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RAMCO®
Manufacturing Company, Inc.
365 Carnegie Avenue
Kenilworth, NJ 07033
Phone: 908.245.4500
Fax: 908.245.3142
E-mail:
info@ramco-safetyshields.com

Valve-Gard® Safety Shields

Because of the wide range of harsh environments and performance requirements in the chemical processing industries, a wide selection of valves is necessary. However, approximately one-third of all chemical plant emissions come from equipment leaks — and valves are the biggest potential source of leaks and sprayouts. They are a major weak point in a piping system because they contain several areas from which leaks or sprayouts can occur.

When selecting a valve, in addition to process fluid, temperature and pressure of the line, the operating principles of the major valve groups also should be considered. And lastly, another important factor is the appropriate selection of a safety shield.

Safety shields for valves complement those for flanges, providing a system that protects employees from injuries and equipment from damage and shut-down.

Unlike flanges, valve dimensions vary extensively, both among manufacturers and styles. Due to this wide variance in specifications, each valve shield requires its own design. To address this challenge, RAMCO® maintains an extensive library of US and International valve manufacturers. And with changes in valve technology, these data are updated.

Valves With Stems

Butterfly, ball, plug and diaphragm valves present a common design consideration in the fabrication of Valve-Gard® Shields. The shields fabricated for these valves envelop the entire body of the valve and any mating flanges. A small opening is made for the stem to protrude for either manual or automatic operation.

Valve-Gard® Shields are designed for installation over existing in-line valves and require no mechanical adjustment or separation of the valve from the pipeline.

Special valves with multiple ports, multi-valve configurations or valves with instrumentation can also be fitted with appropriate Valve-Gard® Shields.

Control and actuated valves are also candidates for Valve-Gard® Shields. As long as the manufacturer’s name and valve model number are provided, a safety shield can be fabricated easily.

Valves Without Stems

Valve-Gard® Shields are also available for most types of check valves. They are constructed in a similar fashion to ball and plug valves but do not require an opening for a stem. Check valve shields cover the valve and mating flanges as a single unit.

Valves Requiring Bonnet Shields

The valves that are most frequently protected with safety shields are gate and globe valves. Both contain two distinct areas that are vulnerable to leaks and sprayouts — the upper portion or bonnet and the lower portion, which may be flanged or threaded. For this valve configuration, RAMCO® recommends a combination of shields. The upper portion of the valve is protected by a specially designed safety shield which wraps around the bonnet and conveniently is called “ Valve Bonnet Shield’’. The connecting flanges are fitted with standard flange safety shields.

It should be noted that in some instances, Bonnet Shields are also used for large diaphragm valves.

The ABCs of Ordering: Valve-Gard® Shields

To fabricate a properly fitting RAMCO® Safety Shield for any valve, it is necessary to know basic information:

pipe size
type of valve
its connection — flanged or threaded/socket weld
pressure rating
valve manufacturer’s name
valve model number

Similar to all flanges and other types of pipe connections, Valve-Gard® Shields for flanged, threaded or socket weld valve connections can be fabricated from a wide variety of RAMCO® materials. The most commonly used materials include:

TFE
VUE [TFE/ECTFE]
PPL
PPL (VUE) [PPL/ECTFE]
Metal (Galvanized and Stainless Steel)

To select appropriate material for a Valve-Gard® Shield, it is necessary to know:

chemical flowing through the valve
temperature of the chemical
pressure rating of the system

These criteria are identical for RAMCO® Safety Shields for all pipe connections.

For fabrication of RAMCO® Valve Bonnet Shields, in addition to the basic information, two measurements of the valve are essential:

Height (H)
Circumference (C)

(H) is the measurement from the base of the valve bonnet to the underside of the valve handle.
(C) is the measurement around the valve bonnet flange.

Special Valve Configurations require custom safety shields. For more information, contact either your local RAMCO® distributor or the RAMCO® Technical Services Group.