Parker Gains TUV TA-Luft Approval for Wide Range of Valve Types - Helps Process Industry Comply with Latest Environmental Legislation
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o Compliance with German fugitive emission standard provides key competitive advantage for process system designers
o Including ball valves, needle valves and double block and bleed valves
Barnstaple, UK, May 21, 2009- Following a recent audit by approvals agency TUV Mannheim Sud, the Instrumentation Products Division of Parker Hannifin - the global leader in motion and control technologies - has won TA-Luft approval for a broad range of its manifolds, valves and flanged products. This approval, which largely mirrors the new ISO 15848 standard, helps designers comply with the most stringent fugitive emission limitations, to maximise the integrity of processing systems.
According to Parker's Project Manager, Walter Kummer, "Companies are under growing pressure to limit the environmental impact of their industrial processes. Many of the world's leading chemical and petrochemical processing companies are based in Germany and are already specifying the use of TA-Luft approved components in their installations, to help implement 'zero emissions' and safety design goals. The availability of these products from Parker will provide process system designers with a key competitive advantage - in both domestic and world export markets."
Parker's flanged manifold valve products and manifolds for instrument hook-ups are already available in ISO 15848 compliant versions. Independent third-party verification of the products' design and performance testing phases - an obligatory part of the approval process - was provided by Lloyd's Register. Following the audit by TUV Mannheim Sud, which looked at Parker's design, test equipment and production test procedures, the company is now in the unique position of being able to demonstrate both ISO 15848 class A and TA-Luft approval.
In order to meet these latest, extremely rigorous, environmental standards, Parker has taken its high-quality monoflange and Pro-Bloc flange-ended double block and bleed manifolds - which were already designed for minimal leakage paths - and effectively re-engineered their integral needle and ball valves. The new valves employ a combination of complementary sealing methods, using high performance elastomeric 'O' rings to provide enduring resistance to leaks over repeated actuations, combined with traditional graphite packaging rings for fire-safe performance.
The first products that will be made available in TA-Luft versions are Parker's Pro-Bloc, Monoflange, and Hi-Pro double block and bleed manifolds, and the H-Series valves and manifolds. As standard, products are supplied with integral Parker A-LOK compression tube fitting ends, for high integrity connections to process tubing.
Background information for editors
The TA-Luft (Technische Anleitung zur Reinhaltung der Luft or Technical Instructions on Air Quality) sets maximum permissible limits for emissions when processing, conveying or transferring dusty, liquid or gaseous materials, taking into account the specific risk potential. For ball valves, initial maximum leakage rates of 0.03 g/h are permitted for high-risk materials; this value takes into account the normal limits for leakage from static seals (e.g. flange connections). This figure means that the maximum emission rate of helium (He) is 4.99 x 10-2 cm3/s, which is seen as equivalent to sealing a valve stem by means of a bellows with safety gland seals in series.
ISO 15848 defines three leakage classifications, which specify maximum leakage rates from less than or equal to 1 x 10-2 mg/second/metre, to a figure four orders of magnitude less. Meeting any of these low levels is challenging: Parker's valves are designed to meet the highest 'A' classification level of 1 x 10-6 mg/second/metre, over the temperature range -29 to +180 degrees Celsius, and at standard instrumentation manifold working pressures.
About Parker
With annual sales exceeding $12 billion, Parker Hannifin is the world's leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company employs approximately 62,000 people in 48 countries around the world. Parker has increased its annual dividends paid to shareholders for 52 consecutive years, among the top five longest-running dividend-increase records in the S&P 500 index. For more information, visit the company's web site at www.parker.com, or its investor information site at www.phstock.com.
Parker Instrumentation Products Division, Europe,
Riverside Road,
Barnstaple EX31 1NP,UK.
Tel: +44 (0)1271 313131;
ipd@parker.com
Parker Instrumentation Products Division,
1005 A Cleaner Way,
Huntsville,
Alabama 35805-6708,USA.
Tel: 256 881-2040;
ipdsales@parker.com
Parker Hannifin Middle East,
PO Box 46451,
Abu Dhabi,
United Arab Emirates.
Tel: +971 2 6788587;
mamin@parker.com
