48
Tube Products International July 2011
Valves
Valves in everyday private and industrial use
Valves and valve
fittings,which include
pumps, sliders and
regulators,
seals
and gaskets, are
necessary for the
conveyance of gas,
fluids or free-flowing solids through
pipelines. Valves and related fittings are
required in practically all areas of life
and must often meet high requirements.
A current overview of the latest status
in valve and fittings technology is to be
provided by the trade fair for industrial
valves and accessories, Valve World
Expo, which will be held from 27 to 29
November 2012 for the second time in
Düsseldorf.
The English word ‘valve’ is used as the
umbrella term for valves, taps, sliders
and flaps, which control, dose and
regulate the flows and flow-rates of fluids,
gases and solid materials in free-flowing
form through pipelines as well as safely
protecting them from the environment. In
Germany the terms associated with this
are ‘fittings’ or ‘valves’. Corresponding
to the respective application or purpose,
these components are produced
according to various design principles
in a diverse range of sizes, and render
their services among others in industrial
plants, agriculture, private households,
heating and sanitary technology and
motor vehicles.
In many areas it is regarded as
standard procedure for households to
be connected to a water supply and
sewage system. When using the water
tap, everyone immediately expects
fresh water to pour into the wash basin
and, in the process, to also control the
force of the water flow – and possibly
also its temperature – as well as to then
turn it off again. Certain valves, seals
and gaskets fitted into the water tap or
mixer tap ensure these functions. Vice
versa, the significance of valves and
gaskets does as a rule quickly become
apparent – and mostly in an unpleasant
way – when they no longer function
correctly due to improper adjustment or
as a result of wear and tear: the dripping
sound of a leaky tap, a scalding or
freezing shock during a shower when
the pre-set mix-ratio between hot and
cold does not remain constant, and
the gentle hissing sound a bicycle tyre
makes when the pumped-in air escapes
once again through the air valve, are
examples that everybody knows. The
functions of other technical systems
also depend on a large array of valves
and gaskets.
In this context many a radiator connected
to the central heating system only
becomes really warm when the air build-
up inside is allowed to escape through a
release valve. A garden hose, on the other
hand, only makes sense when it can be
connected to a tap and turned on and off
using a rotary valve. In a motor vehicle
valves are responsible among others for
controlling fluid or gaseous fuel, fuel-air
mixes, exhaust fumes produced by fuel
combustion, lubricating fluids and cooling
agents. Human beings themselves are a
perfect example of how important valves
and similar components are, because
their diverse physical functions depend
on the effectiveness and functionality of
numerous, in some cases, very differently
designed valves and flaps.
If valves and other fittings are already
playing a key role in private life, then this
is also the case on a much greater scale
in the increasingly complex industrial
and working world. Pipelines and hose
pipes are necessary everywhere, in
crude oil and natural gas production,
practically all areas of industry, in
medicine and water treatment as well
as generally in engines, machinery and
plant engineering, and the conveyance
of gas, fluids and free-flowing solids.
Numerous valves and flaps are
necessary in order to convey these
substances in the desired way to the
applications required, while others fulfil
safety-relevant tasks, for example relief
and safety valves. Valves, especially
magnet versions, are used in industry
in a diverse range of applications, for
example in the operation of cylinders,
grabbers, ejectors, shut-off and check
valves. Other valves are used in aeration
and de-aeration tasks or for the dosage
and filling of media with varying degrees
of fluidness.
Valves and their associated fittings have
to function safely and reliably and, in
many cases, must do so under the
strictest operating conditions. In this
connection the physical and chemical
properties of the media conveyed play
an important role, as does their fluid
behaviour, which can also include impact-
stress and of course high pressure,
extreme temperatures and/or aggressive
and corrosive media, which can play a
significant, active role within and outside
the valves and fittings. Power stations,
for example, contain areas where valves
are exposed to pressures in excess of
400 bar as well as temperatures over
650°C. The operating conditions, which
valve designers must take into account,
can also include the risk of electrostatic
charges in connection with explosive
materials conveyed. The valve and valve
fittings industry is a multiple-company
structure with firms specialised in
the production of valves and fittings
for specific tasks and their suppliers,
including the manufacturers of operating
systems – such as engines, pneumatic
and hydraulic cylinders or mechanical
devices – and closing elements along
with individual components such as
technical springs, seals and gaskets.
Valve and fittings manufacturers are
faced with the task of developing
constructive solutions for constantly
growing requirements and asserting
themselves in global competition. As the
products of the valve and valve fittings
industry are required in practically all
areas of life, the activities in the fields
of research and development are to a
great extent interdisciplinary. In addition
to materials technology, engineering
science disciplines such as corrosion
and surface technology, fluid mechanics,
design theory, foundry and forgery
technology, production technology,
process technology and drive systems
technology are included in the activities,
but also, increasingly, nano-technologies
and bio-medical faculties.
Valve World Expo, the leading fair for
industrial valves and fittings, is an ideal
location for gaining comprehensive
knowledge of the range of products and
services in this area, and analysing recent
technical trends. It is mainly directed
at trade visitors from the crude oil and
natural gas industry, the energy supply and
water management sectors, the chemical,
pharmaceutical and foodstuff industry, the
marine and offshore industries, as well as
specialists from the plant and engineering
sector and shipbuilding industries.
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
– Germany
