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Jan 11, 2024

DFC extends SKG range with high pressure valve offering

Dynamic Fluid Control, has announced the launch of the SKG-High Pressure series

Dynamic Fluid Control, has announced the launch of the SKG-High Pressure series of slurry knife gate valves.

Designed in house and manufactured at its Benoni plant using only locally sourced components, the valve is the pinnacle of the company's localisation efforts.

The SKG-HP was developed and refined in response to customer demand to solve problems typically experienced in harsh mining conditions where valve installations with lower pressure ratings are not sustainable. High pressure valves are ideal in instances where the pipeline is required to accommodate larger volumes of media being transported.

The valve is based on the same engineering principles as DFC's current range of SKG valves with the exception that the new series can handle pressure over 700 psi. It is designed for multiple high-pressure and high-cycle applications in environments exposed to abrasive, scaling and corrosive slurries, sludge, liquids and bulk solids.

The SKG-HP can withstand maximum operating pressure of 740 psi (51 bar) and its advantages include low total cost of ownership, low maintenance and consistent, trouble-free operation. The packingless and robust design, heavy duty construction and replaceable elastomer sleeves makes the SKG-HP ideal for applications where high abrasion resistance is needed.

The valve's compact design leaves no seat cavity for solids build-up that could potentially block full gate closure. Moreover, no metal part is in contact with the flowing media when the valve is in the fully open position. The design can accommodate manual, pneumatic, electric or hydraulic actuation for easy conversion in the field.

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Tumi Tsehlo, CEO, says, "Although SKG-HP has been available for the past few months and installed in a number of mines across South America and in South Africa, we have chosen the Heritage Month to officially launch the product. South Africa has seen its traditional R&D leadership position eroded in recent years. We believe, however, that the country's long industrial heritage is a major asset."

"We want to build on SA's industrial legacy. Our sourcing strengths and over seven decades of manufacturing heritage should serve as a template to any firm willing to contribute to the country's re-emergence as an industrial powerhouse in the post Covid-19 era."

DFC has one of the largest installed bases of mineral processing valves in the world and manufacturing facilities in South Africa, Finland and the USA. It exports products to Australia, South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

The design of SKG-HP offers precise control over the flow as the valve when fully opened has two identical elastomer sleeves push against each other to form a cavity free, bubble tight seal to contain the line pressure. These sleeves are easily replaced without disassembling the valve.

An integrally moulded encapsulated stiffener ring maintains the rounded shape of the sleeves under heavy shearing forces associated with high pressure applications. SKG's elastomer sleeves are designed to maximise rebound resilience and elastic recovery to improve abrasion resistance and sealing performance in mineral processing slurries.

"We have proven this design through extensive validation to ensure it functions reliably and preserves operational integrity in the most critical applications," adds Tsehlo.

The valve has been reinforced with stronger materials to withstand the pressure of mining slurries. This combined with bi-directional flow and shut-off reduces downstream leakage to negligible levels. The valve is also available in a version that is coated with Ziroflex, a hard chromium coating that not only improves wear and acid resistance but also has superior corrosion and heat resistance.

"As a global leader, we pay close attention to the challenges experienced by our customers. We are always looking to strengthen our portfolio to ensure we cover the complete spectrum of customer needs and applications in and through the sectors. With the high-pressure series we endeavour to make it easier for our customers to find the right valve for their needs," says Tsehlo in conclusion.

The SKG-HP is available in many configurations to easily meet customer specific requirements, whether it be materials of construction, size of valve or actuation used to operate the valves.