HIGH performance polyamide plastic has become an integral component of a high performance valve recognised by the Australian Design Awards. Float Master, developed by GFR in Western Australia as a long-life solution to the failure rate of traditional metal valves, has application wherever tanked water (and other fluids) needs to be cost-effectively regulated.
GFR’s Gavin Rutherford said the platform for Float Master was that it had to be a simple valve and, like every other valve GFR produced, was made of stainless steel, elastomers and an engineering plastic to avoid the use of iron or other corrosive substances.
"Corrosion is a common reason why valves fail, and in so many applications a failure can cause downtime, damage and costly repairs. On the goldfields of Western Australia, for instance, the process bore water being used by the mining companies is rated as much as 10 times saltier than seawater.
"GFR had been installing plastic pipelines to service these operations for many years and found that steel valves controlling the flow on them were failing through corrosion and contamination.
"We wanted Float Master to firstly universally fit on tank flanges, and then ensure it shuts off instantly but without 'hammer' when the water level gets to the top of the tank," he said.
On high rise buildings, the air conditioning industry now uses Float Master on evaporative air conditioning systems rather than valve arrangements such as butterfly valves in jigs and diaphragm valves.
Ertalon polyamide (commonly recognised as Nylon) within Float Master valves is custom-shaped to suit applications requiring high mechanical strength, stiffness, hardness and toughness, fatigue resistance, high mechanical damping ability, good sliding properties, noise damping, electrical insulating, dielectric properties and wear resistance.
Float Master has been engineered to also overcome the problem of chatter - that situation in large tanks when water turbulence shakes a valve and prevents it from instantly recognising when the tank is full.
The unit ignores this turbulence because it has a hydraulic recognition mechanism that pushes the float underwater thus avoiding turbulence. After the float has been submerged for sufficient time, it eventually overcomes a hydraulic resistance in the valve, which then shuts off.
Effectively, this is an anti-wave action feature which, during submersion, shuts a pilot valve and then the main valve.
The added gain is that by shutting the instant the tank is full, expensive and sensitive pumps and pressure- sensitive equipment are not strained by lengthy trickles.
The valve itself is also not subject to adverse "throttling" effects that are common in modulating type valves.
Hydraulic sensing ensures the valve remains in the 'off' position until the water level drops several centimetres in the tank.
"This valve is serving many communities in civil applications as well as those in industry," Mr Rutherford said.
"Unlike regular valve systems, Float Master reacts to the difference created if, say, only 100 people within a serviced community simultaneously flushed toilets, as opposed to 500 flushing at once. It would not open the valve until required.
"On mine sites, this level of sensitive detection is invaluable, because they have to generate their own electricity and any conservation of water stocks relieves strain on the plant".
Float Master is accepted by the WA Water Corporation for potable water applications, and also been accepted in Municipal pool applications to upkeep the water level. Similar valves operate in 100 per cent sulphuric acid, although with a different high performance plastic. GFR 08 9250 2944.