In the chemical industry one of the most dangerous activities is the operation of valves and/or line blinds around cracking furnaces, typically in the production of ethylene.

The incorrect operational sequence of the controls to gas, feed stock and decoke air to the furnace can cause catastrophic results.

Normally operation of these controls is carried out manually using valves and/or the swinging of line blinds or elbows (spool pieces) to control the gas inlet and decoke air inlet.

The manual process is time consuming often involving extended downtime. The scope of accident and injury is high if these procedures are incorrectly carried out.

The solution to this problem is to use valve interlocks - mechanically operated key locking devices. Interlocks mount directly onto the relevant valves or equipment and can be supplied to suit any make, model or type of valve, either manual or actuator operated.

Learn more about this application by downloading our Application Guide.