Carbon Steel Flanged Butterfly Valve - Worm Gear

1. The Procurement Challenge: Balancing Reliability, Budget, and Schedule

The client was upgrading a critical water pump station. Their primary challenge involved replacing large-bore gate valves that had become unreliable and required excessive torque to operate. The procurement team's market analysis identified two primary obstacles:

• Cost Constraints: Quotations from established Tier-1 brands, sourced through regional distributors, were significantly over budget. The high brand premium was not justifiable for this standard utility application.
• Schedule Pressure: Standard distributor stock and factory lead times averaged 12-14 weeks, leaving little buffer in the project's civil and mechanical works schedule.

The client needed a manufacturer that could provide reliable, long-lasting valves that met all technical specifications without the associated brand premium, and within a compressed delivery timeframe.

2. The JRVAL Solution: Engineering Value Through Manufacturing Control

Our proposal focused on demonstrating value through superior manufacturing control and transparent quality assurance, directly addressing the client's core requirements.

2.1. The Foundation: Verifiable Casting Integrity

Recognizing that valve longevity starts with the casting, we highlighted our core strength. As a foundry-based manufacturer with a 20-year casting expert founder, we control the entire process in our 81,426 m² facility. We guaranteed that every ASTM A216 WCB valve body would be free of shrinkage, porosity, and sand inclusion. This was backed by our standard NDT (Non-Destructive Testing) protocol, with dimensional and material reports provided for every batch.

2.2. The Right Mechanism for the Application: Worm Gear Operator

We specifically addressed the value of the worm gear operator for this pump station application:

• Vibration Resistance: The self-locking nature of the worm gear prevents disc flutter caused by pump vibration, a common issue with lever-operated valves in such environments.
• Controlled Operation: The gearbox ensures slow, controlled opening and closing, which helps mitigate the risk of water hammer in the high-flow discharge lines.
• Standardized Interface: All gearboxes were fitted with a standard ISO 5211 mounting flange, giving the client future-proof flexibility to upgrade to electric actuators without valve modification.

2.3. Transparent Quality Assurance & Documentation

We avoided packaging industry standards as unique features. Instead, we provided a clear, transparent QA framework. The standard documentation package for each valve included:

• EN 10204 3.1 Material Traceability Reports (MTRs) for the body, disc, and stem.
• Hydrostatic test reports confirming zero leakage (bi-directional soft seat sealing) as per API 598 Rate A.
• Final QC dimensional inspection reports, verified with calibrated measuring instruments.

Crucially, we were upfront about third-party validation: The client was informed they could appoint any recognized TPI (such as SGS, BV, TÜV) for a witnessed Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) at their own expense. This transparency provided them with full control and confidence in the verification process.

3. Quantified Results: Delivering Measurable Value

Our direct, vertically integrated model, utilizing our 11 key CNC machining centers, translated into concrete, measurable benefits for the municipal utility:

• Budget Adherence: The final contract price was 18% lower than the average distributor quotes for legacy brands, directly impacting the project's bottom line by approximately \$42,000 USD.
• Schedule De-risking: By controlling the entire production chain from casting to assembly, we committed to and met an 8-week delivery schedule, providing the installation team with a crucial 4-week buffer.
• Long-Term Reliability: An 18-month follow-up with the plant's maintenance supervisor confirmed all valves are performing to specification, demonstrating the real-world benefit of our focus on casting quality and robust assembly. The 2-year warranty covering free spare parts provides further assurance of long-term operational security.