Valve manufacturer and distributor Paltechnologies (Paltech) has been replacing all the dry application valves at bread producer Blue Ribbon’s factories with Posi-flate inflatable seated butterfly valves.
It will start its second phase of installation of a series of Posi-flate inflatable seated butterfly valves in early 2013.
Paltech marketing and technical sales manager Len Klassen says Paltech is the official distributor in South Africa for the Posi-flate range of valves and imports the valves and associated equipment, which are suitable for dry applications, from the US.
Klassen states that Posi-flate’s butterfly valve design uses air pressure to expand the seat against the disc, providing even pressure distribution for an airtight seal.
“Because the seat only makes casual contact with the disc of the valve while it opens and closes, there is minimal disc impingement. This is in contrast to conventional butterfly valves where disc impingement leads to shaving of the seat, decreasing the overall performance and valve life,” he says.
Klassen adds that substantially less torque is required to open and close the butterfly valve; therefore, a smaller actuator can be used, resulting in lower overall cost.
“In actual comparison tests and documented field applications, the Posi-flate butterfly valve outperformed all other valves. A Posi-flate valve’s working life of one-million to three-million cycles, even in extremely abrasive applications, is not uncommon.
“Standard valve sizes range from 50 mm to 750 mm and a full line of actuators, limit switches and controls are available to suit individual applications,” he notes.
Klassen adds that all the valves are US Food and Drug Administration-approved and comply with local and international hygienic standards.