KLINGER Argentina delivered large diameter valves for an important sanitation project in William Morris, a town in the Greater Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area. Due to pandemic regulations, testing of the valves had to be done in a rather unconventional way.
Improving the country’s water and sewage system is a continuous task in Argentina. One recent project is the William Morris sewage pumping station. It is expected to connect another 2,086 homes to the sewage system and, once finished, will be the largest plant in the west zone of Buenos Aires. The project involved a large quantity of pipes, pumps and valves of which KLINGER Argentina, through its Water & Sewage division, last year supplied several large diameter valves, many of them automated.
Did you know?
In Argentina, nearly 50 percent of the population have no sewage services. Since 1999, the Water & Sewage Division of KLINGER Argentina has helped to tackle this problem.
Contacts mentioned in the article:
Alberto Pinter, Managing Director of KLINGER Argentina
Delivering on time, despite COVID-19 restrictions
It had been agreed that hydraulic tests would be carried out in the factory of origin before delivering the valves with all their quality certification to the site. But the pandemic made traveling impossible. Still the project in William Morris had to continue without delay. KLINGER had to come up with an unconventional solution to test the valves. Not an easy task, given the fact, that the customer was present only via video call.
„Despite difficult circumstances, we were able to finish the job on time. This was thanks to the great teamwork of the sales staff as well as the Automation and Services department of KLINGER Argentina, in constant communication with the customer.“
Alberto Pinter, Managing Director of KLINGER Argentina
Remote solution for test and approval
The two knife-gate valves, weighing more than 2 tons each, had to be tested in their place of origin. After long negotiations, this was carried out remotely via video call in coordination with the factory and the customer. Because there was no suitable test bench, the KLINGER team designed a special device for the four actuated gate valves and the four check valves. The operation required a huge effort with four trucks needed to deliver the valves. After three days all tests were completed and approved by the client, leaving everyone happy. Difficult times require creative solutions!
These KLINGER valves were used in the project
- “Pico de Pato” (duckbill) valve
1 valve of (2360x1770x1700 mm) 730 kg - Knife gate valves
1 DN1000 valve of (5200x1300x1300 mm) 2,300 kg
1 DN900 valve of (4000x1360x1100 mm) 2,250 kg - Gate and check valves
4 DN600 valves of (1300x1100x1500 mm) 1,050 kg each
4 DN600 valves of (2150x1200x600 mm) 780 kg each
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What was the largest valve KLINGER Argentina delivered for this project?
A knife-gate valve weighing 2.3 tons. It was 5.2 meters long and had a diameter of 1.3 meters.
What is a knife-gate valve?
Knife-gate valves are specially designed to handle fluids that contain suspended solids. They are equipped with a knife made from stainless steel that is either in a fully open position or is completely closed.
What is Argentina’s National Water Plan?
Argentina’s National Water Plan was put in place in 2016 and aims to ensure 100 percent of Argentinians have access to drinking water and 75 percent have sanitation coverage by 2030.
