Aus MINING WEEKLY vom 11.08.05
Pressure-reducing valves delivered to Aussie gold-mine
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Johannesburg-based engineering company Ainsworth Engineering recently delivered model 80 pressure-reducing valves and in-line fabricated strainers to its agent for an Australian gold-mine.
Company GM Cor Bezem tells Mining Weekly in an exclusive interview that the valves were used for installation into a skid-mounted pressure-control system sold to a new gold-mine in Western Australia.
“The systems were installed during February this year,” he says.
In addition to this, the company will soon be visiting the site to commission the installed systems.
“These valves basically reduce high incoming pressure, ensuring a manageable water-supply service.” Ainsworth has supplied 50-bar and 100-bar in-line pressure-reducing valves in sizes from 25 mm to 80 mm and gas-loaded pressure-relief valves, ensuring that no high pressures pass through to a lower-rated pipework in the haulage.
“These systems are unique, incorporating automatic low-flow control-valve operations, preventing damage to the large-bore control valves,” he continues.
In this regard, the valves are used for normal production demand.
However, when off-peak demand is reduced to low flows, damage is caused by cavitation, manifesting itself in the larger valves.
Bezem says that the patented in-line fabricated strainers were supplied, preventing the ingress of debris into the control valves, which could cause a reduction in flow capacity.
This is the second set of pressure- reducing systems supplied to the Australian mine by Ainsworth.
Further, the company has supplied such valves to AngloGold Ashanti’s South African mine, completing and manufacturing a dual-role system.
“We have also supplied these valves to Anglo Platinum mines in Rustenburg,” Bezem explains.
Ainsworth is said to be an important supplier to mines and other industries, which makes use of application-specific valves.
“With the introduction of the resilient seal-valve range, we can offer a complete range of valves for slurry, plants and water industries,” he says.
In other developments, Ainsworth has introduced a new ‘econo-line’ range of valves, which was bought from the company’s German principal.
Comprising a limited range of 80-mm to 200-mm-diameter valves, the product is available in both flanged and socket-end styles.
Ainsworth has, over the last 50 years, offered an extensive range of locally-manufactured valves used predominantly in the mining industry and in civil engineering projects.
Its products are SABS and ISO 9002- approved.
These include the resilient seal-gate valve, the hydrant valve, the butterfly valve, the reflux valve, the ring-needle valve, the dispersion valve and the ball valve.
According to Bezem, many Ainsworth valves manufactured in the 1940s are still in use today.
Ainsworth is part of a 50:50 joint-venture company with Premier Valves, called United Valve Company (UVC), which was established to function as the exclusive sales and marketing outlet for the full range of Premier Valves and Ainsworth products.
Both companies continue to exist as separate entities with each having its respective brand name, but with all valve sales being handled through UVC.