To control valves that are installed at height, industrial valves supplier for the mining sector Invincible Valves has innovated a chain wheel product to enhance control over valve-related processes. Overhead or elevated valves can, thus, be manually operated easily and safely without access equipment, ladders or scaffolding, reports Invincible Valves MD Pam du Plessis.

In mining operations – where valves are often positioned high in plants, pipelines or processing facilities, the company’s chain wheel innovation reduces downtime significantly, she says.

It also reduces safety risks, accelerates valve adjustments or isolation during maintenance or shutdowns, and improves overall operational efficiency by enabling quicker responses to process changes, adds du Plessis.

The company specialises in providing “high-quality” valve solutions for the South African mining sector, with its wide range of valves and ancillary equipment to optimise various processes at mining operations.

The wide range of valves are tailored to meet a client’s specific operational requirements at abrasive, high-wear mining environments and can be used for slurry handling and process control in mineral processing, she says.

Some of the valves on offer include ball valves, butterfly valves, check valves and control valves – as well as diaphragm valves for metallurgical plants, which are either locally manufactured or imported.

The projects also entailed the integration of valve actuators with proximity switches supplied by Invincible Valves, which focused on improving efficiency and safety by enhancing process control, precision and the integration with modern systems.

More generally, Invincible Valves has recently been involved in the supply of new valves and automation solutions to several mining plants across Africa, including a large copper plant, in the Democratic Republic of Congo; a platinum mine, in Zimbabwe; and a gold-mining operation, in Ghana.

These projects entailed supplying and installing an array of electric and pneumatic actuator valves, based on the processes for which the valves are required, she says, adding that hydraulic valves would be required in high-pressure processes.

“The innovation comes . . . with regard to how the operation is controlling the valve . . . Back in the day, it was all manually driven, and then we started seeing more air on the plant, and then pneumatics came into play. Now, you see pneumatic components on the plant, so it’s all computerised, and someone sits in an office and opens or closes valves from there,” she explains.

Further, the company offers in-house rubber lining services, which protects valves, pipes, fittings and vessels against abrasion, corrosion and chemical attack, and ensures that valves have an increased life span and are resistant to wear, leaks and breakage.

The rubber-lined valves also ensure that valve systems can withstand processes involving acids, ores and tailings.

Invincible Valves offers clients valve repair, reconditioning and servicing solutions that will ensure that all valves are repaired and reconditioned to their original specifications

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