The new valve was designed to enhance current pipeline equipment and processes using enhanced technology for fluid control, where abrasive or corrosive slurries, powders or coarse substances are processed.

Flowrox has engineered its SKW valve at full-bore with no flow restrictions, allowing processes with abrasive or corrosive fluids such as lime slurry or mineral slurries to move without compromising performance.

The main benefit to a full-bore design is that the valve becomes an integral part of the pipe and allows it to process the same fluids in the harshest of conditions. It was also designed as a full port fluid control device to allow a more efficient process, requiring less pumping energy to operate.

It incorporates a cast single-piece body, which eliminates any potential leak paths from the body and offers a versatile tower construction that will accept manual, electric, hydraulic or pneumatic forms of actuation.

Flowrox is marketing the SKW valve to mining and power plants in North America that manage fluid control processes and require precision and performance directly related to revenue generation.

Incorporating the new valves offers the advantage of reducing the lowest total cost of ownership – a financial measurement that is often a deciding factor in the selection of these industrial products.

Flowrox CEO Todd Loudin said the “next-generation” SKW valve offers in-field flexibility, considering heavy duty rubber sleeves can be easily be replaced in the field without any special tools and is fully bi-directional.

An added benefit is that when in the “open position”, the SKW valve’s rubber ring sleeves are the only parts in contact with the medium as a way to reduce any potential corrosion or deterioration due to wear-and-tear, even when processing the most abrasive slurries.

In contrast, older slurry gate valves fail to incorporate the latest design efficiencies, leading to jamming or clogging and thus resulting in costly repairs or decommissioning of a pipeline due to valve damage, to say nothing of the cost to equipment managers.

The most important feature is load distribution rings imbedded into the rubber ring sleeves – a feature that has been incorporated into the SKW valve design and completely eliminates the inherent problems of competitors’ products, where tight piping tolerances have caused the compression and destruction of the rubber sleeves.

SKW valves offer the benefit of low maintenance and trouble-free operation without the challenge of jams or clogs, giving peace of mind thanks to its long service intervals and reduced cost of ownership.