Problem

A global leader in valve manufacturing and automation control product distributor in the US and Venezuela was facing acute corrosion, erosion and wear rates of eccentric e-plug valves used in iron ore mining plant in Latin America

The eccentric plug valve disk encountered frequent failures and rapid wear rates in pneumatic conveying of iron ore. 4 inch to 16 inch size butterfly valves were used. The OEM valve butterfly disks were manufactured in carbon steel casting ASTM A 216 WCB grade and then hard-faced chromium plated 50 microns.

The disks lasted only 27 hours of service during shut-on and shut-off operations with a total service life of 3 months.

Evaluation, Assessment, Recommendation And Solution(s)

ACME reverse engineered a 4-inch valve disk, manufactured the replacement part in high chromium high alloy white iron-ACME Taurus 30.

The high chromium high alloy white iron was further micro-alloyed with molybdenum, titanium, vanadium.

The valve component was cast, cleaned and CNC machined using PBCN inserts owing to its high hardness HRC 50+, that offers high wear and abrasion resistance. The bore of the valve disk was CNC EDM speciality machined and supplied to the customer

Result

The supplied part outperformed OEM. Useful life was more than 3 years. Less plant down, Lower maintenance cost and high uptime of the dense phase pneumatic conveying line of iron ore.

The customer satisfied with the solution and performance immediately issued next order for high wear and abrasion resistant valve seat rings and plugs in Stellite 6 (Cobalt base alloys) to use in highly corrosive bauxite slurry. The supplied eccentric plug supplied was cast in SS316 and then hardfaced with Stellite 6, outperformed OEM product and was 40% lower in cost.