Tight Shutoff for all Applications
Regular aluminium body soft seated valves from AKO UK are used throughout the Clay Cross foundry of Biwater Industries. Supplied in standard form with a polyester powder-coated finish, the present soft seated valves have so far endured five years of continuous exposure to the most physically aggressive environment it is possible to imagine.
In their sand foundry, Biwater produce chemically-bonded sand moulds to cast pipe fittings in the range 300 to 700mm diameter. Six sand mixers are supplied with sand routed through 100mm diameter AKO soft seated valves with a rubber pinching sleeve, with sand from the sand-reclamation system. Each soft seated valve passes up to 10 tonnes/hour of sand. The sand reclamation system in which the soft seated valves work is part of the reclamation system integral to Biwater's environmental programme.
Soft Seated Valve Rubber Liner Lifetime
The abrasive friction of the recycled sand will wear out any valve liner. The AKO soft seated valves are fitted with natural rubber sleeves, which are replaced every 9 months, on average. The secrets of the sleeve surprisingly are also in the elliptical shaped body of the AKO soft seated valve.
The body shape ensures the sleeve folds in the same place every time it closes, this results in a better mechanical memory, ensuring a longer life of the sleeve and soft seated valve overall.
This feature is unique to the AKO soft seated valves, meaning a longer life than the soft seated valve competition, as well as very importantly having up to 40% less air consumption when in operation.
Saving 40% on air consumption with a valve that is operating every 10 seconds on a 24 hour shift is a huge power saving to every manufacturer.
AKO soft seated valves have been used in this plant for 18 years. Some years ago the older cast-iron bodied valves were replaced by the newer aluminium-bodied models, for the safety and convenience of the Biwater engineers.
Lighter weight means easier handling of the valves, which are mounted at various levels. When replacing a soft seated valve for re-sleeving, the total process downtime is about 20 minutes.
Advantages of Soft Seated Valves
Biwater opted for soft seated valves because of their utter simplicity and reliability, There are no knives, gates, balls or bearings to clog with sand. In this hostile environment, most valves, regardless of type, will need frequent refurbishment – and AKO soft seated valves offer greatly reduced costs in this respect, since a new rubber sleeve is dramatically-less expensive than a reground butterfly seal, gate seat or knife blade.
In addition, the 100mm soft seated valve means a true 100mm bore, since there are no intrusive elements into the flow of sand. Sand transfer & mixing can therefore be carried out on a more-consistent basis.
Externally, the paint finish has protected the AKO soft seated valve very effectively, with no visible damage after 5 years service.
With proven reliability in the industry for over 30 years many engineers, OEMS and manufacturers are now realising not only do AKO soft seated valves offer the best and most reliable solution for conveying difficult products, they can also compete and beat ‘traditional’ valves on price. In the current ever-competitive UK market this is very important.
Find out more about soft seated valves.
