SubscribeTechnical matters are always at the hub of our activities. During the past, members of the Association's Working Group's have worked for and achieved support and clarification on many vital issues affecting the industry.
These have included:
- Emerging International and European Standards
- Guidelines for the BVAMA booklets on EEC Directives
- Emerging smart technology for valve mounted instrumentation and communication systems
- Investigations into fugitive emissions at committee stage, and at NEL East Kilbride
- Technical support to students investigating valve dynamic factors
- Validity of CE marking items of valve mounted instrumentation
- Liased with ANSI/ISA Work Groups on Instrumentation Symbols and Identification.
Primarily, last year was spent advising members on the introduction of the Pressure Equipment Directive, (PED) writing a Guide on the ATEX Directive and re-writing the Guide on the Repair/Reconditioning of Valves/Actuators. One other main aspect of members’ direct involvement on Working Groups, is our leading role on producing standards through British Standards Institute (BSI), European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CEN) and International Standards Organisation (ISO).
Our Technical Consultant continued to lead the UK delegation from BSI into the European Standards Committees and supporting the considerable work on standards, the BVAMA agreed to fund the editing so necessary to avoid any further delay in issuing new standards emanating from CEN. Looking to the future, one issue currently being pursued is ISO 9000/2000 & Robotics and work handling.
The BVAMA’s Secretariat provides the administrative and promotional support for its members and one exciting development was the launch of our new Website. Any one visiting the sitewww.bvama.org.uk will now find it much more user-friendly with easy ‘drop-down’ menus, and a complete product locator.
As part of the promotional aspect of the Association, we run mini Desk-Top Exhibitions. These are usually held at major contractors, i.e. Parsons, Kvaerner, Foster Wheeler, Brown & Root, Stone & Webster to name a few. This is an ideal platform for buyers/procurement staff and any other personnel starting out in engineering to get actual ‘hands-on’ information and advice about new products and technology from our members, without leaving their place of work.
The Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) support the activities of the BVAMA, and recently financed an in-depth competitive analysis of the UK valve industry to assess how best they can support improving the industry’s competitiveness to compete with the growing influx of low cost products.
Another important area is training, and we run four one-day courses in conjunction with AEA technology (Warrington):-
- An Introduction to Valves and Valve Technology
- Valve Actuators: Types, Operating Characteristics and Application
- Safety Valves: Selection, Sizing, Installation and Maintenance
- Control Valves: Design, Selection and Applications.
These courses have been highly successful and continue to provide a vital working tool for anyone involved in the industry.
In our ever-changing world the BVAMA needs to keep abreast of any European issues affecting its members and the industry generally. As members of CEIR (Comite Europeen De L’Industrie De La Robinetterie) we support European legislative matters relative to the valve industry.
The CEIR website contains a host of information which includes Links with 27 European Associations, exhibition details, useful contact information and the newsletter. The website address iswww.ceir-online.org
The BVAMA produces a quarterly ‘BVAMA News’, which is distributed amongst the majority of UK valve and actuator manufacturers, both members and non-members. Also available in a new format is the BVAMA Annual Review. For a full list of BVAMA publications visit the website www.bvama.org.uk or contact the Secretariat – see details below.
David Pangbourne - Director
British Valve & Actuator Manufacturers Association
The McLaren Building
35 Dale End
Birmingham
B4 7LN
Tel: +44 (0) 121 200 1297
Fax: +44 (0) 121 200 1308
E-mail: mailto:enquiry@bvama.org.uk
Website: www.bvama.org.uk