Process, energy, and maintenance managers looking to maximise safety, efficiency, and productivity, are being urged ‘to take a proactive approach to plant management’ by including wireless steam trap monitoring within their proactive maintenance regime.
Spirax Sparco said: “Wireless steam trap monitoring systems, such as Spirax Total Acoustic Performance Solutions (STAPS), complement an existing steam trap programme by providing real-time data on trap performance and condition – a sure-fire way to lower costs, boost productivity, and use resource more strategically.”
“Plant managers are already likely to have strong systems in place to keep their steam traps working,” said Mike Griffin, Spirax Sarco’s Emerging & Innovative Technologies manager. “They could be doing annual surveys, regular inspections, maintenance programmes, or even a combination of these three.” Spirax Sarco maintains that ‘while effective, these methods are also reactive’. It said: “Any problems that occur in the intervals, therefore, could go unnoticed for weeks, leading to lost savings, wasted energy, and even safety compromises.”
“Traps can leak, seize, or go cold,” said Mike Griffin. “What’s more, with budgets and resources stretched, plant managers often don’t have the in-house capability to keep on top of their entire steam trap population. Even one day of steam trap failure could result in losses or safety breaches that today’s ultra-competitive businesses can ill afford.”
According to Spirax Sarco, wireless monitoring systems like STAPS are ‘a quick and easy way to implement continuous condition monitoring of every steam trap so that failures are spotted and sorted before they become major problems for production’. The company said: “STAPS will identify steam leaks from traps instantaneously which, if left undetected, are a missed opportunity to save money and reduce environmental impact. The purpose-built software is ideal for performance monitoring and reporting.”
“They’re also easy to install,” Mike Griffin added. “You simply clamp the head unit onto the upstream side of a steam trap. The unit then transmits the data from the head unit back to the receiver. As STAPS are wireless, it’s also easier to include remote, harder-to-access areas of your plant, such as at a high level.”
