Fault diagnosis of industrial actuators in a sugar factory: a European study

The likelihood that actuator systems (e.g. control valves, servo motors, positioners) will malfunction is significant when these components are installed in harsh environments (e.g. with high temperature, humidity, pollution, chemical solvents, aggressive media etc.). Determination of small (incipient, hard to detect) faults before they become serious clearly has an important influence on the actuator´s predicted lifetime.