True Meaning of Double Block & Bleed Valve

It's time to do maintenance on a section of process. You don't want to shut down the entire facility, so you decide to block off and depressurize just the section you're working on. Just upstream is a double block and bleed valve—a trunnion-mounted ball valve with self-relieving seals and a bleed valve to vent the cavity. You close the ball valve and open the bleeder. Now you can de-pressurize the line downstream and open it up to work on it.

No so fast, says Rudy Garza. You may think that valve gives you double isolation, but it doesn't—and that could be dangerous.

On March 4 Garza, Mechanical Lead—Static Equipment Engineering Group at ExxonMobil Development Company, gave a presentation at the VMA Technical Seminar in San Antonio entitled "Isolation Philosophies" in which he asserted that many people take the term "Double Block & Bleed" (DBB) to mean the same thing as Double Positive Isolation" (DPI). While this may seem like a small matter, he says, it means that some users may think they've achieved positive isolation when they haven't. Part of the problem, he goes on, is that designers and users don't always understand the capabilities of the valves in question. And, he adds, the design of a particular valve can vary from one manufacturer to another.

Garza stresses that his presentation shouldn't be taken as holy writ, but as how his particular branch of ExxonMobil (i.e. Upstream) looks at the situation in its own industry and the practices it uses. Other companies (including within ExxonMobil) and industries may do things differently and it is up to the users to determine the safety and suitability of a particular practice to their application, he says.

The key message is that a user should look at the design of a particular valve, and find out exactly what the manufacturer means by the term "double positive isolation" or "double block and bleed.", to make sure it's really what's needed in a particular application.

Many users, says Garza, have taken "double block and bleed" as a generic term, and tend to use it when they really mean (and the applicable specification—API 6D, Specification for Pipeline Valves, requires) the use of double isolation and bleed. The key to understanding, Garza says, can be found in API 6D. That specification wasn't always as clear as it could have been in spelling out the difference between DBB and DPI, but the addition in 2008 of several notes has clarified it.

API 6D defines a double-block-and-bleed valve (DBB) as a "single valve with two seating surfaces that, in the closed position, provides a seal against pressure from both ends of the valve with a means of venting/bleeding the cavity between the seating surfaces." The 2008 note points out that this valve does not provide positive double isolation when only one side is under pressure.

By contrast, API 6D defines a double-isolation-and-bleed valve (DIB) as a "single valve with two seating surfaces, each of which, in the closed position, provides a seal against pressure from a single source, with a means of venting/bleeding the cavity between the seating surfaces." The note adds that this feature can be provided in one direction or in both directions.

The job of a double isolation and bleed is to stop process fluid from getting into an area where work is being done. Both in-line valves would be closed, then the bleeder would be opened. If any fluid leaked past the first valve the bleeder would drain it off before it pressurized the cavity—the space between the upstream and downstream valves, and at the same time would act as a tell-tale to indicate the leakage. If the bleeder (which is smaller than the in-line valves and may, in fact, be a needle valve) were to be plugged the downstream valve would keep process fluid from getting past it.

So why is the difference between DBB and DIB important? Let's consider a typical trunnion-mounted ball valve with self-relieving seats. API 6D defines this as a double block and bleed valve, not a double isolation and bleed valve. Under normal conditions (Figure 1) there is pressure on the upstream seal, which (along with an internal spring) keeps it energized. There's no pressure on the downstream side, so the only thing energizing the seal on that side is a spring. The bleeder valves are open, and the cavity in the ball is at atmospheric pressure.

But it's not uncommon for a valve that's been in service for a while to leak a bit. Figure 2 shows what happens then. The upstream seal is leaking a little, but this should not be a problem because the leakage will be carried away by the bleeder—except when the bleeder is not working, either because one or both of the bleeder valves is closed, or because there's a clog in the bleed line. The pressure in the valve cavity can then possibly reach as high as 200 psi, which overcomes the spring on the downstream seal and forces it off its seat, discharging fluid downstream to where people may be working. This is clearly not a double isolation and bleed valve.

So where should this type of valve be used? Figure 3 shows a situation that might occur when the valve is used in a bypass loop for proving a flowmeter, for example. The valve is closed and the bleeder is open. This time there is pressure on both the upstream and downstream seals, keeping them fully energized. This is the configuration that the API 6D definition of "double block and bleed" intended when it referred to "two sealing surfaces." But it's not true double positive isolation and bleed, as far as ExxonMobil Upstream is concerned, and in certain services, it shouldn't be used to isolate a section for maintenance.

To prevent confusion ExxonMobil Upstream sorts valves into four categories—A, B, C and D—according to the physical flow blocking capabilities of the valve and then provides guidance based on the minimum isolation requirements for a particular application, such as long vs. short term, segregation for meter proving, etc.

• Type A is a single block valve with a single mechanically energized seal and no body bleed required.
• Type Bis a double block and bleed (as defined in API 6D, but not always by industry). It requires pressure on upstream and downstream sides simultaneously to energize the respective seals. It's the type shown in Figures 1 through 3 (see end of article).
• Type Cis a true double isolation and bleed (DIB) per API 6D. The valve is a single body with dual positive seals; it has a single obturator (gate, plug, etc) and dual positively energized seals (upstream and downstream) with cavity bleed port between them. It requires a cavity overpressure protection device in expansive fluid services).
• Type D is a true double positive isolation and bleed valve arrangement, with two independent obturators (sealing members) in the same or separate bodies and two separate actuating mechanisms (i.e. independent stems). It can be made up of a pair of certain Type A, B, or C valves, either separate or built into one body. It must have a bleeder in the middle (between the two valves and between each valve's seals if Type C valves are used).

Table 1: Example valve type classifications

Type	EM Class
Ball - Floating	A
Ball - Trunnion, SRS	B*
Ball - Trunnion, DPE	B*
Ball - Rising Stem	A
Globe - (Excluding Control Valves)	A
Plug - Standard	A
Plug - Mechanically Energized Seats	C
Gate - Expanding	C
Gate - Slab	B
Gate - Sliding	A*
Gate - Solid Wedge	B*
Gate - Unported Flexible Wedge	B
Butterfly (all types)	A

* Denotes potential for exceptions based on configuration of valve and/or manufacturer

"SRS" = self relieving seats; "DPE" = double piston effect seats

Table 2 is a generic example of a filled-in requirements table. Usually there's a temperature threshold (T1, T2, etc), then a fluid characterization (flammable, non-flammable, etc.), then a pressure class (All, C1, C2, etc.), and then a size range (All, D1, D2, etc.). On the far right is the type of valve designated for that particular service (A, B, C or D). The application of the table is driven primarily by the individual facility's "isolation philosophy." The valve Type shown is risk and experience based, and it requires well documented definitions (management endorsed) for each type of valve (including variations thereof). In addition, the definition of "flammable" and "toxic" is likely to vary by company and/or location.

Table 2: Sample positive isolation format

Fluid Design  Temp	Fluid (examples)	Pressure or Class	Size (NPS)	Min. Valve Type (examples)
Isolation for Condition 1 (e.g. Long-Term Maintenance)
≤T1	Flammables	All	All	D
	Nonflammables	>C1	All	D
		≤C1	All	B
>T1	Flammables	All	All	D
	Nonflammables	>C2	All	D
		≤C2	All	B
Isolation for Condition 2 (e.g. Short-Term Maintenance)
>T1	All	All	All	D
≤T2	Toxic & highly  corrosive materials	All	All	C
	Flammable materials	≤C3	All	B
		C4, C5 and C6	≤D1	B
	Instrument connections  with flammable  materials	≤C7	≤D2	B
		>C7	≤D2	D
	Water, air and other non-flammables	≤C8	≤D3	A
		>C8 but ≤C9	All	C
	All	≥C10	All	D
Isolation for Condition 3 (e.g. meter provers)
All	Specify as needed	All	All	B
Isolation for Condition 4 (etc.)
All	Specify as needed	All	All	D

Note: A "blind" can be substituted as one of the isolation points (i.e. 1 of 2 in DIB)

Remember that local regulations vary and must be kept in mind when making any valve selection.

Summary

Garza is quick to point out that the Type A, B, C and D designations are not aligned with the API 6D classifications or those of other industry standards, and are simply practices that ExxonMobil Upstream has adopted for its own use, but they bring out an important point: although block valves can stop flow, the way in which they achieve this varies and hence when specifying a valve for isolation service, don't inadvertently use a double block and bleed valve when you really need a double isolation and bleed type.

Reach Peter Cleveland at pcleaveland@earthlink.net. A longer version of this article will appear in a future issue of Valve Magazine. All images are courtesy of Rudy Garza and ExxonMobil Development Company.

Figure 1 (below). In this trunnion-mounted ball valve with self-relieving seats (which API 6D defines as a double block and bleed) there is pressure on the upstream seal, but no pressure on the downstream side, so the only thing energizing the seal on that side is a spring.

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Figure 2 (below). If the upstream seal should leak, and the bleeder is closed or clogged, the pressure in the valve cavity can overcome the spring on the downstream seal and force it off its seat, discharging fluid downstream to where personnel may have the piping opened for maintenance.

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Figure 3. This type of valve is best used where there is pressure on both the upstream and downstream seals, keeping them fully energized, as in a bypass loop for proving a flowmeter, for example. This is the configuration that the API 6D definition of "double block and bleed" intended when it referred to "two sealing surfaces," but it's not double positive isolation, as far as ExxonMobil Upstream is concerned, and it shouldn't be used to isolate a section for maintenance.

Ready for Low - E Valve Technology

With an estimated 60% of fugitive emissions attributed to valves it is easy to see EPA's attention is on valve emissions reduction. Traditionally valve stem leakage was a visible event. Improvements in packing materials and design lead to non-visibly leaking valves.

In today's world, government regulations drive measurement of valve leakage to the molecular level in parts per million (ppm). These extremely low vaporous emissions required packing manufacturers to evaluate their product performance to the latest EPA standards for Low E Valve Packing Technology.

 

Definition

 

The terms we have become familiar with are "Certified Low-Leaking Valves" and "Certified Low-Leaking Valve Packing Technology" as defined by the EPA in consent decrees. In more current consent decrees, new valves entering will be required to be certified as "Low E Technology". A "Low-E Valve "is defined as:

"A valve (including its specific packing assembly) or valve packing for which the manufacturer has issued a written warranty that it will not emit fugitives at greater than 100 ppm, and that, if it does so emit at any time in the first five years, the manufacturer will replace the valve; provided however, that no valve shall qualify as "Low-E" by reason of written warranty unless

(i) the valve (including its specific packing assembly) either:

(a) first was tested by the manufacturer or a qualified testing firm pursuant to generally-accepted good engineering practices for testing fugitive emissions and the results of the testing reasonably support the warranty; or

(b) is as an Extension of another valve that qualified as "Low-E";

(ii) A valve (including its specific packing assembly) that:

(a) Has been tested by the manufacturer or a qualified testing firm pursuant to generally-accepted good engineering practices for testing fugitive emissions and that, during the test, at no time leaked at greater than 500 ppm, and on Average, leaked at less than 100 ppm; or

(b) Is an Extension of another valve that qualified as 'Low-E'."

This current definition of Low E Valve Technology adds test documentation to this requirement. Manufacturers have offered this warranty without supporting test data. Today there are reputable packing and valve manufacturers that can meet these low emission level requirements and documentation to assist valve manufacturers in achieving Low E requirements.

Test Protocols

Many existing test protocols are designed to measure the performance of valves and packing products. The two most commonly used protocols are API standards and ISO 15848-1. The API standards utilize methane as the media and Method 21 to measure emissions while the ISO test typically uses helium as the media with vacuum as the leak detection method. It is important to note the EPA only recognizes emission testing conducted utilizing Method 21.

API 622 fugitive emissions test protocol evaluates the performance of a valve packing in a specified test fixture, number of strokes and temperature cycles while monitoring emissions in ppm. This protocol allows for average leakage measurements up to 500 ppm and one retorque throughout the test. The test is not a pass or fail, but determines if a packing completed the test without exceeding these limits.

The API 624 valve fugitive emissions test protocol is soon to be published. This standard sets the limit of 100 ppm emissions from the valve and no retorques are allowed. The standard also requires valve manufacturers to use an API 622 tested and qualified packing in this test. Not all API 622 qualified packings will be able to meet the API 624 requirements.

Starting with a valve packing qualified to API 622 with a maximum leakage of below 50 ppm and no retorques is important. Factors such as surface finish, tolerances and valve design will affect packing performance. When selecting a packing that has a maximum leakage of below 50 ppm allows for these factors and gives the valve manufacturer a better chance of meeting the API 624 requirements.

Converting to Low E Technology

As a valve manufacturer, adapting the Low E Technology as a standard for your equipment puts you in the position to provide the latest in valve packing sealing. Since Low E packings seal to such a tight standard, using them for all services allows you to offer the latest in sealing technology to all your users. A few forward thinking valve manufacturers have taken the lead to convert all their valves to Low E Technology. This is a benefit to their customers with a variety of valves ( some requiring Low E technology, while others are exempt as they are not in VOC and VHAP services). This standardization minimizes confusion and the need for the customer to keep two sets of valves (one for Low E services and one for all others). It also prevents installing the wrong valve in a Low E Technology required process.

Valve and packing manufacturers have the opportunity to be proactive in supplying Low E Technology to their customers. The EPA is knowledgeable of the current state of Low E technology and will no longer accept the argument that low emission valve technology is unavailable. Incorporating Low E Packing in your valves addresses the growing need in the emissions valve market as more consent decrees are issued and EPA enforcement is stepped up.

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Walter S. Moquin is currently Manager of Business Development for Mechanical Packings and Gaskets with the A. W. Chesterton Company where he oversees the business for pump and valve packings. Moquin has conducted technical equipment reliability seminars and training regarding process systems and components. He was also responsible for field testing of new products, failure analysis, and application engineering. He currently is involved with Chesterton's Valve Emissions Program and working with the EPA, end users and valve OEMs to better understand Low E packing technology. He can be contacted at moquinws@chesterton.com

DeZURIK announces new President & COO

DeZURIK, Inc. has announced the appointment of Bryan Burns as its new President and Chief Operating Officer. Theannouncement was made today by Larry Korf, Chief Executive Officer of DeZURIK, Inc. and will take effect immediately. As part of this planned DeZURIK leadership transition, Korf will retain his position as CEO and has accepted a position on the DeZURIK Board of Directors.

Burns joined DeZURIK in 2010 as VP of Operations and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in January 2012. Previously, Burns was employed by the Brunswick Corporation, where he was President of the Crestliner Division. He is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and earned his MBA from Duke University.  

ValvTechnologies opens new facility in India

ValvTechnologies has opened a new assembly and global sourcing facility in South Indian Metro City, India, to meet growing demand for its valves and to help reduce logistics costs for customers in the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

According to Prabhakar Seetharaman, Managing Director, ValvTechnologies Private Limited, the new plant will produce 100 to 120 valves per month with initial focus on the company's V1 Series valves.

"Our new India operation will serve as the hub for ValvTechnologies sourcing in this part of the world," explained Seetharaman. "With onsite vendor selection, project monitoring and product inspection, our customers will see reduced costs and faster delivery. This is key to growing our sales in Australasia."  

Regards,

Anup Shah

Adroitt Flow Control Pvt Ltd

Cell +91 9820501463

anup@adroitt.net

anup.adroitt@gmail.com

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Noise from Cavitation - Bad for Valves & Equipments

Just as sound can have negative effects on the human body, certain frequencies can play havoc on industrial equipment. When control valves are not selected appropriately, there is an increased risk for cavitation, which causes high noise and vibration levels, resulting in very rapid damage to the valve's internals and/or the downstream piping. In addition, high noise levels usually cause vibration that can damage piping, instruments and other equipment.

Negative Effects on Control Valves & Equipment

Along with degraded control capability and rapid deteriation of the control valve itself, valve generated cavitation can cause serious damage to the piping system in which it occurs. Most of this damage is caused by vibrational noise energy, accelerated corrosion, and process contamination.

The high noise levels associated with cavitation reflect the large-amplitude vibrations generated by the formation and collapse of vapor bubbles near and downstream of the vena contracta.

While this normally occurs within the valve body in globe and rotary plug valves, it can actually occur in the piping downstream of a short, high-recovery valve like wafer-body segment (V) ball valves, large ball valves and especially butterfly valves. When these valves are miss-applied in a location prone to cavitation, it is not uncommon for the piping downstream of the valve to be covered with weld-repaired leaks, or for this section of pipe to be frequently replaced as it fails.

Regardless of whether the cavitation occurs inside or downstream of the valve, equipment downstream of the cavitation zone can see extensive damage. The large-amplitude vibrations can excite oscillatory failure in thin diaphragms, springs, and small cross-section or cantilevered structures. Frequent points of failure are found in instrumentation such as pressure gauges and transmitters, thermowells, flow meters, and sampling systems. Heat exchangers can fail prematurely from fatigue as the heat transfer fins oscillate due to vibration. Check valves, actuators, positioners and switches that contain springs will suffer accelerated wear, and mounting brackets, fasteners and couplings will loosen and fail because of the vibration. Unfortunately, hydrodynamic noise propagates extremely well in liquids and metal pipe walls, so it can take hundreds of pipe diameters for the noise to dampen to non-dangerous levels once it occurs.

A globe control valve plug that has been damaged by cavitationFretting corrosion, which occurs between wearing surfaces exposed to vibration, is common near cavitating valves. This generates hard oxides which act as abrasives to accelerate wear between the wearing surfaces. Equipment affected includes isolation and check valves in addition to the control valve, pumps, rotating screens, samplers and any other rotating or sliding mechanism.

The high-amplitude vibrations also microscopically flex the metal valve parts and pipe walls, encouraging grain-boundary cracking and corrosion. The solid particles and corrosion chemical by-products released represent potential contaminants to the process. For instance, if the process is a RODI water treatment loop, a food or pharmaceutical process, a paper pulp bleaching line, or any number of high-purity processes, these contaminants degrade the quality of the product.

Predicting & Eliminating Cavitation Damage

Especially with rotary valves, the prediction of damaging levels of cavitation is more complex than simply calculating the choked flow pressure drop. Experience has shown that there are likely to be areas of localized vaporization and vapor bubble collapse before the pressure in the main flow stream drops to the vapor pressure of the liquid. Some valve manufacturers predict the beginning of cavitation damage by defining an incipient damage pressure drop. One valve manufacturer's method of predicting the beginning of cavitation damage is based on the fact that it is vapor bubble collapse that causes both cavitation damage and noise. This manufacturer has determined that if calculated noise levels are below the following limits, significant cavitation damage will be avoided.

• Up to 3 inch valve size – 80 decibels (dBA)
• 4-6 inch valve size – 85 dBA
• 8-14 inch valve size – 90 dBA
• 16 inch and larger valve size – 95 dBA
• 
  

Methods of eliminating cavitation damage include both valve style selection and process modifications. Special valve designs for eliminating cavitation employ flow division and pressure drop staging, sometimes individually and sometimes together. 'Flow division' divides one large flow into a number of smaller flows by designing the flow path in the valve so that the flow passes through a number of small parallel openings. This is effective because the size of the cavitation bubbles is partly a function of the size of the opening the flow is traveling through. Smaller openings make smaller bubbles, which results in less noise and less damage when they collapse.

Pressure drop staging means that the valve is designed to have two or more throttling points in series, so that instead of taking the entire pressure drop in a single step, it is taken in several smaller steps. Smaller individual pressure drops can prevent the pressure at the vena contracta (the point where the velocity is the highest and the local pressure is the lowest) from dropping to the liquid's vapor pressure, thus eliminating cavitation. Improved cavitation resistance can be obtained by combining flow division and pressure drop staging in the same valve.

Modifying the process to locate the control valve where the pressure at the valve inlet is higher (such as farther upstream or at a lower elevation) can sometimes eliminate a cavitation problem. Also, locating the control valve at a location where the liquid temperature, and thus the vapor pressure, is lower (such as the low temperature side of a heat exchanger) can help eliminate a cavitation problem.

Summary

As has been shown, cavitation in control valves does more than just degrade valve performance and damage the valve. Downstream piping and equipment is also at risk, and process contamination can ruin the product that the process is intended to make. Predicting cavitation and taking steps to eliminate it is the only way to avoid a costly and ongoing problem.

Jon Monsen, Ph.D., P.E., is a Control Valve Technology Specialist at Valin Corporation, specializing in technical training and assisting Valin's customers in the proper application of control valves.

Peter Jessee, P.E., is an Application Engineer at Valin Corporation providing sizing, selection and recommendations of process valves and instrumentation to Valin's customers and personnel.  

Regards,

Anup Shah

Adroitt Flow Control Pvt Ltd

Cell +91 9820501463

anup@adroitt.net

anup.adroitt@gmail.com

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Rotary Scalpel Metering Feeders

Rotary Scalpel Metering Feeders introduces a unique and revolutionary technology to the batching and filling process industries.It is recommended for applications requiring exceptional precision and ultimate process optimization.

Technology

Rotary scalpel technology utilizes two innovative key components: a large inlet specially designed to ensure consistent material flow into the rotary feed drum and a pneumatic scalpel. Upon receipt of a set point weight, the pneumatic scalpel will knife off from a filled vane of the rotary feed drum the precise amount of material needed to complete a batch or fill a container.Unneeded material remaining in the same vane is recycled back to the material source, eliminating all waste. Rotary scalpel technology is the only metering technology that delivers a variable but finite volume of material to finalize the batch or fill process. All other solids metering devices take the approach of narrowing the flow channel of inlets, trays,screws, etc. to reduce volume to be delivered. All these restrictions lead to inconsistent flow of the material. Rotary scalpel technology is free of these limitations.

Features

• Compact, space efficient design assures ease of installation in new or existing process lines
• Modular construction for flexibility of application
• Simple design for ease of maintenance
• Specialized metering and discharge of material preventing segregation and degradation
• Extremely accurate volumetric delivery device
• Simple mechanical design–only three moving parts ensures reliable, long term operation
• Designed to utilize a material's ideal flow rate by eliminating inlet or discharge constraints
• Available for volumetric or gravimetric operating modes

ARI-Armaturen - ZETRIX Triple offset valve is launched

It's permanently leakproof, durable and versatile for guaranteed isolation and control in even the harshest environments. The ZETRIX design was developed and tested using the very latest generation of tools and advanced German engineering techniques, resulting in a premium product triple offset valve that will outlast and outperform other valves on the market.

Zetrix unites the benefits of a metal-seated process valve with all the advantages of a butterfly design. With its compact dimensions and light weight, this cutting-edge valve is very easy to handle. The triple offset principle guarantees a permanently tight seal, conforming to leakage rate A in accordance with DIN EN 12266-1. It can also be used as an isolation and control valve, making it extremely versatile.

Available in cast or stainless steel, Zetrix is suitable for liquids, gases and vapours in a wide range of industries and applications. It features a double-flanged connection and can be used with manual, pneumatic, electric or hydraulic actuator.

"Following extensive R&D investment, ARI has developed a versatile, reliable and cost-effective valve solution for all process applications," said Nick Davies, UK Sales Director at ARI-Armaturen, Tewkesbury. "The new Zetrix valve has been stringently tested and approved to firesafe ISO 10497, German clean air regulations (TA-Luft) and SIL, and is designed to meet the high performance demands of applications where long life and positive shut-off under arduous conditions is essential."

Finite element analysis was used to simulate the stresses and their distribution occurring over the valve disc in order to achieve the required strength at pressure load levels in combination with a slim and flow-friendly shape. The result is uniform flow and high flow capacity.

In addition to a 'smart' self-aligning sealing ring, Zetrix also features stellited seat, hardened shaft bearings and a blow-out protected stem as standard. It is rated for operation at temperatures from -29°C to +427°C. Available in several nominal diameters from DN 150 to DN 600 with nominal pressures from PN 10 to PN 40 conforming to Class 150 or Class 300 with a range of options available to suit specific applications.

Global Pump Industry Mergers & Expansions

The concentration of the $38 billion global pump industry has again accelerated due to a number of recent acquisitions and geographic expansions, reports McIlvaine Company in Pumps: World Markets.

The top 200 companies enjoy more than 50 percent of the global industrial pump business while another 5,000 companies average less than $4 million in sales each, according to the report.

 

GE, the 19th largest pump company, will move several rungs up the ladder as it acquires Lufkin Industries, Inc., a leading provider of artificial lift technologies for the oil and gas industry and a manufacturer of industrial gears, for approximately $3.3 billion. Artificial lift, used in 94 percent of the roughly 1 million oil-producing wells around the world, helps lift hydrocarbons to the surface in reservoirs with low pressure and improves the efficiency of naturally flowing wells. Lufkin will broaden GE's oil and gas artificial lift capabilities beyond electric submersible pumps (ESPs) to include rod lift, gas lift, plunger lift, hydraulic lift, progressive cavity pumps and a sophisticated array of well automation and production optimization controls and software. The ESP category of artificial lift is the only lift segment in which Lufkin does not currently compete.

 

McIlvaine says the world's fifth largest pump company, Weir, has acquired the R Wales group of companies, a Canadian-based manufacturer of specialty rubber and wear-resistant linings for the mining, minerals processing, and oil sands industries. The acquisition was completed on Feb. 15, 2013. With Canadian facilities in British Columbia and Ontario and a U.S. facility in Arizona, R Wales designs and manufactures rubber lining for pipes, tanks, chutes and hoses, and specializes in custom rubber and urethane-molded products, including slurry pump wear parts and mill liners. In 2012, the Wales Group generated revenues in excess of C$30m. The acquisition extends Weir's aftermarket position in the production and servicing of a wide range of rubber lined wear components for the North American oil sands and mining sectors and complements the existing customer base and product portfolio.

 

McIlvaine says Weir has also advanced its global foundry supply chain strategy, completing the acquisition of the business and assets of the Cheong Foundry in Malaysia on Feb. 6, 2013. Based near Kuala Lumpur, the facility supplies castings to a number of industries, including mining and power. The acquisition enables Weir to add foundry capacity to serve the Asia-Pacific region with high quality products from a best-cost sourcing region. In addition, agreement has been reached to acquire the plant, equipment and buildings of Xmeco Foundry Pty. Ltd, a specialist large casting foundry in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Xmeco expands Weir's capacity and capability on the African continent, enabling the full product range to be locally produced.

 

The third largest pump company, Grundfos, will expand its Indian production capacity by setting up an additional unit, according to the report. As part of the expansion plans, with an initiative of making India as the second home, the company plans to invest Rs. 230 crores in the next five years.  Grundfos India has been growing at 30-35 percent since its inception in 1998. With the turnover of Rs. 318 crores in 2012, Grundfos is looking at Rs.1000 crores turnover in the next five years.

 

Number 22 in the rankings, Pentair, is planning to invest $50 million in expanding its operations in the UAE. According to McIlvaine, Pentair wants to increase its $400 million current turnover in the UAE to $1 billion. In particular, the company is looking to invest in a new pump manufacturing facility in the region.

 

Number 28 in world ranking, Gorman-Rupp Africa, has purchased the business of Pumptron with cash generated from operations. Pumptron has been an international value-added distributor for Gorman-Rupp for over 25 years and will further enhance the company's continuing international expansion. Founded in 1986, Pumptron is a provider of water-related pumping solutions primarily serving the construction, mining, agricultural and municipal markets in South Africa and, increasingly, throughout other sub-Sahara African countries. Pumptron is headquartered in Johannesburg with operating locations in Cape Town and Durban and had approximately $10 million in revenue during its fiscal year 2012, which includes sales of Gorman-Rupp products.

 

The Gorman-Rupp subsidiary, National Pump Company, purchased American Turbine Pump Companies (ATP). Founded in 1975, ATP is a group of companies that collectively are a leading manufacturer and distributor of energy-efficient vertical turbine and submersible pumps primarily serving agricultural, municipal and industrial markets both domestically and globally. During 2011, ATP had approximately $15 million in revenue from sales of its products through its Lubbock, Texas headquarters and two other locations in Houston and Fresno, Calif.

 

ITT Corporation has dropped from the top of the leader board when it divested its Xylem companies. But it is growing again, according to McIvaine. It has signed an agreement to acquire Joh. Heinr Bornemann GmbH.  Bornemann Pumps is a global provider of highly engineered pumps and systems for the oil and gas industry. Headquartered in Germany, Bornemann Pumps has a strong international installed base of multiphase pumping systems for the oil and gas market. The company also serves the industrial, food and pharmaceutical sectors. Founded in 1853, Bornemann has a solid record of growth with estimated fiscal 2012 revenue of $115 million and employs more than 550 employees globally.

Taco, Inc., of Cranston, RI, has purchased Hydroflo Pumps of Fairview, Tenn. Taco recently dedicated a $20 million addition to its headquarters in Cranston. The company, which has sales of $200 million a year, employs about 500 people, the vast majority at the facility in Cranston, with other workers in Fall River, Mass. and Ontario, Canada. It makes valves, pumps, tanks and electronics for heating and cooling. Hydroflo is a manufacturer of vertical and submersible turbine-driven pumps. Hydroflo also operations in Culver, Ind., Marion, Ark., Grand Island, Neb., Brownfield, Texas, and Fresno, Calif.

 

CRI Pumps, a Coimbatore, India-based manufacturer and exporter of pumps, recently signed a business transfer agreement with Pumps & Process Systems of the U.K. Chief Executive Officer of CRI Chaitanya Koranne said that CRI would shift the industrial pumping solutions manufacturing facility of Pumps & Process Systems in the U.K. to Coimbatore soon. CRI Pumps' annual turnover in 2011-2012 was Rs. 850 crore ($160 million), which was expected to increase to Rs. 1,000 crore this year. Nearly 20 percent of the turnover last year was from exports, and it was expected to go up substantially with the acquisition of the U.K. company. Pumps and Process Systems had a strong presence in sectors such as mining and CRI would be able to tap the opportunities in these areas, McIlvaine says.

 

Xylem, the current No. 1 pump supplier has acquired privately held Heartland Pump Rental & Sales, Inc. for approximately $29 million. Heartland Pump, headquartered in Carterville, Ill., has been a strong business partner with Godwin in dewatering pump rental, services and systems design since 1995. Godwin is part of the Xylem portfolio.  Heartland Pump employs approximately one hundred people with branches in Evansville, Ind., Horn Lake, Miss., and Nashville, Tenn.

 

The Liebherr Group has acquired concrete pump manufacturer Waitzinger, which is based in Neu-Ulm, Germany. Waitzinger Baumaschinen was founded in 1991 and employs a staff of nearly 60. It specializes in the development and production of truck-mounted concrete pumps, trailer concrete pumps and truck mixer concrete pumps. These products will now also be distributed via Liebherr's international sales and service organization.

 

McIlvaine Company says there is likely to be a continuation of globalization and consolidation of the international pump industry in the coming years.

For more information on Pumps World Markets, click here.

Source: McIlvaine Company

 

Borealis acquires DEXPlastomers

Borealis, a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers, announced today that it has acquired DEXPlastomers VOF in Geleen, The Netherlands, from DSM Nederland BV and ExxonMobil Benelux Holdings BV. Until today, DEXPlastomers was a 50/50 joint venture ultimately owned by Royal DSM and ExxonMobil Chemical Company. The site is located in the Chemelot industrial park, 50 kilometres away from the nearest Borealis site in Beringen, Belgium. Approximately 100 employees will be transferred to Borealis Plastomers 1 BV (formerly DSM Plastomers BV) and other Borealis group companies outside The Netherlands. The products manufactured in Geleen are specialty products, complementary to Borealis' current innovative plastic solutions. The acquisition underpins Borealis' commitment to its Value Creation through Innovation strategy as Borealis believes there is significant potential for the complementary technology.  "We are happy to welcome our new colleagues in Geleen to the Borealis Group and look forward to a successful integration," says Mark Garrett, Borealis Chief Executive. "Both companies develop innovative solutions with added value for our customers; our products are complementary and will broaden our current product portfolio." Borealis has started the integration of the new site and its activities, a process in which safety and business continuity are key, to ensure continued punctual supply to customers.

Circor Flow Tech set up manufacturing at Coimbatore

Circor Flow Tech, a USA based company has set up a new manufacturing facility through its subsidiary Circor Flow Technologies India Pvt Ltd in Ponnandampalayam in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. The project cost is estimated at Rs. 230 million. The manufacturing facility will produce control valves and steam conditioning valves. Its engineering centre will also cater to global market.