Tackling the complexity of online valve inspection with a smart and mobile inspection system

Almost all production processes require industrial valves, which control flow, prevent backflow, regulate pressure, and stop process flow when closed. As such, industrial valves play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of production processes.

However, valves can fail in harsh operating environments with high temperatures, corrosive chemicals and abrasive particles. To maintain valves, it's important to inspect them during operation. But inspection procedures can be time-consuming and error-prone. As a result, leaks often remain undetected for a long time, leading to a decrease in process efficiency, a loss of product quality or ultimately to unplanned downtime.

Therefore, i.safe MOBILE, together with its strategic partner Senseven, has developed the first smart and mobile inspection system for valve leak detection in hazardous areas.

“As part of modern condition monitoring programs, companies are in need for easy-to-use and digital inspection tools to quickly and independently inspect their assets and share data within the team or management”, says Christoph Altman, CTO and Co-Founder of Senseven.

Valve Sense is a software guided inspection system based on i.safe MOBILE’s innovative 5G Smartphone IS540.1. The modern solution connects state of the art acoustic emission sensors to the phone and this way transforms it into a mobile inspection tool.

The Senseven software on the Smartphone guides the user through the inspection process, captures sensor data, processes it, and uses algorithms and artificial intelligence to determine if the valve is leaking or not.

In the past, interpretation of measurement results was a difficult and time-consuming task for inspectors. Now, with the Senseven software, data analysis can be automated, results can be reproduced, and decision-making can be significantly accelerated.

No training or expertise is required to detect leaking valves of water, gas, steam, air, and viscous liquids with this simple solution. Companies can therefore regularly inspect their assets without interfering with the process, identify faults themselves at an early stage, and respond immediately to them.

As a result, they are not dependent on expert knowledge, can increase the efficiency of their processes, avoid additional costs, and reduce employee safety risks.

When connected to Wi-Fi or a network via SIM card, all measurements are automatically synchronized with the Senseven Backoffice, a web platform, accessible from anywhere on mobile devices or a desktop, eliminating the need for data transfer via USB or card storage.

This solves the issue of having inspection data isolated, decentralized, and often stored on individual devices. The cloud approach makes it cumbersome for managers to extract valuable information of their assets in form of automated reports.

All inspection data can also be integrated to existing asset management systems to trigger internal processes.

“Valve Sense is built to handle harsh industrial environments in Ex-zones with the usual reliable safety standards of i.safe MOBILE . It offers a great opportunity for all companies with or without in-house valve inspection expertise. It is easy to use, inspections can be performed at any time, and companies can rely on the

performance of their valves without having to wait for the next maintenance cycle”, comments Martin Haaf, CEO of i.safe MOBILE.

Since valves are found in virtually every production process, Valve Sense can be used in any industry and for all valve types and sizes.

The benefits in a nutshell:
• Smart and mobile inspection tool for harsh operating environments in Ex-zones
• Software guided inspection process
• Automatic leak detection with the help of algorithms and AI
• Automatic data synchronization via 5G/4G or Wi-Fi
• Customizable reporting and software integration
• Lifecycle inspection data in one platform
• Fosters collaboration across management levels and locations

Valve Sense is available to buy globally from i.safe MOBILE, Senseven or authorized dealers.
Further information, the full scope of delivery and the data sheet can be found on: https://www.isafe-mobile.com/en/inspection/valve-sense/is-vs1a1.