Norbar Case Study

Norbar Solutions for Industrial Valve Actuating

A safer and more efficient solution

Industrial Valves

Industrial valves are used to regulate the flow of liquid, gas, aggregate and slurry. They work by opening, closing or partially obstructing a passageway or pipe. Some of the most common types of industrial valves include:

Knife Gate Valves
Gate Valves
Ball Valves
Butterfly Valves

Each valve utilises unique mechanisms to regulate flow and is selected based on its industry, pressure and size requirements and application suitability.

Valve Actuation

Industrial valve actuation is generally carried out through use of a hand wheel which is connected to the valve. The wheel is manually rotated multiple times by one or more operators to control the valve for desired flow regulation.

Image: Knife gate valve for pumping water and sand in remote location

The Problem

Manually actuating industrial valves poses several risks to operators and businesses. Two of the biggest concerns when carrying out this task are associated with Workplace Health and Safety and inefficiencies in operations.

Workplace Health & Safety Concerns

The labour-intensive nature associated with manually actuating industrial valves poses a significant risk of injury to operators carrying out the task. The multiple rotations required can be exhausting for the operators, leading to RSI Injuries, exhaustion and the associated OH&S concerns.

Additional safety concerns arise when operators manually actuate valves that are in contact with dangerous materials or are found in potentially hazardous or high risk locations.

Operation Inefficiencies

Manually actuating industrial valves often requires more than one operator, and a lengthy amount of time to achieve a fully open or closed valve. The physical ability to apply force varies from operator to operator, and since most valves require a known torque value to be considered open or closed, this can create process problems and or lead to damaged valves.

Customised Norbar Solutions

Norbar Australia provide a range of industries with safe and efficient alternatives to manual valve actuation. These alternatives are varied and can be adapted to suit a wide range of valve styles, sizes and applications. Some of our most common solutions include:

Cordless Torque Multipliers – requiring torque values from 100Nm upwards

Cordless Torque Multipliers eliminate the requirement for manual actuation by applying the powered tool directly to the valve stem or operating wheel. The operator simply opens and closes the valve by powering the tool in the desired direction, significantly reducing the time taken toopen and close valves. Cordless Torque Multipliers are:

Battery powered allowing operators to move freely without any bulky air or hydraulic attachments, generators, or power packs – This is especially helpful when operators are required to attend valves in remote locations
Non-impact with a soft-start trigger allowing for gradual and safe reaction location

Pneumatic Torque Multiplies
Pneumatic Torque Multipliers can be operated by hand or remotely and give operators the flexibility to actuate a valve from another location. This may be is a safer approach when dealing with potentially dangerous materials or from a central control location.

Custom Reaction Arms
Norbar’s Engineered to Order (ETO) team can design reaction arms specific to the application increasing accuracy, efficiency and safety.