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Our pride is in sharing our combined 140 years of industry expertise. We help you get what you need.

How Has Valve Repair Technology Changed In the Past Few Years?

There was a time when chemical plants and refineries had their own valve shops that were well-equipped with the necessary machinery and valve repair technicians. Though most of the times the servicemen replaced the valves rather than refurbishing them. Soon, there was a boom in the industrial valve repair segment and dozens of small as well as medium sized companies emerged to fill the vacuum.

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In those times, it was quite easier to repair the valves as the design of valves including relief, globe and gate valves had a basic design that could be easily repaired whenever needed. After a few years, i.e. at the end of 20th century, due to over engineering many of the tanks sustained decades of service and many repair cycles. There has been a situation where an experienced technician would prefer repairing a gate valve that is 40 years old rather than the newer designs. Imports became cheaper and this led to decrease in demand for the domestic products which in turn resulted in authorization of independent valve repair shops by major valve manufacturers. These authorized facilities could get to know information that was previously considered as proprietary and the result was a better service to the end users. However, with this increase in independent service centers, bogus and fraudulent companies started to emerge who misrepresented products. Through the 80’s, the bogus valve epidemic spread far when the manufacturers regained their monopoly.

It was in 1990 that the Valve Manufacturers of America (VMA) extended its help by establishing the Valve Repair Council (VRC) that ensured protection of its customers and members from the hazards of improperly repaired valves. The VRC helped manufacturers as well as end users to choose quality valve repair facilities. Then there was an effort by the valve repair shops and end users that aimed at standardizing repair specifications for valves and therefore reducing the repair cost. They formed an API group which created a document – the API Recommended Practice 621 “Reconditioning of Metallic Gate, Globe and Check Valves” and it resulted in disagreement between the end users and valve manufacturers due to the increased liability it created at the manufacturer’s end. However, it announced a baseline and a standardized procedure for the repair of industrial valves.

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Today, the valve repair function is capable of providing much more than just repaired valves. It now accompanies valuable information of the product along with users’ feedback. The more sophisticated valve repair programs are designed to record a series of measurements and visual inspections while maintaining the detailed progress of the valve performance through its service. It provides data for comparison at each repair stage and thus offers a cost-effective approach to the end users about how a particular valve brand sizes and performs. The rule of thumb states that a valve repair must not exceed 50% of the new valve replacement price. As a result, it is observed that most of the inexpensive valves are better to be scrapped than repaired at a higher price.

For more information about industrial valves, please visit https://www.evergreenmidwest.com/ or get in touch with us at 1800.659.3358.