Category: News

SFG20 – simplifying the world of building maintenance

SFG20 is the definitive standard for planned maintenance. It is an invaluable tool to help facilities managers, contractors, building owners and anyone responsible for maintenance to stay compliant – also saving clients time, energy and money.

All businesses have a vast range of assets; HVAC (heating, ventilation and cooling) equipment, plants and electrical machinery. These all need regular auditing, maintenance, updates and testing to ensure they stay in line with legislation and compliance, and to ensure optimum performance, longevity and safety.

At Valveforce, we often find that there are a variety of specific skill sets that are required to do the above, which the owner operator does not have. This is were the specialist skills of the team at Valveforce can help, as we can provide the trades that are required, such as gas engineers, pipe fitters, coded welding, electrical and C&I and the detailed skills of valve technicians combined with the flexibility, support and project management that is often needed.

The expert team at Valveforce can help you with core schedules 61 for Valves and 62 for Valves – Automatic Controls.

If you would like to know more about how Valveforce can help you with SFG20 planned maintenance click here or call Valveforce’s team of specialists on 0121 711 1908.

To find out how Valveforce completed an extensive Valve Maintenance programme to comply with SFG20 click here.

With over 40 years’ experience in manufacturing EPS bonded bead cavity wall insulation, our client is committed to creating warmer homes by improving the standard of home insulation in all properties.

Our client recently expanded and set up a new manufacturing facility in Central England, due to the continued growth of their bonded bead cavity wall insulation product range.

The process of making bonded bead cavity wall insulation requires the use of a steam generating plant. It is essential to deliver steam at critical temperatures and dryness fraction, to ensure the quality of steam being served to the continuous duty pre-expansion plant is met.

With a growing reputation as steam systems specialists, Valveforce (part of the Force group) were contacted to design the steam and condensate system, as well as carry out the full steam design and build project.

The Valveforce team carried out a full site assessment, a detailed steam and condensate system design, plus all the necessary mechanical and electrical installation works. Examples of equipment used included steam bellow sealed stop valves, pressure reducing valves, temperature control valves and condensate steam traps.

During the installation of the steam boiler plant the Valveforce team carried out the oil feed installation to the burner, boiler water mains feed, blowdown vessel & safety valves vents and drains, ensuring that our client had one preferred installer and specialist steam system team on board.

Specialist attention was given to the critical temperature of the plant. Valveforce ensured that there was a carefully selected steam separator and condensate drainage, to ensure the driest levels of steam was produced.

Valveforce delivered the project on time and within budget, working alongside the site engineering team. During the build of the overall project there were a couple of technical areas that needed to be addressed, but we were able to offer their support and expertise.

Before and after photos

If you have a requirement for steam and condensate system installation, please contact Valveforce on 0121 711 1908. We would be very happy to discuss your project in detail.

Most steam boilers continuously operate and are a key part of any plant and machinery on site. Steam boilers and high-pressure hot water boilers over 110C, require an annual insurance inspection under the Pressure Systems and Safety Regulations. Often this is tied into a high maintenance shutdown period for plants or individual systems, so that all steam served equipment is available for maintenance.

At Valveforce, our expert engineers have many years’ experience working across different industry sectors. We are able to carry out the boiler preparation for your annual insurance inspection and 5 yearly Non-Destructive Testing in line with your statutory insurance obligations. Valveforce’s Annual Insurance Inspection agreements ensure that your steam and hot water boilers are prepared for their annual inspection and rebuilt by our specialist Valveforce service engineers. Annual agreements typically consist of a yearly preparation of boilers for insurance inspection.

Our engineers will prepare the boiler for the insurance inspection, overhaul and certify all the critical valves and on completion of the inspection the boiler is rebuilt, filled and tested. We then carry out the working test to satisfy the inspector. Valveforce also offer additional Boilerhouse services.

To find out more about a Valveforce Annual Boiler Inspection please click here or call us on 0121 711 1908 to discuss your requirements, we’d be happy to help.

Valveforce are based in the Midlands, so our services are ideal for commercial clients nationwide. Our expert engineers have a reputation for outstanding workmanship and can be relied upon to keep your plant working in full order, performing work onsite during shutdown.

A Steam Trap Survey carried out on a regular basis is the most efficient way to eliminate costly losses, maximise energy efficiency and minimise production downtime. Having a leaking steam trap in your steam system is like having a hole in your wallet. Steam trap failure can be due to a number of factors, however a steam trap that is not working properly allows live and valuable steam to escape. Replacing or repairing steam traps may seem expensive at first, but the cost is nothing compared to the amount of money you’re losing because of a leaking steam trap.

An example of saving money: As a rule, just one passing 15mm Thermodynamic steam trap will cost you about £750 per year in live steam loss.

We have done Steam Trap surveys for a large number of hospitals and NHS trusts, as well as for Johnson Matthey, Major International, Viridor Polymer, Halewood International, Ornua Ingredients, Milliken Industries and SPIE Ltd to name a few.

To find out more about A Valveforce Steam Trap Survey please click here or call us on 0121 711 1908 to discuss your requirements, we’d be happy to help.

We’re very proud to have taken part in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning on Friday 28th September. The coffee morning is Macmillan’s biggest fundraising event for people facing cancer.

Along with games and a raffle, a delicious selection of cakes and samosas were baked and bought in by the team, to help raise funds for this wonderful charity.

A great time was had by all and most importantly £400 was raised.

Join us at the Healthcare Estates Exhibition and Conference, at Manchester Central Convention Complex

The Force Group (Valveforce, Controlsforce, Heatxforce and Pumpforce) will be exhibiting at the Healthcare Estates Exhibition on 9-10 October 2018.

Healthcare Estates is a truly unique event in the UK market. It’s the only national conference and exhibition to bring together those who design, build manage and maintain healthcare facilities.

Continue reading “Join us at the Healthcare Estates Exhibition and Conference, at Manchester Central Convention Complex”

The new website has a fresh, clean design with a mobile first approach to make sure our content is easily accessible on any device.  The navigation and search functionality has improved, so users can find and browse content easily. If you would like to speak to one of our team please call 0121 711 1908 to chat to one of the technical sales team.  If you have any suggestions on ways we can improve the site, please email info@valveforce.co.uk we’d love to hear from you.

Over the past few years our specialist range of on-site supporting services has been enhanced and expanded to meet the changing needs of our customers.

Time and time again we have been asked to extend our skill-set so we can fully service not only plate heat exchangers on-site but also shell & tube exchangers, air handling units, heater batteries, coolers and coils.

We have listened, and last summer we invested significantly and set up a comprehensive Heat Exchanger division and fabrication workshop in-house. More importantly we now have a dedicated team led by a very capable and experienced Heat Exchanger specialist, namely Richard Evans.

Heatxforce offers a full range of products and services from concept design through to the supply and installation of heat exchanger packages.

Continue reading “THE HEAT IS ON AT VALVEFORCE”

After a period of sustained business growth and two acquisitions we are delighted to announce that we have moved into much larger, more purpose-built premises. This move will enable us to create new jobs, allow us to expand into manufacturing and add a wider range of products and services to our portfolio.

Valveforce are specialists in the highly technical scoping and installation of steam and water process energy and flow control systems and we work with a wide range of customers including food manufacturing factories, paper and pulp manufacturing plants, hospitals and other large organisations. In February 2016 Valveforce acquired IES Control and earlier this year acquired the assets of a heat exchanger business.

Continue reading “NEW PREMISES, NEW SERVICES, NEW PRODUCTS”