In response to the volatile price swings of the metal supply market, engineers John Williams and Vinh Nguyen designed the thermally-compensated mounting flange and the efforts have been recognized with a patent – U.S. Patent No. 7,600,740 – from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The driving objective for this new design was to reduce the cost for valves that are constructed with one of the most expensive metals used to construct a severe service valve – titanium.

“We needed to respond to the economic times for our customers. Our customers have been good to us and in return we have provided them with superior valves and workmanship, but we keep researching for even better solutions. I believed there was a way to reduce the cost of some of our valves that require higher priced metals and asked John and Vinh to make it happen,” said Mogas.

“I believe they responded and our customers are reaping the rewards of their efforts.”

The reason to use of titanium means one thing –high temperatures in a very demanding corrosive service. As with anything that is heated, it will eventually expand. In the case with expansion involving a valve, it can be disastrous resulting in leakage.

With severe service at the temperatures demanding titanium, MOGAS Industries had been using a titanium mounting flange to allow for the thermal expansion to be equivalent since the same materials were used for the valve and flange.

If there is cost to be saved, without diminishing the integrity of the valve, it would be found in the mounting flange.

The two engineers designed a mounting flange that is constructed of 410 stainless steel and with the introduction of an engineered precision cut in the flange. The cut allows the flange to grow and flex without causing damage to the valve, while maintaining precision alignment of the valve stem and actuator. The result is a cost savings for the customer without jeopardizing the valve or the facility using the valve.

“We looked at various possibilities and developed the thermal-compensating mounting flange as a way to reduce the cost and help our customers,” said Williams, vice president of engineering.

The use of the 410 stainless steel provides a cost savings of about 70 percent for the mounting flange.

The mounting flange is used to attach a variety of equipment to a valve, such as a gear or actuator to operate a stem to open and/or close a valve.

In the case of high temperature service, the material of the mounting flange may have a thermal expansion coefficient that is different than the material used to construct the valve. This can result in excessive thermal stresses developing in the mounting flange which might lead to premature failure of the valve, mounting flange and/or any mechanical operators attached to the valve.

“The thermal expansion issue creates undue stresses on the flange and the valve. By using a less expensive material for the mounting flange and incorporating the slit in the flange we have found a way to reduce the cost, reduce the thermal stress and provide a sound answer to the challenge we were presented,” said Nguyen, director of technology and research and development.

Tags: MOGAS Industries