Tailor made valves
Tailor made valves: what matters in practice
Tailor made valves: the working principle in practice
Tailor made valves are adapted to a specific duty, whether through material selection, seat construction, connection dimensions or a combination of those. Once tailor made valves is correctly specified it disappears from the fault list, and that is exactly the intention. Anyone looking into tailor made valves quickly runs into a choice that goes beyond picking a catalogue number. For us bespoke work does not start with a drawing but with the question of what exactly is going wrong or missing in the plant. For spare parts we work from the original configuration, for which a tag plate or serial number is usually enough. A special valve is often a standard construction with an adapted material, an adapted seat or a different connection. How tailor made valves behaves under varying load says more about the quality of the selection than behaviour under steady load. What weighs heaviest on tailor made valves in practice is the combination of temperature and differential pressure, not either one alone. A correct execution of tailor made valves accounts for real operating conditions and not only for design values. During overhaul we first assess whether reworking the seat and disc is sufficient, because that is almost always faster and cheaper than replacement. We supply maintenance and overhaul kits composed for the specific valve, rather than loose parts that turn out not to fit. With tailor made valves the difference between a good and a mediocre solution often sits in details that do not show on a drawing.
Tailor made valves and the decisive technical choices
Most bespoke valves are not new designs but standard constructions with a deliberate deviation on one or two points. For tailor made valves this means that construction and operating conditions cannot be judged separately. With tailor made valves the seat is the component that determines performance, and the body is rarely the limiting factor. The most common reasons for going bespoke are an unusual medium, a non standard face to face length and a certification requirement. When an original type is no longer available we look for a technically equivalent replacement with the same installation dimensions. Tests such as a pressure test, a tightness test, a low temperature test or an emission test are carried out by us or on our instruction to the project requirement. We assemble valve and actuator together, set them and test them, so the delivery arrives as one working unit. A well defined bespoke valve usually costs less than repeatedly replacing a standard valve that does not survive the duty. We document exactly what has been supplied, including material certificates and test reports, because that saves time on a later fault. A tag plate with project data is supplied as standard where the project requires it. The balance between required tightness and available operating force is a recurring tension on tailor made valves. In practice we find that most failures around tailor made valves come not from the material but from a wrong assumption during selection.
Sectors and applications for tailor made valves
Bespoke work is most common in chemicals, offshore, power generation and in hydrogen and ammonia projects. In existing plants the question is often replacement within existing dimensions, and that is exactly where bespoke work pays for itself. Our bespoke enquiries come mainly from chemicals, power generation, offshore and from hydrogen and ammonia projects. Our customers use tailor made valves in positions where a failure has immediate consequences for production. In an existing plant tailor made valves is often part of a wider question about availability and maintenance. On project supply we record per position which execution of tailor made valves was delivered, including materials and tests. During turnarounds tailor made valves is regularly on the critical path, and then predictability matters more than the lowest price. During turnarounds we work to tight schedules, and then predictability matters more than the lowest price. Dutch Valve Vision supplies special valves for special applications from its base in Monster, the Netherlands, with QUADAX and PRUSS as the core brands in the programme. Our market is project driven and international, and we deliver worldwide to installers, EPC contractors and end users. In plants where tailor made valves is applied, the emphasis is on reliability rather than lowest purchase price. We see demand for tailor made valves rising in hydrogen and ammonia projects, where tightness requirements are high.
Choosing the right tailor made valves
For tailor made valves we ask as standard for DN, pressure class, medium, temperature and required actuation. On recurring problems we look at the failure mechanism rather than the component, because otherwise the same fault comes back. On a bespoke enquiry we ask for the reason behind the modification, because the underlying problem sometimes has a simpler solution. For projects with many positions we build a configuration overview, so it stays clear later which execution sits in which position. Where there is doubt about tailor made valves we quote two executions side by side, with the trade offs stated explicitly. The required leakage class often drives the choice around tailor made valves more strongly than the budget does. On tailor made valves we also state what an execution cannot do, because that prevents more problems than a list of advantages. Standardising across several positions makes tailor made valves simpler in maintenance and in spare parts management. We are happy to think along on a spare parts strategy, so critical positions are covered without carrying redundant stock. Dutch Valve Vision works under a KIWA ISO 9001 certified system, which safeguards traceability on bespoke work. For an accurate quotation we need the nominal diameter, the pressure class, the medium, the operating temperature and the required actuation. On tailor made valves we check that the actuator is sized on torque at maximum differential pressure and not on an average value. The right choice around tailor made valves starts with a full set of process data rather than with a request for a price.
Requesting tailor made valves from Dutch Valve Vision
We supply tailor made valves as a loose product or as a fully assembled unit with actuator and accessories. Dutch Valve Vision operates under a KIWA ISO 9001 certified quality system, which in the RFQ stage of chemical and offshore projects is usually a hard requirement. Dutch Valve Vision stays available after delivery of tailor made valves for technical questions and for parts. Our specialists are happy to discuss tailor made valves on the basis of your P&ID, your datasheet or simply a photograph of the situation. On repeat orders we record the configuration, so a follow up delivery is identical to the first and installation holds no surprises. Lead times depend on the execution, because a standard size from a running series behaves very differently from a valve in an exotic alloy with NACE certification. We work on tailor made valves under a KIWA ISO 9001 certified quality system, which safeguards traceability. Documentation on tailor made valves has to be the kind a buyer or inspector accepts without discussion. We record which execution of tailor made valves was delivered, so a follow up delivery or spare part matches exactly later on. For repeat orders of tailor made valves we record the configuration, so a follow up delivery is identical to the first. On tailor made valves we come back with a proposal that explains why we recommend a particular execution. Send us your DN, pressure class, medium and temperature at sales@dutchvalvevision.com, or call +31 (0)70-2210560 to speak to a specialist.
Frequently asked questions about tailor made valves
What exactly does tailor made valves mean?
We supply maintenance and overhaul kits composed for the specific valve, rather than loose parts that turn out not to fit. Tests such as a pressure test, a tightness test, a low temperature test or an emission test are carried out by us or on our instruction to the project requirement. Tailor made valves are adapted to a specific duty, whether through material selection, seat construction, connection dimensions or a combination of those. For spare parts we work from the original configuration, for which a tag plate or serial number is usually enough. The answer on tailor made valves depends strongly on operating conditions, which is why we always ask for those first. For tailor made valves a good specification up front is cheaper than a correction afterwards. The subject of tailor made valves touches both the construction of the valve and the way the plant is operated. We work as a technical supplier rather than a catalogue reseller, which means we carry out the selection ourselves on the basis of medium, pressure, temperature and code requirements.
Which executions of tailor made valves are available?
When an original type is no longer available we look for a technically equivalent replacement with the same installation dimensions. For us bespoke work does not start with a drawing but with the question of what exactly is going wrong or missing in the plant. During overhaul we first assess whether reworking the seat and disc is sufficient, because that is almost always faster and cheaper than replacement. The most common reasons for going bespoke are an unusual medium, a non standard face to face length and a certification requirement. If you are unsure about this on tailor made valves, we are glad to put the question alongside the actual process data. This is one of the points on tailor made valves where suppliers differ most clearly from one another. With tailor made valves it pays to include phase changes in the medium, because those sharply increase the load on the seal. Our market is project driven and international, and we deliver worldwide to installers, EPC contractors and end users.
Which materials are used for tailor made valves?
We document exactly what has been supplied, including material certificates and test reports, because that saves time on a later fault. Most bespoke valves are not new designs but standard constructions with a deliberate deviation on one or two points. A well defined bespoke valve usually costs less than repeatedly replacing a standard valve that does not survive the duty. We assemble valve and actuator together, set them and test them, so the delivery arrives as one working unit. The answer to this question on tailor made valves changes as soon as the medium or the temperature changes. We always explain why we arrive at a particular recommendation on tailor made valves, so you can follow the reasoning yourself. Operating conditions govern the service life of tailor made valves far more strongly than the nominal figures on a datasheet. Dutch Valve Vision operates under a KIWA ISO 9001 certified quality system, which in the RFQ stage of chemical and offshore projects is usually a hard requirement.
What should I watch technically on tailor made valves?
What should I watch technically on tailor made valves?
Which applications call for tailor made valves?
During turnarounds we work to tight schedules, and then predictability matters more than the lowest price. Our bespoke enquiries come mainly from chemicals, power generation, offshore and from hydrogen and ammonia projects. Bespoke work is most common in chemicals, offshore, power generation and in hydrogen and ammonia projects. In existing plants the question is often replacement within existing dimensions, and that is exactly where bespoke work pays for itself. Our experience with tailor made valves comes from projects in chemicals, power generation, technical gases and offshore. That makes tailor made valves a subject where discussion up front pays for itself in operation. The application range of tailor made valves runs from simple utility duty to heavy process plant, with a corresponding difference in execution. Our customers work in chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, power generation, offshore and in hydrogen and ammonia projects.
What determines the price and lead time of tailor made valves?
A P&ID, a datasheet or even a photograph of the existing installation often helps us faster than a long description. Lead times depend on the execution, because a standard size from a running series behaves very differently from a valve in an exotic alloy with NACE certification. On repeat orders we record the configuration, so a follow up delivery is identical to the first and installation holds no surprises. For shutdowns and turnarounds we look at accelerated routes, and in those cases we are honest up front about what is and is not achievable. In most projects tailor made valves turns out to be less standard than it first appears. We see this come back regularly in enquiries about tailor made valves, and the answer is rarely a single sentence. For tailor made valves you can come to Dutch Valve Vision for the selection, the delivery and the support afterwards. You can reach us on +31 (0)70-2210560 and at sales@dutchvalvevision.com, and our office hours are Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00.
What about maintenance and spare parts on tailor made valves?
We quote a realistic lead time rather than an optimistic one, because a missed delivery date costs more than an extra week in the planning. We keep spare parts and overhaul kits mapped per project, so that a breakdown does not start with a search from scratch. We are happy to think along on a spare parts strategy, so critical positions are covered without carrying redundant stock. Documentation such as material certificates, test reports and declarations is supplied as standard, matched to what the project requires. Our experience with tailor made valves comes from projects in chemicals, power generation, technical gases and offshore. For tailor made valves a good specification up front is cheaper than a correction afterwards. A tag plate with project data belongs with tailor made valves as standard where the project requires it. What defines us is that we would rather spend an extra half hour on the specification than ship the wrong valve that comes back two months later.
How do I request a quotation for tailor made valves?
We come back with a proposal that explains why we recommend a particular execution, including the alternatives we considered. For an accurate quotation we need the nominal diameter, the pressure class, the medium, the operating temperature and the required actuation. Please also state the connection standard, the required leakage class and any project requirements such as NACE, PED or ATEX. If you have an existing tag plate or serial number, send it along, because that lets us work directly from the original configuration. For tailor made valves a good specification up front is cheaper than a correction afterwards. The answer on tailor made valves depends strongly on operating conditions, which is why we always ask for those first. We handle an enquiry for tailor made valves on its technical merits rather than as a price request that only produces a number. We are based at Vlotlaan 641, 2681 TZ Monster in the Netherlands and can be reached on +31 (0)70-2210560 and at sales@dutchvalvevision.com.