• Netherlocks BV

Add-On Gearbox for Flangeless Hand-Wheel Valves

Dutch valve safety specialist Netherlocks BV has designed a direct-mounting, add-on gearbox to reduce torque for handwheel operated valves. The Nethergear unit fixes onto valves without modifying them in any way, and can be fitted on-site without taking the valve offline. It is well known that valves can wear, fatigue and tighten over time. For manually operated valves, this leads to increased strain on the operator, which can be both dangerous and inefficient. The obvious solution to this is a gearbox mounted onto the valve, allowing adjustable torque for the handwheel – but most standard hand-operated gate or globe valves have no mounting flange. The stainless steel AISI 316 Nethergear unit mounts directly onto the valve stem without altering the actual valve itself. The adaptor is based on the company’s interlock design that has been used as a safety system for over 15 years. It can be fitted without stopping production, the valve itself remaining untouched. Once attached, the handwheel can be simply fitted onto the unit in one of two positions. One of these will provide the torque reduction benefits of the gear mechanism; the other lets it function as it would have originally. A Netherlocks pneumatic drive unit can also be attached for automatic valve operation that can be up to 25 times faster than doing it by hand, without any physical stress or strain.