Valve manufacturer Omsa has introduced a range of FPV diaphragm valves, which are specifically designed for use in abrasive and corrosive mining conditions, Omsa valves divisional manager Gregor Hopton tells Engineering News.

He states that the FPV range, launched in June, includes dia- phragm, ball and wedge-gate valves, as well as abrasion- resistant butterfly, pinch and knife-gate valves.

“Although the range is newly launched, a lot of trial work and test applications have been undertaken over the course of the last 12 months at various customers’ mine sites in Africa, and results not only outperformed expectations but also gave customers faith in our range and distribution network,” Hopton explains.

He enthuses over the sales of the FPV range, which, he says, have been exceptional to date, particularly through its parent company, engineering solutions provider Bearing Man Group (BMG). BMG has, through its outlets, sold many FPV valves to mines in Zambia and Namibia, and to local mines, in the Northern Cape.

Hopton attributes the successful sales figures of the FPV valves to its competitively priced full bore diaphragm valve, with easily removable and replaceable polyurethane liners, which boast a patented design and are unique to Omsa.

He adds that the quick return to service of the valve and its extended life span are other attractions for quality-conscious consumers. The valve’s liners can easily be replaced on site, as he FPV valves do not have to be removed from the mine to replace the valve liners.

Hopton says the FPV range is manufactured in South Africa, thereby assisting the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) fulfil its mandate of seeing to it that government procures goods and services for which local content amounts to 80%.

Local Procurement

Engineering News reported in November 2011 that South Africa’s Mining Charter contained black economic-empower- ment targets, which was the closest South Africa had previously come to having local-content regulations.

The targets included local procurement expenditure of 40%, local consumable goods of 50% and local services of 80%, while in the case of a supplier being a multinational, it was expected that it contribute 0.5% of the amount paid by the local com- pany to a social contribution fund.

However, according to the DTI’s website, the revised Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA) regulations, which came into effect on December 7, 2011, empower the DTI to designate industries, sectors and subsectors for local production at a specified level of local content.

Further, the DTI’s Guidance Document for the Calculation of Local Content states that, according to South African Technical Specification 1286:2011, the local content of a product is the tender price less the value of the imported content, expressed as a percentage and that, therefore, it is necessary to first compute the imported value of a product to determine the local content of a product.

“Omsa has, since May, been running countrywide roadshows within its BMG network, which included Zambia, where the roadshow took place from July 15 to 19,” says Hopton.

“The response Omsa received for the replaceable polyurethane liner was phenomenal, with the first valves delivered,” he boasts.

It also exhibited the FPV valves last month at the KZN Industrial Technology Exhibition 2013, at the Durban Exhibition Centre, in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

The company also exhibited the new valves range at the yearly two-day BMG open day, which took place at BMG’s head office, in Benrose, Johannesburg, in September.

Challenges

Hopton says Omsa has faced the same challenges as those of its competitors – the onslaught of cheap entry-level imports, which are often wrongly applied, owing to the suppliers not understanding the end-users’ applications and challenges.

“In a price-sensitive market, it takes time to convince new and potential customers that earnings gained through plant availability far outweigh short-term savings through the buying of less expensive, inferior-quality products, which fail prematurely,” he laments.

Additional Valve Ranges

Hopton points out that Omsa also offers a range of valves that are suitable for slurry applications. The nature of the slurry will determine which valves are most suited to the particular slurry application as well as offer cost-effective solutions.

“The knife-gate valves of diver- sified manufacturer of highly engineered critical components and customised technology solutions ITT are suitable for use in milling, separation, leaching, tailings transfer and roasting processes, in addition to water-treatment applications,” he says.

Hopton highlights that its XS150ULV knife-gate valves are designed specifically for demanding light to medium slurry applications, with ranges specifically tailored for dirty water use to high density, fast settling slurries.

He explains that the XS150ULV knife-gate body halves are machined to accept the full bore removable urethane body liners. A triple scraper design is incorporated into the liners, which cleans the gate during operation and prevents build-up in the chest area.

“The perimeter seal has shoulders, which mechanically lock the seal in the seal groove located in the liners. The seal groove is designed to prevent seal pull-out but also allows the seal to move and prevent over-compression,” he adds.