How does Carilo Valve’s product lifecycle management work?

At its core, the product lifecycle management (PLM) process at Carilo Valve is a fully integrated, data-driven digital thread that orchestrates every stage of a valve’s existence—from initial market research and conceptual design to final decommissioning and recycling. This isn’t just a series of disconnected steps; it’s a cohesive system built on a unified software platform that ensures data integrity, enforces compliance, and accelerates time-to-market. For a company specializing in critical flow control solutions for sectors like oil & gas, power generation, and chemical processing, this rigorous approach is non-negotiable. A single valve might have over 50 unique components, each with its own specifications, material certifications, and sourcing requirements. The PLM system is the single source of truth that manages this complexity, reducing errors by an estimated 27% compared to legacy document-based systems.

The journey begins with the Concept and Design Phase. Here, market intelligence—gathered from direct client feedback, industry trend analysis, and regulatory changes—feeds into the innovation pipeline. Carilo Valve’s engineering team uses advanced CAD (Computer-Aided Design) and CAE (Computer-Aided Engineering) software integrated directly into the PLM platform. This allows for simultaneous collaboration between engineers in different global offices. For instance, when designing a new high-pressure trunnion-mounted ball valve for a subsea application, stress analysis simulations are run concurrently with the 3D modeling. The PLM system tracks every design iteration, capturing the “why” behind each change. A typical new product development cycle involves over 200 individual design files and 15-20 major iterations before a prototype is ever built. The system’s version control ensures that everyone is working from the latest model, eliminating costly miscommunication.

Once a design is finalized, the process moves to the Validation and Testing Phase. This is where digital models meet physical reality. Carilo Valve operates state-of-the-art test rigs that simulate extreme conditions—pressures exceeding 10,000 psi, temperatures from -196°C to 850°C, and corrosive media flows. Every test result, from fugitive emission tests to cycle life tests (where a valve might be cycled open/closed 100,000 times), is logged directly into the PLM system against the specific product record. This creates an immutable digital history. For compliance-heavy industries, this is critical. A single valve order for a nuclear power plant requires traceability for every single component, often needing certification dossiers that are thousands of pages thick. The PLM system automates the generation of these reports, pulling data from design, sourcing, and testing modules.

The transition to manufacturing is seamless because the PLM system is linked to the company’s ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and MES (Manufacturing Execution System). This is the Production and Manufacturing Phase. The bill of materials (BOM) defined in the design phase automatically populates the manufacturing orders. The system specifies not just the parts, but also the approved suppliers, machining tolerances (often within microns), and assembly instructions with visual aids. On the factory floor, workers scan component barcodes, which updates the product’s digital twin in real-time. This allows for real-time tracking of production progress and immediate identification of any bottlenecks. The table below illustrates a simplified view of the data flow from design to a physical asset.

After a valve is shipped, the PLM system’s role is far from over; it enters the In-Service Support and Maintenance Phase. Each valve has a unique serial number that ties it back to its complete digital record. When a valve is installed in a remote pipeline or a power plant, maintenance teams can access its “as-built” data, including torque specifications for bolts and recommended spare parts, through a secure customer portal. This is invaluable for predictive maintenance. If a sensor on a smart valve detects abnormal vibration patterns, that data can be cross-referenced in the PLM system with the valve’s original test data to diagnose the issue before it causes a shutdown. Carilo Valve estimates that this capability can reduce unplanned downtime for their clients by up to 35%.

Finally, the lifecycle concludes with the End-of-Life and Sustainability Phase. Driven by increasing environmental regulations and circular economy principles, Carilo Valve uses its PLM data to facilitate responsible decommissioning. The system contains information on material composition, enabling efficient sorting for recycling. For example, knowing the exact percentage of recyclable stainless steel versus specialized alloys in a valve body allows for optimal material recovery. The company aims to have 90% of the materials in its standard product lines be recyclable by 2030, a target that is tracked and managed within the PLM system.

The entire PLM framework is built on a foundation of stringent data security and compliance. Given that many projects are subject to international standards like API (American Petroleum Institute), ISO (International Organization for Standardization), and PED (Pressure Equipment Directive), the system automatically enforces rule-based design checks. An engineer cannot release a drawing for production if it hasn’t passed all compliance gates within the PLM workflow. This proactive approach has helped Carilo Valve maintain a 99.8% on-time delivery rate for certified products over the past five years. The system doesn’t just manage products; it manages risk, reputation, and long-term customer relationships by ensuring that every valve that leaves the facility is a direct reflection of the data-rich, meticulously managed process that created it.