Full steam ahead: why training is vital to optimise steam applications

Often misunderstood, steam powers a wide range of modern industrial processes, from precision industrial-scale cooking through to electronics manufacturing. Getting steam control right is critical not just for application performance but also for efficiency, maintenance and safety requirements. 

Specialist training on steam system design and management ensures that engineering teams can optimise their systems and develop tailored solutions suited to demanding UK industrial environments.

Kieran Bennett, Technical Sales Engineer and Trainer at flow control specialist Bürkert, explains.

To the layperson, describing a process as ‘steam powered’ harks back to a bygone age of industry, yet today steam is still used extensively across advanced manufacturing processes that require clean, controllable and high-intensity heat.

Steam in modern UK industrial processes

In food production, steam is widely used for its precision and efficiency in industrial cooking processes, and it remains essential for temperature control in brewing and distilling operations across the UK. Steam is also critical where optimum hygiene is required, such as sterilisation-in-place (SIP) for pharmaceutical manufacturing and cleanroom environments.

Even in electronics manufacturing, steam plays a valuable role in drying processes because its latent heat drives rapid evaporation of residual moisture, leaving equipment dry once condensate has drained. At a larger scale, steam continues to underpin power generation applications, with power stations relying on it to drive turbines and generate electricity efficiently.

Although the vapour from a kettle is often mistaken for steam, in true thermodynamic terms steam is an invisible gas. Saturated steam exists at the temperature corresponding to its pressure and coexists with water, while superheated steam is heated above this point and is a dry gas containing no liquid. Understanding these distinctions is essential for accurate system design and operation.

Ensuring correct specifications in steam systems

However, it is not just the layperson that has misconceptions about steam. Engineers can also fall into the trap of calculating steam requirements as if they are dealing with a standard gas. Steam has unique thermodynamic properties and failure to fully consider all implications can lead to incorrect specification of valves and flow control equipment, ultimately resulting in system inefficiencies or failure.

The crucial difference is that steam delivers energy by condensing, not simply by flowing. As a result, valve sizing and control systems that ignore phase change, expansion and choking behaviour will be unstable, inefficient and potentially non-compliant with industry standards.

From a performance perspective, errors in specifying the correct valve size or type for steam control can cause unstable or suboptimal flow, along with pressure drops that prevent systems from achieving and maintaining precise temperature requirements. In regulated sectors such as pharmaceuticals and food processing, this can directly impact product quality and compliance.

In many cases, calculation errors lead to valve oversizing, which is a frequent cause of excessive operational noise and vibration. Attempts to diagnose the issue can often be misdirected towards product quality or equipment faults rather than the root cause of inaccurate specification.

Efficiency and safety challenges

Inefficiency is another common issue introduced by oversizing, where excess steam flow wastes energy and increases operational costs. With energy prices remaining a significant concern for UK manufacturers, improving steam efficiency is a key priority for reducing overheads and supporting sustainability targets.

At a higher cost still, maintenance challenges and unplanned downtime can arise. Oversized valves can damage valve seats over time, while undersized valves may lead to thermal stress and premature component failure. Both scenarios result in increased lifecycle costs and reduced system reliability.

Crucially, there are also important safety implications when working with steam, requiring significantly stricter protocols compared to other gases or liquids. For example, the associated risk typically demands two forms of lockable isolation between live steam and equipment undergoing maintenance, whereas for most other applications a single form of isolation is usually considered sufficient.

As a result of these challenges, specialist knowledge in steam system design and control is essential. However, expertise in steam engineering is declining. One reason is that steam systems often operate reliably for decades and are therefore treated as background utilities. This has led to steam becoming part of the invisible infrastructure within many facilities.

Compounding this issue, infrastructure related to steam generation and distribution is often overlooked in favour of production machinery and output metrics. This trend aligns with the decline of traditional steam-heavy industries in the UK, despite steam remaining widely used and critically important across modern sectors.

Steam training for engineering teams

At JBT Marel’s operation in Livingston, West Lothian, steam is used across several key processes. JBT Marel is a global food technology corporation that develops cooking and freezing technologies, and its engineering management team identified the need to update and standardise technical knowledge across the workforce.

With experience across the team ranging from one year in the role to more than 30 years, expertise in steam control varied significantly. To address this, JBT Marel commissioned Bürkert to deliver specialist training in steam system design and management, helping to improve consistency and capability across the engineering function.

“The more knowledge we have, the more valuable our support can be on the front line,” said Darren Steel, Engineering Manager, JBT Marel. “Some members of my team had attended the training before, and I jumped at the opportunity for the remainder to get the training after such a positive response.”

Bürkert’s two-day course covers the fundamental properties of steam, including the use of steam tables and essential engineering calculations. The training places strong emphasis on practical application, guiding engineers through key steps in steam system design to optimise performance and efficiency while maintaining strict safety standards.

Increasing knowledge and improving performance

“The training has had great feedback from the team,” said Darren. “It was really beneficial and gave us a lot of great information, adding a real increase in our knowledge of designing and using steam systems.”

In practical terms, the training has enabled the JBT Marel engineering team to accurately assess steam lines and equipment, improving system performance and supporting predictive maintenance strategies. It has also increased confidence in troubleshooting customer issues and delivering reliable solutions in the field.

Importantly, enhanced knowledge of steam systems has allowed the team to develop new and more efficient solutions, particularly for customer-specific requirements. This capability is increasingly valuable as UK manufacturers seek to optimise processes, reduce energy consumption and meet evolving regulatory standards.

The role of training in future steam system optimisation

As UK industry continues to modernise, the importance of steam system optimisation will only increase. Training provides a structured way to bridge the knowledge gap, ensuring that engineers understand both the theory and practical application of steam control.

Investing in steam training not only improves operational efficiency and safety but also helps organisations remain competitive by reducing costs and enhancing process reliability. For industries reliant on precise temperature control and hygiene standards, the benefits are particularly significant.

Learn more about steam control and to book onto Bürkert’s steam training courses.