The Industry’s First In-Line Knife Gate Valve

Even as metals prices rebound, operators are still focusing on four main points for process optimization: safety, productivity, inventory and capital. Victaulic has developed the Series 795 Knife Gate Valve (KGV), which can address all these concerns. This Series 795 is the industry’s first KGV that does not need to be removed from the piping system for servicing. All the wear parts are contained in a single cartridge kit and can be replaced in-line in just minutes.
The benefits are fourfold. Firstly, in terms of safety, there are no more chains, pulleys or ropes during maintenance for this valve and reduced rigging during maintenance protects crew from hazards. Only simple hand tools are needed to get the job done. Secondly, this valve can be maintained up to 95 percent faster when compared to competitor gate valves, saving hours of labor by eliminating the need to secure and tear out the entire valve from the pipeline.
Thirdly, this valve will not burden the operator’s boneyard because it never needs to be removed from the pipeline. The only wear parts on this valve are enclosed in a single cartridge kit and after scheduled maintenance shutdowns, all that is sent away is the old kit. That equates to a fraction of the shelf space and dead weight when compared to the whole valve that would normally be dragged around. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there is no need to send capital straight to the boneyard. The fact that only the seat cartridge kit rather than the whole valve needs to be replaced during shutdown saves at least 60 percent in annual maintenance costs.
Another key feature is the valve’s one-piece replacement cartridge, which eliminates the need for a second maintenance valve while reducing inventory costs. The valve’s bolt pad to bolt pad assembly valve is installation-ready with no loose parts. The positioning bolts provide a full 360° rotation and Victaulic's grooved ends design does not require flanges or welding to install.
Using the example of a facility operating with 80 valves, Victaulic’s Series 795 KGVs would require just a fraction of the downtime and manpower of replaced flange valves. At an hourly rate of US$80, downtime and labor costs would equate to just US$32 compared to US$1,344 using replaced flange valves. Considering the maintenance costs per valve, the total yearly maintenance costs would drop by over 60 percent, to US$122,560 from US$307,520. Total annual downtime costs are slashed, to US$2.16 million from US$43.2 million.