Bonomi UK expansion heralds Valpres drive into European oil & gas marketplace

Published: 14th September 2017 | Issue 42

Strength in depth

The internationally recognised Bonomi Group specialises in the production of valves and actuators. The group comprises three separate companies: Rubinetterie Bresciane, Valbia and Valpres, who whilst operating in distinct marketplaces, frequently interact and pool their expertise to produce innovative customer solutions.

The UK division of the Bonomi Group has experienced rapid growth in recent years, most evident in group company Valpres’s expansion into new markets. Valpres has been at the forefront of ball valve production for several decades, and during this time has evolved to meet the growing demands of its diverse customer base. Through the formation of a new department headed by sector specialist Ian Bass, Valpres is now making giant strides into the field of oil and gas.

Valpres’s growth has reflected the differentiation of segments in the industrial market; with its range now including ball valves for industrial, oil & gas, chemical/pharmaceutical, food and beverage usage. Sizes range from ¼˝ through to 48˝, in all ferrous and nonferrous materials and alloys.

Forward thinking innovation

Ball valves manufactured from nickel, titanium and other high performance materials are capable of handling a wide variety of challenging fluids in the most critical of applications.

Evidence of Valpres’s innovative approach was seen during spring’s Italian IVS Industrial Valve Summit Fair, where two significant new products were launched; a new range of Floating Ball Valves cast to meet the API 608 standard and a high range Control Ball Valve with ‘crank-arm’ type actuator and ‘pilot pressure zero bleed steady state.’

Robust API 608 standard floating ball valves

Designed and engineered to meet the requirements of the petrochemical industry user, Valpres’s new range of floating ball valves incorporates a number of improved features, the most significant of these being increased thickness which in turn gives greater resistance and durability. This makes the valves ideally suited for use in harsh and severe environments, particularly when used in conjunction with Valbia actuators.

During development of the range Valpres engineers worked across multiple parameters, starting with the technical completeness of the product in accordance with API 608 and adapting it to market demands. Particular attention has been paid to ensuring low predictable torque figures, and to increasing competitiveness through design rationalization.

Thanks to this approach it has been possible to produce the valve on a common cast platform in sizes from 0.5˝ to 6˝ for low temperature / cryogenic applications, standard temperature applications (from -46°C to + 250 °C) and high temperature applications with metallic seats up to 420°C.

Explaining the work that went into the new range, Marco Tassotto, Oil & Gas sales manager for Valpres Italy, commented: “The most challenging issue was to optimise the project in order to be able to cover the widest range of applications. In order to achieve this we have called upon our past experience to deliver a product that uses high quality raw materials to offer total reliability.”

He continues: “In the world of valves, especially ball valves, there are very few revolutionary innovations, more a philosophy of continuous improvement brought about by many small steps which result in a better performing end product.”

Control ball valves with actuator

Also launched at the IVS show was a range of fluid control ball valves specifically designed for regulation in gas transportation lines. These high rangeability valves (where rangeability represents the control range i.e. the ratio between CV max and CV min) are meant to operate in high pressure gas distribution lines, and allow the pressure to be adjusted in order to accurately meet the user’s requirements and dramatically reduce the aerodynamic noise generated by the gas.

Even suitable for use in compression stations, the valves are completed by an actuator equipped with a patented automatic pilot system developed in conjunction with an American partner. Valpres anticipate there will be high demand for this product amongst European users.

This special valve presented at the IVS show is part of a program to develop valves with the capability to control the pressure and the flow of fluids in both liquid and gaseous states reducing noise and cavitation. The ensuing patented trim solution provides technical benefits and high performance in all process conditions – The VP1-L trim for liquids offering better management of moderate and severe cavitation and the VP1-G trim for gas and steam offering excellent noise reduction – and are designed for installation both on floating and trunnion ball valves.

Rotary control valves

Valpres are also introducing a V-Ball floating control valve, an entry level model specifically designed for the industrial market. This valve provides an opportunity for Valpres to work alongside its sister company Valbia, using the valves in conjunction with an actuator and a positioner that regulates the valve position according to the process requirements. V-Balls have also been integrated into the range of pre-existing industrial valves in threaded, wafer and split body designs and special ball profiles are produced to meet specific applications.

Trunnion mounted ball valves

Valpres’s trunnion valves can be used in a variety of markets and applications including upstream liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons processing, LNG & GTL, gas transmission and distribution, power industry and steam generation, petrochemical industry, water transmission and desalination plants.

Cryogenic valve

Valpres has developed a number of quality solutions for tough applications involving all types of cryogenic fluids including LNG, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. This product line permits automatic or manual control of cryogenic fluids in the safest of conditions for both operator and environment.

Typical users include LNG storage, distribution, loading and unloading, CO2 and nitrogen injection, petroleum refining and gas treatment skids, air separation plants, fuel stations, high purity cryogenic/gas systems, lyophilisation systems and liquid and gaseous oxygen for steel production. Valves can be tested at cryogenic temperatures down to -196°C in line with customer requirements.

Expanding markets

In addition to its Italian homeland, Valpres oil and gas products have enjoyed commercial success in many other areas including North America and the Middle East. With its extended product portfolio and technical expertise, Valpres is now settings its sights on further expansion into the United Kingdom, Northern Europe and Australia.

Valpres is seeing its share of sales to the oil and gas sector continue to grow, whilst also enjoying new successes in the fields of food & beverage, chemicals and water.

Tel: 024 7635 4535
Email: sales@bonomi.co.uk
Web: www.bonomi.co.uk