Severn Unival transforms valve asset management

02 May 2009

The asset management of thousands of valves, vital to major operators in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, is being enhanced using innovative data capture technology created by Terrington Data Management.

Univalve transforms valve asset management

Control valve aftermarket service specialist, Severn Unival, is using PC-based data capture software TransForm from Terrington Data Management, York, to improve its management of all UK valves and platforms operated by its leading oil and Gas Company clients.

Huddersfield-based Severn Unival, part of Severn Glocon Group, has more than 130 staff and a £14.5m turnover and manufactures a wide range of valves, as well as providing a specialist asset management service for those made by other manufacturers.

Under the asset management service, valves are monitored, tested and repaired through its workshops in Huddersfield, Aberdeen, Gloucester and Widnes as part of platform healthcare contracts to improve performance and safety.

Severn Unival technical services and products general manager, Tony Brooke, said: “TransForm is revolutionising our asset management contracts by improving the recording of valve data, access to records, identifying trends in valve performance and how we provide information to our customers.”
The company previously operated a pen-and-paper system, uses hand-held TransForm to record details of all valves, whether manufactured by or new to the company, to create a database of details including the owner, history, status, performance, specification, application and destination of every valve leaving a workshop.

Every new valve goes through the same process as well as hundreds of valves logged during site surveys. Data recorded includes the different stages they are at in their life and repair cycle.
Brooke said: “Every valve is given a unique TransForm reference number. This means that, when it next comes in for repair, we can easily access previously-captured data.

“We previously used hand-written sheets. Now all the paper forms are electronically replicated in TransForm. Keying the reference number enables us to find all the activity reports for each valve without us having to search for different job files and so on.

“Using TransForm is faster, avoids duplication and prevents potential for difficulties caused by rushed handwriting or careless filing. TransForm also uses uniform terminology and processes which eliminates the possibility of misunderstandings and allows users to find details quickly and accurately through the retrieval system.

“TransForm also ensures that work is finished correctly. Operators who may have to leave something at a certain stage can create a flag for someone else to complete that part of the project.

“The system also prompts us that certain valves are due for attention. For example, safety relief valves used on offshore oil rigs must be re-calibrated in certain timescales. TransForm allows us to easily identify these within the system and plan coordinated campaigns of action with far greater efficiency.”

TransForm also enables Severn Unival to operate its Performance+ trouble-shooting service by identifying patterns in valve failure, which can be used to offer a pro-active solution.

In a major advancement, TransForm’s web access is enabling the company to give customers their own web platform so they can view photographs of their valves and access up-to-the-minute reports after surveys so they can more accurately plan shut downs, repairs and maintenance.

Brooke says: “This communication facility within TransForm is very good for our clients, enabling them to improve their knowledge and decision making in addition to the technical services we already provide.”
TransForm, which has a sister system, IndEX, used for hazardous area electrical (ATEX 137) inspections, is compatible with many hand-held terminals and operating platforms.

Any paper form-based business process can be replicated electronically within TransForm, usually for industrial inspection applications. Asset management information, such as equipment installation date, manufacturer, serial number etc can be built into the system and inspection forms added underneath to automatically update existing information.

Terrington managing director, Mark Williams, said: “TransForm is faster, more cost effective and far more accurate than paper-based records. The system improves efficiency and reduces costs as well as enabling users to demonstrate compliance with appropriate regulations as part of the standard package.
“A growing number of companies are using TransForm because, if an incident occurs, they have total confidence in the system to provide instant detailed records of their inspection and prevention measures which could prove crucial in avoiding down time and saving costs in the event of a technical failure.
“In addition, companies are expanding their use of TransForm to include plant decommissioning and commissioning management, safety management and asset tracking.”