The Essential Partnership Between Local Sales Engineering Firms and Industrial Manufacturers

Local sales engineering firms play a pivotal role in the industrial landscape, particularly in specifying and applying industrial instruments, controls, and valves. These firms serve as the critical bridge between the regional industrial account base and the manufacturers of these specialized products, ensuring that both sides achieve their objectives efficiently and effectively.

For regional industrial customers, a local sales engineering firm offers invaluable expertise. These firms possess a deep understanding of the unique needs and challenges faced by industries in their specific geographic area. Whether it's a chemical plant, a food processing facility, or a power generation station, the demands of these operations vary significantly depending on local regulations, environmental conditions, and the specific processes employed. A local sales engineering firm can provide tailored solutions that consider these factors, helping customers select the most appropriate instruments, controls, and valves for their applications. This tailored approach not only enhances operational efficiency but also ensures compliance with local standards and regulations, reducing the risk of costly mistakes.

Moreover, the close proximity of these firms allows for more immediate and personalized support. When an industrial customer encounters a problem or needs assistance with the installation or maintenance of equipment, a local sales engineering firm can respond quickly, minimizing downtime and ensuring that operations continue smoothly. This level of service, often unattainable when dealing with distant manufacturers or larger, less specialized distributors, fosters strong relationships with customers, ultimately leading to increased trust and loyalty.

On the other side of the equation, manufacturers of process instruments and valves benefit immensely from their partnerships with local sales engineering firms. These firms serve as their eyes and ears on the ground, providing crucial insights into regional market trends, customer preferences, and emerging opportunities. By leveraging the local firm's knowledge and relationships, manufacturers can better tailor their products to meet the specific needs of different markets. This enhances the relevance of their offerings and enables them to compete more effectively in the regional marketplace.

Furthermore, local sales engineering firms are an extension of the manufacturer's sales and support teams. They possess a deep understanding of the manufacturer's product lines, technical specifications, and applications, allowing them to communicate these details to potential customers effectively. This expertise is critical during the specification phase, where the correct selection of instruments, controls, and valves can make the difference between a successful project and a costly failure. By ensuring that customers receive accurate and relevant information, local firms help manufacturers build a strong reputation for reliability and performance in the regions they serve.

The importance of a local sales engineering firm in the industrial sector cannot be overstated. These firms provide essential support to regional industrial customers and manufacturers, ensuring the right products are specified, applied, and maintained effectively. Their deep local knowledge and close relationships with customers and manufacturers make them indispensable partners in the complex and demanding world of industrial instrumentation and control.

M.S. Jacobs
https://msjacobs.com
800-348-0089

Industrial Input and Output (I/O) Modules

In industrial applications, input and output (I/O) modules monitor and control both analog and discrete signals.

Analog signals are continuous signals that vary over time, such as temperature, pressure, or voltage, and analog input modules monitor these signals. These modules convert the analog signals into a digital form that the control system can process. A programmable logic controller (PLC) or a distributed control system (DCS) receives the converted signals for monitoring and control purposes.

Discrete signals, on the other hand, have only two states: on/off, open/closed, or high/low. Discrete input modules monitor these signals. These modules detect changes in the state of the discrete signals and communicate this information to the control system.

Analog output modules process analog signals. They receive digital calls from the control system and convert them into analog signals that control analog devices such as actuators or motors.

Discrete output modules control discrete signals. They receive digital calls from the control system to activate or deactivate discrete devices such as relays, solenoids, or valves.

In summary, I/O modules monitor and control analog and discrete signals in industrial applications. They allow for the conversion of signals from the physical world into a form that can be processed by the control system and vice versa, enabling real-time monitoring and control of industrial processes.

Acromag’s I/O and signal conditioning lines feature more than 100 transmitters, isolators, alarms, and computation modules for process control applications. If networked I/O is required, Acromag offers analog and discrete I/O modules for Ethernet, Modbus, and Profibus.

For more information, contact M.S. Jacobs by calling 800-348-0089 or visit https://msjacobs.com.

Remote Power Where You Need It

Designed for rugged and remote operation, the PowerGen remote power generator provides reliable electrical power supply to the most demanding and mission-critical loads. Based on Qnergy’s no-maintenance and highly reliable PCK series Stirling engines, the generator package can work seamlessly with a variety of fuel supplies, including: natural gas, propane, ethane, biogas, and multiple associated gas streams. By means of its flexible and modular design, this generator package can be tailored to provide a broad range of power output architectures to meet the electrical requirements of each specific site load.

What Makes Qnergy PowerGen Your Remote Power Solution?

• Qnergy Stirling Engine
• No Maintenance
• Frictionless Piston
• Multiple Fuel Sources
• Zero Lubrication
• Enclosed System
• High Efficiency

Applications

• Artificial Lift
• Communication & SCADA
• Monitoring, Security & Safety
• Prime Power
• Renewable Hybrid
• Well Pad Automation
• Cathodic Protection (ICCP

Qnergy Powergen Remote Power Series from M.S. Jacobs & Associates

Volume Booster Working Principle

Pneumatic Volume Booster
(Fairchild)

A pneumatic air volume booster reproduce a low flow control signal with a higher regulated flow output pressure. It uses an unregulated input pressure to maintain a regulated output pressure under flowing and non-flowing conditions.

The volume booster is connected to the supply line and the output plumbing. It receives a pneumatic control signal, however, from another device, such as a transducer, valve positioner or other control means.

This pneumatic signal controls the pressure into and out of the booster, while allowing the booster to flow the maximum volume of the supply line. Boosters may also be referred to as pilot-operated regulators, as your control or pilot signal maintains the pressure control.

The regulated output of a pneumatic air volume booster can be any of the following:

• A direct reproduction of the pneumatic control signal
• A multiple of the pneumatic control signal 
• A fraction of the pneumatic control signal

The volume booster ratio is the multiplier or divider of signal pressure to output pressure. For example, a 2:1 ratio means output pressure is 1/2 the signal pressure. Similarly, a 2:1 ratio would provide output pressure twice the signal pressure. Note, however, the output pressure can never exceed the supply pressure to the booster.

Often the signal pressure is lower than the supply pressure because a control device (valve positioner, I/P, etc.) will only handle a lower supply pressure.

Control Valve Selection - 8 Things to Remember

Cashco Control Valve

Choosing an improperly applied sized or improperly sized control valve can have serious consequences on operation, productivity and most important, safety. Here is a quick checklist of basics that need to be considered:

1. Control valves are not intended to be a an isolation valve and should not be used for isolating a process. 
2. Always carefully select the correct materials of construction. Take into consideration the parts of the valve that comes in to contact with the process media such as the valve body, the seat and any other "wetted" parts. Consider the operating pressure and operating temperature the control valve will see. Finally, also consider the ambient atmosphere and any corrosives that can occur and effect the exterior of the valve. 
3. Put your flow sensor upstream of the control valve. Locating the flow sensor downstream of the control valve exposes it to an unstable flow stream which is caused by turbulent flow in the valve cavity.
4. Factor in the degree of control you need and make sure your valve is mechanically capable. Too much dead-band leads to hunting and poor control. Dead-band is roughly defined as the amount of control signal required to affect a change in valve position. It is caused by worn, or loosely fitted mechanical linkages, or as a function of the controller setting. It can also be effected by the tolerances from mechanical sensors, friction inherent in the the valve stems and seats, or from an undersized actuator. 
5. Consider stiction. The tendency for valves that have had very limited travel, or that haven't moved at all, to "stick" is referred to as stiction. It typically is caused by the valves packing glands, seats or the pressure exerted against the disk. To overcome stiction, additional force needs to be applied by the actuator, which can lead to overshoot and poor control.
6. Tune your loop controller properly. A poorly tuned controller causes overshoot, undershoot and hunting. Make sure your proportional, integral, and derivative values are set).  This is quite easy today using controllers with advanced, precise auto-tuning features that replaced the old fashioned trial and error loop tuning method.
7. Don't over-size your control valve. Control valves are frequently sized larger than needed for the flow loop they control. If the control valve is too large, only a small percentage of travel is used (because a small change in valve position has a large effect on flow), which in turn makes the valve hunt. This causes excessive wear. Try to always size a control valve at about 70%-90% of travel.
8. Think about the type of control valve you are using and its inherent flow characteristic. Different types of valve, and their disks, have very different flow characteristics (or profiles). The flow characteristic can be generally thought of as the change in rate of flow in relationship to a change in valve position. Globe control valves have linear characteristics which are preferred, while butterfly and gate valves have very non-linear flow characteristics, which can cause control problems.  In order to create a linear flow characteristic through a non-linear control valve, manufacturers add specially designed disks or flow orifices which create a desired flow profile.

These are just a few of the more significant criteria to consider when electing a control valve. You should always discuss your application with an experienced application expert before making your final selection.