September/October 2016
Components
BULKDISTRIBUTOR
Fort Vale delivers
improved flow rates
Girard reveals the new
HydraFlo valve
L
T
ess than a year ago, Fort Vale launched a ‘new generation’ 80mm Hyper Maxi safety relief
valve aimed at the intermodal market. Continuous product development has led to further
improvements and the release of its successor, the 82.5mm Hyper Maxi, which yields even
higher flow rates. Verified test results demonstrate an 8.4% increase in unimpeded flow for
the 82.5mm Hyper Maxi relief valves at industry standard settings.
Fort Vale strongly believes that verifiable technical integrity is becoming increasingly important in
a market that has seen a recent influx of ‘copy’ valves with an unknown performance history. The
company commented: “Safety relief valves are required to protect vessels from catastrophic failure, to
preserve against loss of life and damage to the environment. As a market leader in our field, we take the
associated responsibilities very seriously and want our customers to feel completely confident that they
are buying the safest possible valves that have been tested and are trusted to perform consistently, for
the life of their tank container.”
To date, Fort Vale believes it is the only intermodal valve manufacturer to have a purpose-built flow
test facility at its headquarters and manufacturing site. Independently approved by Lloyds Register, this
resource enables the company to challenge the performance of its range of equipment and continue
to make a significant contribution to the safe and reliable operation of tank containers.
For example, close observation of relief valve behaviour during venting has enabled Fort Vale to refine
certain key components and re-engineer the original Hyper Maxi design to produce a relief valve with
a more precisely controlled pressure plate lift. This has the effect of reducing turbulence within the valve
and maximising flow. The Hyper Maxi has a special composite style pressure plate, designed to improve
O ring retention under pressure, a feature which enhances the long-term safety and performance of the
valve and potentially reduces maintenance costs.
The new Hyper Maxi is interchangeable with the existing 80mm model and is available with a pressure
setting of 2 PSI up to 204 PSI (0.14 Bar to 14.07 Bar) and a vacuum setting of 0.5”Hg to 24”Hg (0.02 Bar
to 0.81 Bar). There are three body styles: standard, short extended and long extended, each with a slotted
flange to facilitate four common drilling patterns: DIN65 PN10, 3”BSTD, DIN80 PN6, 3” ASA 150.
Development of the Hyper Maxi range of relief valves is ongoing and the company is soon to release
an additional valve, together with bespoke ancillary products, specifically designed for low pressure,
high capacity tanks.
17
his one-piece cast design is built to last with smooth and polished internals that mean
faster unloading rates than ever seen before. The HydraFlo has a familiar shape and
occupies the same envelope dimensions of other popular brands.
The HydraFlo is easy to disassemble and maintain with repair parts that are interchangeable with other
brands. Unique feature include internal trapped areas and smooth internal transitions. The bonnet is
secured with a robust cast stainless steel clamping mechanism. Steam jacket is optional and the cast
design allows for more uniform and complete heating of the entire valve body.
The ‘Easy Turn’ handle makes opening and closing the unit with a gloved hand simple. All surfaces
both inside and outside are polished for easy cleaning and increased chemical resistance. The HydraFlo
comes with a full five-year warranty from date of purchase.
Girard Equipment takes
care of the small details
W
ith the ever widening growth of specialised chemicals and specialised transport tanks to
carry them, Girard equipment Inc has built up a team of industry experts to meet the
demand for technical support at design stage and in the market for fleet optimisation.
The team of transport tank experts will guide you through the myriad of options available, whether it’s
for an IBC, offshore tank, road tanker, tank container, swap tank or rail wagon tank.
Girard offers a wide range of stainless 316, ETFE lined and Hastelloy valves for transport equipment
from its manufacturing facility in Vero Beach, Florida, and from distribution centres in Barendrecht,
Holland, Houston TX, Linden NJ, Mumbai, India, Beijing, China, and Singapore.
Established in 1952, Girard Equipment Inc has continued to grow both its manufacturing capacity and
product range. Although already well represented in the US tank truck market Girard has just released a
new range of innovative inlet and vent valves for US tank trucks. Its knowledge in the US tank truck
market over past 64 years has allowed Girard to successfully entre the European IBC, tank container and
road tanker market. Girard presented the range at the IAA Truck Fair in Hannover in September.
Girard also displayed a range of valves and manways that they already supply to clients in Europe in
addition to examples of the type of valves they currently sell in the US market including hydraulic and
pneumatically actuated units. Bottom outlets, pressure relief valves, fusible elements, bursting discs,
vent line valves, airlines and manways in stainless steel, with coatings and from Hastelloy.
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