf. This can be prevented by involving us in the project coordination of your turnaround. It's our specialty."
Ground-breaking innovation
Van der Ende also uses his expertise to develop innovations. "At the moment, we're working with TNO on a groundbreaking innovation: an emission-free control valve. Did you know that globally, around 3.6 trillion cubic meters of gas escape from industrial processes every year, with a value of 30 billion dollars, and that 60% of this emission is due to leaking valves? With our emission-free control valve, we aim to solve this problem in one go. We're still in the research phase, but we are going to make it happen!"
Largest inventory in Europe
Van der Ende Valve Services focuses on quality and works exclusively with original OEM parts. The company is a supplier of various A-brands, including Masoneilan and Consolidated. They are even the largest stockholder of these brands in Europe.
Having your own stock
Do you have enough stock to ensure a continuous smooth process? Can you immediately grab the needed equipment off the shelf when an issue arises? With the help of Van der Ende Valve Services, the answer is: yes."
Source: Europoort Kringen - March 2023