History of the SmartValve™
- 2008 – Initial design and development begins.
- 2009 – First commercial testing.
- 2010 – Patent application filed.
- 2012 – Flow Dynamics LLC acquires the SmartValve™ technology and patent application. Further advances R&D.
- 2014 – US patent #8,707,981 awarded as the first patent in the field.
- 2016 – FD begins design and testing of 2nd Generation SmartValve™. Patent application filed.
- 2017 – Release of 2nd Generation by SmartValve™ and retirement of original design.
History of the SmartValve™
The original SmartValve™ was a true game changer. An ingenious invention realized out of simple physics that created an entirely new market. A new technology patent application was filed in 2010 and in 2014 FLOW DYNAMICS was awarded the first patent in the field, US Patent 8,707,981. Over the next few years we installed countless valves, gaining valuable experience and continuously improving on the design.
While we were enjoying growing success, we realized that our original design had some inherent challenges and drawbacks, which mostly revolved around the fact that the valve had to be internally calibrated prior to installation. This meant that if you ever had to make an adjustment to the valve for ANY reason, you would have to turn off the water and remove the valve to do it.
So, we set about designing a new SmartValve™ that would both eliminate this issue and allow us to consistently achieve maximum performance without ever having to turn off the water again.
Game Changed…Again
As a result, we are thrilled to introduce the patent pending 2nd Generation SmartValve™, the first and only EXTERNALLY ADJUSTABLE flow management device available. With improvements rooted in years of experience with installations around the country in every type of facility, the advantages of the new design turn our original design, and any other internally calibrated valves, into dinosaurs.
The SmartValve™ is now a one-size-fits-all device that is externally calibrated to your system AFTER installation, meaning we no longer need detailed up front site surveys and pressure readings to try to figure out the right setting for your building. We have eliminated the guesswork of calibration and the inconsistent results and often costly expenses that resulted from the ‘old way’.
In addition to achieving perfect calibration on every installation, in the event the setting needs to be changed in the future it can be done in seconds while the water is still running. If there is ever a major drop in city pressure (think water main break), the valve can be fully opened very quickly by returning it to the zero setting without the need for a plumber.
The 2nd Generation SmartValve™ design has worked so well it has exceeded even our highest hopes. The many advantages it has over the original design are tremendous and invaluable. In fact, we now would not sell or even give away the remaining ‘old’ valves we still have! We are going to eat that inventory in the best interest of our customers.
That’s how much better the redesigned SmartValve™ is. We hope you will experience it for yourself.