How are valves important in our everyday lives?

Did you know that valves play an important role in our everyday lives? Wherever fluids move in a pipe, valves are needed to secure their safe and reliable flow. And this happens in most process industries – and even to make products or materials that might surprise you. Millions of valves are working day and night in various industries globally. Let’s talk more about this and reveal some fascinating facts about valves.

Valves ensure safe and reliable process flows

Why do we need valves? Valves help secure safety in process plants by regulating and controlling process flows. The process industry is defined as an industry that processes bulk resources into other products. These industries typically have plant or factories with a lot of pipes that control the flow of various materials, such as oil, gas, water, or pulp. This is where the industry depends on valves.

Sometimes, the stuff that flows is quite hazardous or erosive, so the valves must be very durable and reliable, even in the most demanding conditions. Regardless, they need to function steadily and efficiently, no matter what the liquid. As you can see, valves have a mission-critical role in the productivity and safety of process plants – from bioproduct mills to gold mines and oil refineries.

Valmet valves are everywhere

Did you know that approximately 60% the world’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) and 75% of pulp flows through our valves? Or that our valves can be found in over 100 countries all around the world? We produce full valve packages consisting of the valve, actuator, and valve controller. The most intelligent part of the valve – the ‘brain’ – is the valve controller; it controls the actuator and sends crucial information to the user. Learn more about valve anatomy from the picture below:

Our valves are often engineered to meet our customers’ specific requirements and are efficient and reliable to help ensure that their processes meet strict environmental and safety requirements.

The valves we make are very different from other valves you might have seen. Our valves are high-performance industrial process valves that can operate in demanding conditions, such as high pressure or very high or low temperatures, and they can handle challenging gases and liquids flowing through them. Our valves are often engineered to meet our customers’ specific requirements and are efficient and reliable to help ensure that their processes meet strict environmental and safety requirements.

Valves are all around us, 24/7

Where are the valves? They are all around us, including in your home. When you open the tap to drink water, it’s a valve that controls the flow of water. That’s just one example. So how else are valves a part of our daily routines?

When you open the newspaper in the morning, valves have been involved in the paper production process. How about some sugar in your coffee? Sugar mills also need valves. Do you drive a car to work? The petroleum industry uses a lot of valves to make fuel.

Time for lunch? Yes, please. Long before a meal ends up on your plate, valves played a role in the process. Getting together with colleagues after work? Whether your beverage of choice is a soft drink, milk, or beer, valves have been part of the production process. Did you forget to call home? The metals used in your phone come from minerals and metals processing plants, which also use valves in their processes.

Going for an evening jog? Your sneakers would not exist without valves. In fact, same with the clothes you wear: valves are also needed to make textiles! When you finally turn off the lights at bedtime, you can be sure that even power plants need valves to keep the lights on. So, as you can see, valves are all around us 24/7.

Keeping the flow going

We hope this gives you more insight into valves and their important role in the world. In summary, every material or object that is being processed, or a component of it, goes through a valve at some point in its production before being used by end customers. And you can count on us to keep the flow going.

The text has been updated in April 2022, due to the company name change to Valmet.

Valmet now offers an extensive flow control portfolio of industry-leading valves, valve automation solutions and related services, including the renowned Neles, Neles Easyflow, Jamesbury, Stonel, Valvcon and Flowrox solutions.