Tyco Flow Control, a segment of Tyco International, has announced the finalisation of a four phase plan to expand its Vanessa valve plant in Lugagnano Val d’Arda, Italy. When completed, the expansion will grow the facility from 30,000 to 50,000m2. Vanessa valves are used in the oil and gas, power generation, chemical and petrochemical industries to achieve fire safe, zero-leakage shut-off over a range of temperatures from -254C to +815C. Phase one of the expansion which included an additional test facility and assembly area for larger valves was completed in September 2007, while phase two, due for completion at the end of January 2008, will see an additional 1800m2 of warehouse space and 410m2 of office space added to the facility and the machine shop will be expanded on the existing site. A new road is being constructed to the rear of the site and phase three will expand the manufacturing area by 900m2 and join the previously separate sections of the phase one areas. A deadline of late May 2008 is set for completion. The final stage of expansion will see the addition of a further 2000m2 by February 2009 bringing the total additional area of the new site to 15,000m2, 7000m2 of which will be covered. As a result the total plant area by the end of the project will be 50,000m2.
