Alfa Laval ThinkTop® V20 Sensing and control

Introduction

The Alfa Laval ThinkTop V20 valve indication unit offers reliable,

cost-effective operation of hygienic valves. It provides standard

functionality for intuitive sensing of the valve position and status,

displayed on the unit’s 360° light-emitting diodes (LEDs). It also

provides convenient real-time valve position monitoring and easy

access to historical data, making process control more reliable

and accurate while saving time and money on installation,

commissioning, operation and maintenance.

Application

Purpose-designed to digitalize essential on-off valve monitoring,

the ThinkTop V20 is the first pure valve-sensing device that is

maintenance-free and does not require manual adjustment or

programming. It meets standard process system requirements for

sensing and displaying the fluid handling status. It senses and

indicates the valve position and status in fluid handling processes

in hygienic applications across the dairy, food, beverage, home

and personal care, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and many

other industries.

Benefits

• More reliable real-time process control from a sensor system

that does not require readjustment over time

• 70 % faster, more intuitive setup than conventional valve

indication units

• Compact, aesthetic and maintenance-free design based on

the ThinkTop V-series

• Choice of communication protocols – digital, AS-I and IO-Link

– to suit process requirements

• 360° LED visual status indication, visible from all directions

Standard design

The ThinkTop V20 is suitable for use on all Alfa Laval hygienic

valves. Installation is efficient and straightforward; no expertise,

adapter or special tools are required. Mount the unit on top of the

valve, then tighten the two screws on the valve mushrooms. Plug

the M12 female plug into the ThinkTop V20 to begin the intuitive

live startup sequence. No additional steps are required. It is

compatible with any Alfa Laval hygienic valve with standard

mushroom connections, making it easy to install new or replace

older valve indication units.

Working principles

The ThinkTop V20 is an automated valve indication unit that

does not require the use of any solenoid valve. It transmits the

status and condition of the valve position to any programmable

logic controller (PLC) system using electrical feedback signals,

such as digital, AS-Interface or IO-Link. Light-emitting diodes

(LEDs) on the unit provide a 360° visual indication of the valve

status, visible from any direction, displaying the current main valve

position and any local faults.

The sensor system accurately detects valve stem movement and

the valve position at any given moment, using microchip sensors

with an accuracy of ±1mm. Sensor chips on the sensor board

calculate the angle between the axial magnetic field produced by

a sensor target mounted on the valve stem to signal the current

valve position. The ThinkTop V20 is compatible with all Alfa Laval

hygienic valves, eliminating the need to readjust the sensors and

thereby boosting productivity.