The future of industrial valves

What is the state of the industry and what will be the trends of tomorrow

The industrial valve sector is growing steadily. Italy, in particular, plays an increasingly important role within the European market, and even more so for applications in the Oil & Gas sector. The whole sector, however, is seeing a period of development which is expected to continue in the near future, mainly through the integration of new technologies and applications.

 

Many industries and production processes require precise and effective valves for their operation; future developments will necessarily lead to changes, even significant, in some sectors. We always think of Oil & Gas, with the progressive (even if uncertain) energy transition. Some sectors will have changing requirements, but the need for industrial valves is expected to be constant.

 

ECI, European Casting Industry, is a company specialized in the production of a wide range of valves for different types of application. With this experience, knowledge of advanced technologies and the use of high quality materials, let’s discover together which are the main types and trends that will characterize the future of industrial valves.

 

State of the art: how is the industrial valve industry?

 

The industrial valve sector, particularly in Italy, is now looking very healthy. The sector is worth, in 2022, about 10 billion euros (3 of these for the Oil & Gas alone); it presents itself as a resilient industry and with a high degree of technological innovation, with a traditional concentration in Lombardy and particularly in Bergamo. 

 

Our country is also the lion’s share in Europe, producing 4 out of 10 valves for the oil sector. As we have seen on several occasions, the valve industry is nevertheless very heterogeneous because of the wide range of solutions proposed and the fields of application. The Italian companies operating in the sector are about 800, of which 140 in the Oil & Gas sector for about 10 thousand employees.

 

New technologies for industrial valves

 

Many of the future trends in industrial valves will be based on quality and resistance, even in particularly demanding fields of application where ever-higher performance will be required.

 

Take the oil sector. Valves designed to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted flow of liquids and gases have different functions and must operate with virtually no margin for error. They must therefore be made of materials that can withstand corrosion or high temperatures, high and low pressure. They also have important dimensions and weights ranging from twenty kilos up to 100 tonnes.

 

The focus will then be on increasing toughness and corrosion resistance; this to improve the safety of plants and equipment, while increasing strength will reduce weight and facilitate handling. This improvement in strength and toughness performance will be generally achieved by the use of super-duplex, nickel-based superalloys and maraging stainless steel grades, combining the high strength of martensitic stainless steels with improved corrosion resistance resulting from low carbon concentration. 

 

Another possible and very interesting future development in materials may be the introduction of austenitic manganese-aluminium steels. Chromium-free, they are characterised by a reduced weight, improved corrosion resistance and a combination of strength and high ductility: The first application of this material could be for components which have undergone wear phenomena.

 

What about production?

 

Not only materials and performance; also production technologies are constantly developing and could change in the coming years. The introduction of new technologies will mainly involve the use of steels and alloys with better homogeneity in terms of chemical composition. Therefore, many forged products will not be made from traditional ingots but from cast products (with an eye to the sustainability of the process) or from new continuous casting machines. In addition, the forging process is likely to be modified to produce more reliable micro structures. 

 

Of course, there is also a lot of talk about 3D printed valves (like other metal components). At present this technology is not capable of replacing foundry and forging, either for cost reasons or because it cannot yet guarantee the same mechanical reliability as traditional and established processes. However, on-demand printing or additive manufacturing may play an important role in the creation of prototypes and testers.

 

ECI valves: innovations for the future

 

ECI is looking to the future and keeping up with the times in terms of materials, production technologies, versatility and reliability of the industrial valves proposed. 

 

The company invests heavily in R&D to produce valves for industrial applications of first-class quality and standards, which can guarantee high performance and versatility in any operational context. This enables them to meet the needs of today’s industries, but also to look ahead to what will be the needs of tomorrow. Doing so ensures that customers are prepared for change and can gain a competitive advantage.

 

Valves designed and constructed with carefully selected materials, such as brass, bronze and cast iron, which ensure a high resistance to corrosion, pressure and high temperatures. 

 

Due to the wide range of valves available, these can be used in different sectors and areas, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, but also oil and gas fields. Each product is systematically tested to ensure compliance with specific quality standards and maximum operational efficiency. 

 

As a manufacturer of valves for various industrial sectors, ECI offers various types of valves, such as:

• ground valves;
• butterfly valves;
• globe valves;
• ball valves;
• check valves.

 

Thanks to a long experience in the sector, ECI - European Casting Industry - provides specialized advice and tailor-made solutions for each customer’s specific needs, offering valves made to different standards and ensuring a wide distribution of its products.

 

For more information on the different types of valves proposed by ECI, contact us!