What makes a valve project successful? This is not an easy question, but a good path would be to look at the trajectory of the Masoneilan Camflex, the world's most popular rotary globe valve, with over 1.2 million units sold, a significant portion of which is in Brazil. Control effectiveness, excellence in sealing, ease of repair, and maintenance economy were Masoneilan's recipe for this project. Want to know how? Let's explain.
In this article, you will learn about:
- Features
- Main applications
- Sealing
- Maintenance
- Project origin
What is the Masoneilan Camflex valve?
First and foremost, Camflex is a control valve. Furthermore, it is characterized as an eccentric rotary globe valve. But what does that mean? It means that it controls the process very, very well. Globe valves are good for control by definition. The rotary feature further improves its "delta P," and it is off-center for better sealing.
Due to its construction, the fluid does not make the typical "S" inside the valve, as in a traditional globe valve, but follows a simpler path. The result is low noise, low pressure drop, low wear, and almost no cavitation.
Another interesting feature of Camflex is that it operates with an exclusive trunnion-type actuator, which is highly configurable. It is mainly the actuator's aesthetics that make Camflex unmistakable.
Main applications of Camflex
Masoneilan Camflex is recommended for low-pressure lines with moderate fluid velocity that do not require a significant pressure drop or noise reduction. It is very common in breweries and pulp and paper industries. Examples of equipment or process points where a Camflex can be applied include:
- Condenser
- Cooling tower
- Gas turbine
- Distillery
- Dehydration
- Cooling
- Dehydration
Sealing
Although it is a control valve, one of the great advantages of Camflex is its absolute sealing. Want to know the secret? The obturator arms.
The Camflex obturator has devices like side handles with good elasticity that, when pressed against the seat, undergo elastic deformation and "seal" the valve. Interesting, isn't it? The magic lies in the valve and actuator's material and mechanical engineering.
Maintenance
We've already talked about the "direct" path of the fluid inside the valve, instead of the "S," right? Less friction inside the valve means less wear, less maintenance. But that's not all. Camflex consists of fewer parts than its competitors. Fewer parts to replace, which undergo little wear, mean more money in the maintenance budget. Who could resist?
Project Origin
Until the 1960s, globe valves dominated as process control devices in industries in general. Instead of implementing small improvements to the traditional globe valve design, Masoneilan presented a complete alternative in 1968: the Camflex rotary globe valve
The proposal for a valve that uses fewer components, undergoes less wear, and still provides better sealing became popular, and Camflex quickly gained a large installed base worldwide.
In Brazil, Masoneilan has been controlled by companies such as Dresser, GE Company, BHGE (a merger between Baker Hughes and GE Oil & Gas) and currently is part of the Baker Hughes portfolio.
It is also worth mentioning that, responding to requests, in 2018, BHGE introduced the Camflex GR (Globe Replacement) to the market, which is the classic Camflex but with a redesigned body, with the same face-to-face as the traditional globe, for quick and painless replacement without any modifications needed in the piping.
