Maryland Miller Standardizes on "Maintainence-Free" Valve Design

For the past seven years at Wilkins-Rogers Inc., Ellicott City, MD, Plant Engineer Richard Krause has been replacing all of the various types of valve gates and diverters with standardized type units from Salina Vortex Corp., Salina, KS). Over that time, he has re-placed more than 50 valves. "This is an old mill, and at one time, we used manually-operated diverter valves," says Krause, chief engineer at the 7,500-cwt.-per-day Ellicott City mill. "After I started here (in 1991), we purchased several other types of gates before settling on the Salina Vortex product. They're maintenance-free, they don't leak, and they're easy to maintain." Krause distinguishes between the Salina Vortex slide-type design and other types of gates that have flap-like doors that open and shut. Rather than opening inward or outward, the Salina Vortex gate and diverter consist of a pneumatically-actuated sliding blade sandwiched between two hard polymer seals. The sliding plate has a hole matching the width of the pneumatic line, allowing the product clear passage in the open position.