Mitech, South African designer and manufacturer of a wide range of valves for the process control industry and a BBBEE Level 3 contributor, has received a substantial order for rubber-lined butterfly valves for Umgeni Water’s storage and purification plants situated between Pinetown and Durban. The valves are used to isolate the reservoirs, either in opening or closing, to allow the water to pass through to individual municipalities. Water entering the reservoir will also be passed through the new valves, which are able to cope with pressures of up to 16bar.
In order to secure the order, Mitech had to comply with stringent requirements and the company’s 100% localisation was a key factor in acquiring the contract. The order was for 42 valves ranging in sizes from 300mm to 1.6m. The rubber-lined butterfly valves are robust and corrosion-resistant, and feature an EPDM liner. During the manufacturing process, different techniques were applied, including the bonding of the rubber lining. Mitech’s new 4000m2 factory lends itself to these techniques and has an on-site autoclave allowing for quicker turnaround times. The Rubber Lined Butterfly Valves are manufactured from special materials including the WCB carbon steel body and duplex stainless steel shafts and disks to cope with the chlorine content in the water, as well as the EPDM Liner to eliminate leakage.
