Vexve Armatury Group is a leading European provider of valve solutions for critical conditions, especially for the energy sector. The group consists of district energy valves solutions provider Vexve, tailored valve solutions provider Armatury Group with a focus especially on gas, power, and metallurgical sectors and ZMK, Germany-based industry-leading designer and supplier of highly specialized valves for the petrochemical industry with a focus on ethylene production. The combined turnover of the Vexve Armatury Group is over €120m.
Vexve Armatury Group successfully develops cooperation. The example can be synergy project of company Armatury Group and sister company ZMK Technologies, which goal is a development of the new butterfly valve for petrochemical industry, specifically for ethylene production units. The petrochemical market is technically more or less divided into operators using gate valves and those, who use butterfly valves.
Maximum synergy
Armatury Group has more than 20 years of experience in the production of butterfly valves. ZMK Technologies has many years of experience in the production of valves for the ethylene production and with cracking units in general. So, the best solution seemed to be to combine those two companies, use their potential and experiences to create a new, joint product.
Butterfly valves for ethylene units
These are two types of butterfly valves. First butterfly valve is in size 24“, based on Armatury Group’s butterfly valve L32.88. Second one is check valve with a closing function in size 36“, based on check valve C09.5, also from Armatury Group. There is a request for triple eccentricity at the geometry of the closing element.
Specific requirements are not an obstacle
The conditions, in which our valves must work, are very specific. Except the process pressure 0,08 MPa and permanent temperature from 420 °C up to 550 °C is the key parameter the type of the medium. The medium is composed of different fractions, where the biggest problem is carbon particles in the form of flakes, which are very sticky. Using common non isolated valves in this demanding environment would cause settling of these particles in inner surface of the valve.
For this reason, the valve must be equipped with a heating cover. Heating is provided by steam at temperature 250 °C. At the same time could those particles come between body and seat. Therefore, the same steam cleans the seat area and prevents particles from settling on the seat. There are holes in the seat through which the steam goes to the flow of the medium and prevents from settling. Bearings are cleaned the same way.
From design to prototype
Armatury Group are currently working on design and technological documentation. The main task was to solve the main function of the disc itself, design of the supply of the cleaning steam (to ensure sufficient cleaning) and the design of the flanges. At these valves was request for flanges Class 300, but their working pressure is relatively small. The whole construction of the main coat although had to be designed for higher pressure. The reason was not even the strain from the medium itself, but experiences from colleagues from ZMK Technologies, who knew that valves are very strained by the forces from the pipeline itself (weight, vibration). Therefore, the flanges of the main part of the coat tend to be quite massive.
The new series of valves took over the type marking of Armatury Group with the suffix „Z“– L32.8Z and C09.5Z. The preparation of technological process, price calculation and prototype production will follow after the documentation.
“We believe that the result of this synergy project will be a reliable product that will meet the demanding operating conditions in the production of ethylene in the petrochemical industry”, said a company statement.