Application
Small valves sector - Water Industry

Customer
Biwater

Product or Service Supplied
Design and development of a new valve product with a novel sealing system.

Problem
BIWATER (now Glenfield and Kennedy) needed to achieve an improved market share of the small valves sector in the Water Industry. Its existing design was heavy, needed considerable machining, had numerous components and was too expensive. It was not a competitive product.

Objectives
To design and develop an entirely new valve which would be significantly lighter and cheaper to produce.

Approach
BHR Group's Engineers concentrated on the heart of the valve, the sealing system. A novel elastomer-lined gate component was devised, which was able to conform within with high quality as-cast surfaces of the valve body. Optimal structural integrity was maintained while reducing weight by careful use of finite element analysis. Thus the new assembly required minimal machining and was much lighter than the original product. A novel snap-tight assembly method for the bonnet completed the competitive new product.

Outcome/Benefits
The new Glen Valve, 30% lighter and cheaper than its predecessors, gained 38% of the market within the first two years after launch.

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