Flow Control News

Newly Certified Methanol Valves Enable Design Flexibility

Pres-Vac Engineering has obtained certification of its high-velocity methanol valves under the IMO 1621 standard.The valves enable greater flexibility in ship design, accommodating long vent-pipes up to 128 meters for DN 65 size, with allowances for even longer pipelines. This development offers shipbuilders and owners unique options in creating more efficient and compliant dual-fuel systems, says Pres-Vac Engineering.The valves, including the PV-ECO and PV-VOC models, incorporate advanced technological features such as improved flow control and minimized gas emissions.

Victaulic Acquires Utility Coatings & Fabrication

Victaulic, manufacturer of mechanical pipe joining, fire protection, and flow control solutions based in Easton, Pa., announced it has acquired Utility Coatings & Fabrication, Inc. (UCF) located in West Jordan, Utah.“This acquisition represents Victaulic’s fourth consecutive investment in the last four years, highlighting the company’s strategic vision for ongoing growth,” remarked Rick Bucher, President and Chief Executive Officer of Victaulic. “Victaulic remains dedicated to…

U.S. Navy Shipbuilders & Disaggregated, Dispersed Production

With a lame-duck CNO, a divided Congress and the impending launch of the next Presidential election cycle, America’s naval market is locked into something of a fragile and fearful autopilot, cruising inexorably towards whatever excitement 2024 might bring.Materially, don’t expect much change: The demand for naval platforms will continue to outstrip available funding, meaning there will be little movement or growth in America’s major shipbuilding programs of record. The procurement outlines are already set.

W&O Supply Acquired by MiddleGround Capital

Private equity firm MiddleGround Capital has acquired PVI Holdings, Inc., the parent company of W&O Supply, Setpoint Integrated Solutions and A-T Controls.“It was a cultural fit from our first meeting. MiddleGround brings a unique style to private equity that has my team fired up about the future,” said Brad Bergeron, PVI CEO. “We value their operational expertise, passion for continuous improvement, and believe they are the perfect owner for PVI’s next phase of growth.”PVI is a flow control distributor focused on serving MRO applications across marine…

Driven by Energy Transition, Proserv Realigns Key Management

Proserv move sees new roles for current Group CEO David Currie, Proserv Controls CEO Davis Larssen and arrival of former RenewableUK CEO Hugh McNeal.Proserv has announced a high-level senior management and corporate realignment as the business continues to evolve and pivot towards the future energy landscape.Present Group Chief Executive Officer David Currie will become Chairman of the Board for both Proserv and sister business Gilmore Valves, the Houston based flow control specialists effective July 1st, 2022.

WinGD Debuts Compact On-engine Emissions Solution for X-DF Portfolio

Swiss marine power company WinGD has introduced an on-engine version of its iCER system, enabling the emissions reduction technology to be installed without impact on engine footprint. iCER is the first X-DF2.0 technology introduced to further boost the emissions performance and efficiency of the dual-fuel X-DF two-stroke engine series. X-DF engines running on LNG already offer a more than 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a reduction in air pollution compared to fuel oil. The addition of iCER delivers a 50% reduction of methane slip in gas mode.

Video: First Steel Cut for Aircraft Carrier Doris Miller

A steel cutting ceremony was held on Wednesday for the U.S. Navy’s newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Doris Miller (CVN 81).Slated to be the fourth Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, CVN 81 is currently under construction at Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard in Newport News, Va. Doris Miller’s keel is scheduled to be laid in 2026 and delivered to the Navy in 2032.Doris Miller is the second ship of the two-carrier contract award HII received in January 2019 for the detail design and construction of the Gerald R.

Gilmore Names New CEO. Targets Acquisitions

Gilmore, a U.S.-based flow control solutions provider for the oil and gas industry, has appointed David Nemetz as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).The company is a subsidiary of Aberdeen-headquartered Proserv and provides flow control products and equipment for the drilling, downhole, production, and wider industrial sectors.Gilmore said that under Nemetz, who has 25 years' experience in the energy industry, it would actively pursue appropriate business acquisitions that…

Trelleborg Acquires Signum Technology

Trelleborg has acquired Signum Technology Ltd. The acquisition of Signum and its subsidiary companies Gall Thomson, KLAW LNG, KLAW Products, and Vee Bee Filtration., provides safety-critical solutions for flow control applications, including Marine Breakaway Couplings (MBCs) and safety solutions for LNG transfer systems.The move is part of Trelleborg’s strategy to strengthen its position as a system provider in oil and gas market segments, such as ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore LNG transfer.Signum Technology is headquartered in Wiltshire…

Flowserve Inks Deal for Prelude FLNG

Flowserve Corporation (FLS), a provider of flow control products and services for the global infrastructure markets, has entered into a five-year contract with Shell Australia to provide general maintenance services for Shell’s Prelude Floating Liquified Natural Gas (FLNG) facility, which is producing natural gas from an offshore field in Western Australia.A press release from the American multinational corporation said that it will support Prelude from its recently refurbished Quick Response Center (QRC) in Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory.Flowserve QRCs are dedicated maintenance, repair and manufacturing workshop facilities that provide customers with responsive, local support.

Leslie Controls’ K-Max Rotary Control Valve

Leslie Controls, a CIRCOR International brand, and a worldwide manufacturer of valves for the power generation, industrial, marine and oil and gas markets for over a century, features its K-Max Eccentric Plug Rotary Control Valve, one of the most versatile and robust valves of its type. The K-Max incorporates the cam-action, low-friction plug operation that provides tight shutoff over a long service life in a variety of flow control applications, including high and low-pressure steam systems; clean, dirty, and corrosive liquids and gasses; and erosive and abrasive slurries.

Ugitech's Stainless Steel for Parts Subject to Heavy Wear and Tear

Hardness, corrosion resistance and impact strength are determinate factors in the lifecycle costs of wearing parts made of steel bar such as valve seats, bending guides and nozzles for abrasive liquids. The material's machinability, however, is just as relevant for quality and cost effectiveness. Ugitech now for the first time introduces to the market a stainless steel with outstanding values that meet all of these criteria. UGIMA 4116N is extremely hard thanks to the addition…

Exhaust Economizers: A Silent Contributor to Green Technology

Next generation economizers are being introduced by Ulmatec Pyro. This will carry on the history of 35 years of heat recovery from ship’s exhaust – a technology that’s still unknown for many in the marine industry. You can’t ignore waste energy recovery systems if you want to participate in discussions about efficient marine designs. That statement is based on the fact that most diesel engines on board a vessel still operate on an efficiency scale in the 30 percent range. The remaining 60-70 percent represents losses, converted into heat.

JA Moody Acquires Pima Valve

Acquisition expands operational capabilities to include design and manufacturing and demonstrates commitment to U.S. based manufacturing sector. Moody says that it will provide a broader suite of products for its marine and commercial customer base. JA Moody, a privately held family business with its headquarters in Malvern, PA, that has been distributing valves and actuators to the U.S. DOD and commercial entities for 65 years, today announced that it’s parent company has completed the acquisition of Pima Valve. Pima Valve, headquartered in Chandler, Arizona produces a wide variety of bronze, flanged marine products and is a recognized leader in the commercial and marine valve market for multi-turn product. In 2017 Pima Valve celebrated its 50th year in business.

How to Reduce Risk When Selecting a Ballast Water Management System

It seems like a lifetime coming, but the IMO International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM) has been approved and will enter into force on September 8, 2017. Deemed as an environmental necessity, it creates an enormous operational challenge for the maritime industry. As ship owners, system installers and BWM system manufacturers alike prepare for the many challenges associated with implementation, it would be wise to more closely evaluate the real (and sometimes hidden) risks to system operators and manufacturers.

Vessel Automation: Command & Control

The marine industry is becoming increasingly competitive, with many looking to lower transportation costs while demanding the highest environmental and safety standards. Automating vessel operations and systems can significantly improve a vessel owner’s competitive edge in the market, by reducing staffing requirements, improving asset management, maintenance costs and minimizing risk of environmental incidents due to human error. On a ship, there are many parameters that needs to be controlled or monitored including: temperature…

Growing Up Metric

The story of World Wide Metric’s steady growth and promising future. Words are powerful, and “Growing up Metric,” the title of the recently released book by George Contos, the energetic CEO and second-generation ‘Contos’ leader of World Wide Metric, is a fitting title. Contos recently sat with Maritime Reporter & Engineering News in his Branchburg, N.J. headquarters to discuss how his company has grown from roughly $3 million per year when he took over in 2000, to over $20 million per year today, with its course set for $50 million by 2026.

Alfa Laval Debuts FlowSync

Flow optimization of the separator feed increases protection from cat fines while decreasing energy use. The new Alfa Laval FlowSync is a single solution for automatic flow control, unique in its ability to steer multiple separator feeds simultaneously. Alfa Laval FlowSync is an automatic control system that synchronizes the oil feed to Alfa Laval separators with the engine load. By matching the flow of fuel to the engine’s needs, it increases retention time in the separator bowl, giving the separators the best possible conditions for doing their job.

Schlumberger, Cameron Merger Complete

Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB) announced today that it has closed its merger with Cameron International Corporation. As previously announced, each Cameron stockholder is entitled to receive 0.716 shares of Schlumberger common stock and $14.44 in cash, in exchange for each Cameron share. Schlumberger has issued approximately 138 million shares pursuant to the merger. As a result, former Cameron stockholders own approximately 10% of Schlumberger’s outstanding shares of common stock. The transaction combines two complementary technology portfolios into a pore-to-pipeline products and services offering to the global oil and gas industry.

Webb Institute Adds Assistant Professor of Marine Engineering

Webb Institute has appointed Benjamin H. Scott as the Assistant Professor of Marine Engineering. Scott is a design engineer with over 30 years of experience in thermal and hydraulic analysis, heat exchanger design, thermal performance testing and fluid system design. Scott recently retired from Exelon Corporation as the senior manager of design engineering at their Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Lusby, Md., where he oversaw a staff of 60 multidiscipline engineers responsible for all plant modifications and improvements…

Norwegian Epic Drydocks at Damen Shiprepair

On Sunday, 27 September, Norwegian Cruise Line’scruise vessel,Norwegian Epic, entered Damen Shiprepair Brest for a scheduled refit and maintenance programme. The vessel will remain in Brest’s largest drydockuntil18 October. The yard, besides executing the repair and maintenance works, provides all necessary logistic services to Norwegian Cruise Line’sarranged contractors. “This isn’t just another mega-class cruise ship”, explains Robert Diepenbroek, Managing Director at Damen Shiprepair Brest.Norwegian Epic is cruising reimagined with innovations never before seen at sea. Being today’s fifth largest cruise vessel, the ship is a floating hotel with all related facilities, including bars, restaurants, theatres, casinos, swimming pools, etc.

Rotork Acquires Masso

Rotork announced it has acquired Masso Ind s.p.a., a manufacturer of shipboard valve remote control systems (VRCS), to enhance its range of flow control products and services for the worldwide marine and offshore industries. Masso VRCS solutions include hydraulic and electro-hydraulic systems that are compatible with most integrated automation systems required for critical safety applications. The Masso product range also includes hydraulic quarter-turn and linear actuators, hydraulic power packs, solenoid cabinets and electro-hydraulic actuators for shipboard applications.

Leistritz Debuts Three New Pumps

The offshore oil and gas industry uses Floating Production, Storage and Off-loading (FPSO) vessels to process and store gas or oil until it can be unloaded onto tankers or forwarded through a pipeline. Leistritz Screw Pumps are responsible for boosting the produced water into a hydro cyclone where the remaining oil and sand will be extracted. Since 1924 Leistritz Pumpen GmbH has been manufacturing screw pumps for almost any application in the shipbuilding industry and has established itself as a leader worldwide.