Westlock Controls: Celebrating 40 Years of Valve Monitoring & Control Leadership

Since 1984, Westlock Controls has been a trusted leader in intelligent valve monitoring and control. Founded by Frank Sinclair in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, the company has grown into a global force known for its innovation, safety, and reliability. For four decades, Westlock has delivered solutions that ensure operational certainty, fast commissioning, and streamlined performance - helping customers reduce downtime even in the most demanding environments.

Westlock’s legacy of innovation began with The Beacon, a groundbreaking valve position indicator that transformed how industries monitored valve status. This was followed by the introduction of the world’s first switchbox in 1988, setting a new benchmark in valve monitoring. Today, Westlock continues to lead the way adding new cutting-edge technologies and a global support network spanning the USA, UK, China, Singapore, and India - ensuring expert service and local responsiveness wherever customers operate.

Smart Valve Solutions for Safer, More Reliable Operations
Westlock’s full valve monitoring and control portfolio is built for performance - delivering rugged durability, intuitive design, and advanced diagnostics. Choose from limit switch sensing or advanced 4–20mA transmitters for on/off valves, with optional integrated, pre-wired solenoid pilot valves. Solutions also extend to control valve applications with smart positioners. Every product is engineered with the end user in mind, enabling a shift from reactive maintenance to proactive, data-driven control - enhancing safety, reliability, and plant efficiency.

Troubleshooting Valve Failures
A major challenge in today’s valve operations is the lack of real-time field diagnostics. Many systems still depend on manual checks or reactive maintenance, offering limited visibility into valve health. Without integrated diagnostic tools, early signs of failure often go unnoticed, leading to unexpected breakdowns, extended downtime, and costly repairs.

Westlock’s Quantum series features a pre-wired solenoid valve with an innovative red spool position indicator, giving operators a quick visual check of solenoid function. In the event of a valve failure, operations can assess if due to solenoid failure instantly if the red indicator has not shifted to open position - resulting in faster troubleshooting to help rule out the solenoid valve from the rest of the valve package.

Identification of Stuck Open Valves

Conventional limit switches have long served as the foundation of valve monitoring, but their precision and diagnostic capabilities are limited. While still valuable in many applications, today’s leading operations are shifting toward real-time, data-driven valve diagnostics to boost safety, reliability, and performance. Embracing smart monitoring technologies enables more accurate insights, faster issue detection, and improved control across the valve lifecycle.

Westlock’s EPIC D200 Transmitter series provides continuous monitoring and real-time valve position feedback. With precision % open indication, operators can detect abnormal behavior early - helping prevent stuck open valves that could lead to safety risks or process disruptions, where legacy limit switch technology may not detect.

Reducing Control Valve Failures
As industrial automation evolves, traditional electro-pneumatic systems often fall short in meeting modern performance demands. Smart positioners like Westlock’s K20 and ICoT are redefining control valve reliability and efficiency. Engineered with non-contact sensing, fully potted electronics, and a frictionless spool valve, these advanced solutions ensure long-term durability. Their embedded microprocessors deliver fast, precise control, while features like auto-calibration and intuitive interfaces - complete with LCD, HART protocol, and capacitive buttons - streamline setup and adjustments.

Standard 4–20mA feedback provides increased visibility into valve health and performance, allowing operators to respond quickly to anomalies. With robust spool manifolds rated for up to 2 billion cycles, seamless actuator transitions, and remote mounting options for harsh environments, Westlock’s smart positioners offer proactive diagnostics and real-time feedback, helping users reduce valve failures and optimize performance.

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