Power Plant Valves

[JohnBreen]

Hello All,

I have been in the profession for 40 years and I have had to accept many changes in the availability of replacement components for power plants. However, I am finding that there are very few valve manufacturers left now. We have seen much "consolidation" and shifts in marketing. Many of the "traditional" long-time valve manufacturers simply "are no more" (can you believe

http://www.walworthvalve.com

is a DEAD LINK?).

Question: Who is left in the business of making valves for power plants? The other issues is "what do you have to do to get them to answer email inquiries?".

Regards, John.

 

[davefitz]

Some control valves available in the USA are:

Fisher Controls, including Eurvalve
CCI, who also market Sulzer valves and BTG , and I think also sell parts for Bailey Japan valves(?)

 

[CountOlaf]

What type of valves are you specifically referring to: control, isolation duty, what fluid/material and what type of temperature/pressures? You're probably right about the consolidation and marketing shifts, however, I'm just curious about the application.

 

[rmw]

Same is true of lots of other components used in power plants. Tried to find a domestic brass tube manufacturer lately? If no one is buying their products, they vanish into the night. (to join the buggy whip mfgr's.)

rmw

 

[Multistagedisk]

I am currently with CCI and if you would like to contact me let me know at smerwe@ccivalve.com.

 

[ApC2Kp]

John,
The Valve Manufacturers Association used to have a booklet that recounted the twists and turns of valve companies in the history of the industry. I think that they may have given up trying to track the mergers, buy outs, consolidations, and disappearance of many good valve companies. You might check their site, vma.org , for list of current members and possibly an old copy of the industry booklet. The valve companies still in business have moved much of the manufacturing to offshore locations and entities. Many have partnerships with foundries in China, India, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Romania, and Spain. I have heard CRANE has four plants in China. The Walworth brand may have been swallowed up by CRANE - they still sell the ALOYCO brand. POWELL is another manufacturer that has production off shore and has worked through the quality problems that can come with lowest cost manufacturing. There are still good valve companies out there. FLOWSERVE seems to be driving towards number 1 position in the industry - they have acquired EDWARDS Valve Co. which has the stop-check valves for boiler steam outlet valve functions.
The best way to get responses for valve inquiries is to find and feed your local sales representatives and distributors. Some priceless expertise has been maintained in those sales rep-distributor organizations. Fisher Controls probably had one of the best trained sales rep organizations. The local distributor for my area,

http://www.acidpiping.com,

has kept up with changes in the valve industry, and time after time does miracles in locating valves and piping for client outages, field shortages, etc. as well as for projects.
If it is service and parts for maintaining valves that are your needs, then the Valve Repair Council portion of the vma.org site could provide leads. The challenge of getting OEM quality parts will be even more important for products without a corporate ownership.
Power plants do keep valves and equipment in service for many years of life. I remember seeing a 24" steel gate valve from Houston Power and Light. The shop was refurbishing the seats and packing. It was a CRANE valve, and it must have come from German foundry, pre-1940s, because it had swastika symbol cast on the body. That's old!

 

[NGiLuzzu]

JohnBreen,
for information about another Valves & Controls international Company (in addition to the ones mentioned by ApC2Kp), you may see Thread408-103783.

Hope this helps, 'NGL

 

[JohnBreen]

Thanks to everybody for the replies.

The application is the design/installation of an additional Extraction Steam line to be built at an existing coal burning power plant in the Columbus Ohio area.

The plant wants to add a new Extraction Steam piping system from and existing Cold reheat Steam piping system to an Heat Exchanger (for plant heating system hot water). I only need to get a couple of stop (gate) valves and a swing check valve for this little project. However, after the Spring weather arrives we also want to install another steam line and that will require about 8 more valves.

It has been hard to keep track of who is "still in the game" in recent years.

Best regards, John.

 

[CountOlaf]

Sounds like an AEP job!

You may be right about the company's website, but I searched around on-line and it seams like there's a few distributors who still list Walworth Valves as something they stock.

At any rate, good luck. Aren't you getting close to receiving that pension?

 

[JohnBreen]

Hello CountOlaf,

Actually it is Reliant Energy.

Olde engineers never retire, they just move to Texas and become consultants and seminar instructors.

Thanks for the response.

Regards, John.

 

[scalleke]

I can't believe that one of the largest North American manufacturers is not mentioned in this thread. VELAN Valves.

OK I work for them So I am biased.

But I cannot see why we could not supply the valves that you need.

Have a look at

http://www.velanvalve.com

Immagine: 6 NORTH AMERICAN manufacturing plants. and NO plants in China. Yes, north American manufacturer's still exist.

Sorry guys, got carried away.

scalleke

 

[JohnBreen]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the input.

Regarding plastic valves. Come back in 30 years after we have had time to evaluate the reliability experience and then lets talk about lasting 3 time longer than steel valves!!!

Seriously though, what is the intended application for these epoxy valves. What are the pressure/temperature ratings and how are they determined (ASTM spec?)? What is the temperature limit? How long in service (at design temperature and pressure) before creep becomes an issue? How long at temperature before the material begins to embrittle (as all plastics will)? How many actual years have these valves been in service and what was the environment, the service, and the product inside the piping?

Best regards to all, John.

 

[JohnBreen]

Hello All,

Well, the thread has been "moderated" to eliminate some balatent advertizing. My mention of epoxy valves DOES NOT mean to apply to the posting directly above it. One or two postings have been "moderated out" and so the sequence of comments has been altered. This board does not allow posting advertizing in the discussion.

Thanks, moderators.

Regards, John.

 

[IVNJ]

John, Walworth Valves are still available, and still being manufactured in Mexico. Effective Feb.'03, Industrial Valco Inc. was appointed as a national master distributor for all Walworth products. I would be happy to help you with any questions you may have.

Paul Martin
800-898-8526

 

[Geof]

John,


Get a subscription to Valve Magazine. More mergers announced in every issue, as you say, but it keeps me up to date.

I found the subscription information to it on VMA's web site.

Good luck,
Geof.

 

[ALEXFV]

JohnBreen:
As per your thread, there's some brands made in México such as Walworth, Keystone, Worcester and some models of DeZurik.

Hope this would help you.

Regards.

 

[stanier]

John,

Tyco own many valve companies now and I am sure that they have the range to cover your needs. They are not all USA companies . Thats Globalization for you.

For high performance valves , apart from CCI already mentioned there is Valve Technologies who manufacture a ceramic coated metal seated ball valve for blow down. XOMOX would provide the same.


Try

http://www.flotechcontrols.com/.

Ron Rodrigues has been in the valve game for many years. He is Australian based,has worked for Fisher controls, was a director of Valtek and now represents some heavy duty valve manufacturers in the power industry in SE Asia and the sub continent.