June 2021

HYDRAULICS 26 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS June 2021 www.hpmag.co.uk The reliability of components in a process control environment is key to avoiding unplanned downtime for repairs. For a sugar refinery in East London, repeated replacement of a control valve and a poor mean time between failures (MTBF) led the company to seek an alternative that could cope in a challenging washwater application. Bürkert’s Element range of process control valves was able to deliver the solution. The sugar refinery has a capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per year. Towards the end of the process to remove sugar from the cane, a mixture of sugar crystals and molasses, known as massecuite, is delivered to a number of centrifuges, which spin at speeds up to 1200 rpm. This process separates the sugar crystals, which are then washed and dried, producing granulated sugar. Challenging conditions The centrifuges can process over 20 loads per hour with each batch needing to be washed before it is dried and transferred to the storage silos. The washwater used during this process is controlled by a ball valve with a spring return actuator and an electrical position indicator. Each control valve is required to perform hundreds of thousands of operations per year and is working with water at 90degC as well as a pressure of 6 bar. This arduous environment applies to all centrifuges that are in operation at the Refinery. However, after several years in operation, the valves had a poor reliability record and were the cause of leaks, which resulted in increased maintenance costs. As a result, research was carried out to find an alternative design of valve that could handle the repetitive operation as well as the working environment and provide more reliable service. This led to the Bürkert Type 2100 angle seat valve and the Type 8697 pneumatic control unit, both of which are designed for hygienic applications. Excellent sealing properties This selection of control valve is well- matched for decentralised process automation and offers excellent sealing properties as well as valve status feedback via LEDs on the pneumatic control unit itself. Together with the use of chemically resistant materials in its construction and proven IP ratings, the Bürkert control valve assembly is ideally suited for applications in the food and beverage sector. Using planned downtime in production, the plant initially installed 16 Bürkert control valves, with a further 16 larger control valves being installed on a similar application. The senior reliability engineer at the plant comments: “These new valves have proven to be easy to install and a great improvement in terms of reliability. Their introduction has contributed to an improvement in machine up time at our facility and their high cycling ability makes them well-suited to wide range of applications in the plant.” www.dmaeuropa.com Bürkert valves provide improved reliability for sugar refinery wash process Bürkert’s Type 2100 angle seat valve and Type 8697 pneumatic control unit were specified, both of which are designed for hygienic applications Gates, provider of application-specific fluid power and power transmission solutions, has introduced MEGASys MXT with XtraTuff Plus cover (MXT-XTP), a universally applicable hydraulic hose, featuring Gates’ patent-pending wire-braid technology. MXT-XTP offers all the benefits of Gates’ industry- leading MXT hose – compact size, light weight, flexibility and high performance – with added durability from the company’s XtraTuff Plus (XTP) cover. “Gates is known for innovation driven by materials science and process engineering expertise and pairing that with the voice-of-customer and an ability to anticipate the needs of future applications sets us apart,” says Mike Haen, vice president, industrial global product line management. “MXT- XTP maintains the advantageous performance of our popular MXT hose line with the field-proven XtraTuff Plus cover. We continue to revitalise our premium MEGASys hydraulics portfolio by providing solutions for our customers’ most challenging applications.” Lightweight Gates’ lightweight, high-performance MXT hose is proven in the factory and field, around the world, being specified in by OEMs and used repeatedly by replacement channels. It is claimed to be 25% lighter weight than conventional hoses, making it easier to lift and handle, plus MXT is up to 49% more flexible, allowing faster and more ergonomic installations. Gates has enhanced the MXT hose with the optional XTP cover, maintaining MXT hose performance while adding 25 times the abrasion resistance and enhanced ozone resistance, as validated by a rigorous 800-hour ozone exposure test. The XTP cover was previously introduced as the standard cover on MXG 4K. MXT-XTP hose meets or exceeds relevant ISO, SAE and EN performance standards, is MHSA-certified for flame resistance, and is certified leak- free per SAE J1754 when used with Gates MegaCrimp couplings. Universally applicable As a universally applicable premium hydraulic hose, MXT-XTP is suitable for the most demanding fluid power challenges across a broad array of industries and applications, including construction and mining, material handling, machining and metal processing, injection moulding and other stationary machinery, agriculture and forestry, aerial lifts and more. Its broad applicability allows customers to simplify and consolidate inventory with a standardised, multi-use hose. MXT-XTP is available globally, wherever Gates hydraulic products are sold. www.gates.com Gates launches MXT with XtraTuff Plus cover