We are back on track...

by Christian Borrmann

  

Wednesday night was the traditional conference dinner. Around 150 people were there in order to celebrate the success of the Valve World Asia Conference & Expo 2011. Sjef Roymans thanked the sponsors and the Steering Committee for their hard and dedicated work in order to make this event the success that it is. Further he called Chairman Jack Ling and Co-Chairman Tony Smart to the stage and handed them over a present as a token of appreciation.

So now, we are back in the conference rooms in order to follow the first sessions of the day, three keynotes by EPC contractors Fluor, Technip, and Sinopec. All three explained how they deal with the valve suppliers and manufacturers and what challenges they faced, how they solved them and also they shared their experiences.

After this 'early' morning session and the coffe break, the conference continued and they delegates split into three groups to attend the three sessions that were offered by the conference programme.

The first paper session was chaired by Tony Smart, Shell, and the topic of this was design and 5 valve export from all around the world presented their challenges and solutions regarding the design of valves. The second session dealt with the topic of LNG/Natural Gas and was chaired by Jack Ling, Guangdong Dapeng LNG. Presentations in this sessions came from experts from China, Italy and the Netherlands.

The third session was a workshop, moderated by Henk Hinssen and with the help of Stan Hale and Rens Wolters. They talked about the difficult topic of Partial Stroking. Here the focus was heavily on the end users' side as many of them face severe problems when it comes to partial stroking, while manufacturers tend to have more success stories then issues.

Following these 'late' morning sessions, the delegates headed back in to the expo hall for their lunch and after lunch the conference continued with another threepiece of sessions, dealing with the important industry topics Materials, Actuation/Automation, and another workshop dealing with predicting valve performance during the sizing and sealing phase.

And now back to the expo floor, so stay tuned.

Best wishes,

Christian

There and back again

Posted by Christian Borrmann

Heading back to the conference rooms after a walk around the expo floor and a lunch in the delegate lunch area, the conference delegates where they were in for two sessions: one session was dealing with Fugitive Emissions and the second one was a Masterclass.

The Masterclass dealt with the safe operation of valves and their maintenance in the daily practice. This course which focused on the heart of the valve was held by Mr Cor Bahnerth, who has more than 30 years experience in dealing with valves and has amongst others worked for Shell as their valve expert.

During his, well totally packed masterclass, Mr Bahnerth was able to explain the audience how the valves work and how to keep them functioning and running as wished.

Valve World Asia 2011 sponsor and valve manufacturer Neway was so kind and opened up some valves and gave them to Mr Bahnerth to enable him to provide the audience a deep look into the valve, where everything is happening.

The second session was dealing with Fugitve Emissions and how to avoid these. Obviously, this is a topic perfectly suited for  Barrie Kirkman and so it was quite quickly considered that he would accept to chair this session.

During this paper presentation session, a total of seven presenters shared their views on this topic and how standardization bodies, manufacturers and end-users covering various industry sectors – from oil over gas to nuclear. The presenters came in from all around the world, although the largest group was Western representatives: three presenters came from the US, one from Germany, one from Belgium, and two from China.

Similar to Mr Bahnerth's session, this sesssion was also packed and created a lot of discussions between the presenters and also with several questions coming from the audience.

And Barrie stayed busy as after this paper session he headed quickly back to the expo hall. At one corner of the delegate lunch area, there was this year's first session of the speakers corner. Barrie talked about his many years of experiences as valve expert at BP and the ones he made on his trips to China. As you can see on the pictures it was quite busy and people showed a lot of interest in hearing what he had to share with them.

After this last key event, the first day of Valve World Asia 2011 ended with the famous dinner and a nice party afterwards.

Stay tuned for more updates on the second and final day.

Best wishes,

Christian

Straight from the expo floor

Posted by Christian Borrmann

My god, all these people are waiting to get into the expo hall. Although the entrance this time was not free (only pre-registered people had free entrance) still the hall was filled with many people as you can see on the following pictures.

But not only there are more visitiors then last time, also more stands than two years ago are exhibiting their latest products and services – a total of 149 companies. Here, you can see a small selection of pretty impressive stands that you can see at this year's Valve World Asia Expo. Enjoy!

Stay tuned as we are now heading back into the conference rooms for two interesting seesions: Testing chaired by Mr Barrie Kirkman and the Masterclass held by Mr Cor Bahnerth.

Best wishes,

Christian

 

 

We are rolling...

Posted by Christian Borrmann

Following a very impressive Chinese traditional Lion Dance, the Vize-Mayor of Suzhou Government held a short opening speech where he welcomed everybody to this year's Valve World Asia Expo. This year's event is the first ever Valve World Asia to be supported by the government. His speech was followed by short speeches from Conference Chairman Mr Jack Ling, Valve World's Mr Sjef Roymans and Messe Düsseldorf's Mr Gerrit Nawracala. After these speeches they cut the limbo to officially open the event.

Once the official opening ceremony was over the audience split up into two groups: one group headed into the expo hall to visit the stands and explore the latest development and the other group made their way to the conference rooms, conveniently located just across the entrance of the expo hall.

Here, Mr Jack Ling opened the conference sessions and then passed the microphone on to his colleague Mr Junfeng Niu who talked about the maintenance of pipeline valves within his company Guangdong Dapeng LNG, China's first LNG company, located just North of Hong Kong.

Valve World Asia Co-Chairman Mr Tony Smart from Shell was next on the agenda and he talked about the importance of Valve Selection and Application and he used audio/video to support his highly interesting and informative presentation. The last presentation before the coffee break came from Mr Zhang Jie, who is from the Sinopec Nanjing Valve Procurement Center, and his keynote dealt with the company's experiences when it comes to purchasing valves and the challenges, problems, and solutions that goes with this.

Then the conference delegates headed back into the expo hall to enjoy their morning coffee and to take a stroll around the stands.

This is the first report from the conference rooms and now I will head back into the expo hall to bring you the latest information and news from there. Stay tuned...

Best wishes,

Christian

Ready, nearly set and almost ready to go

Posted by Christian Borrmann

A lot of preparations have been made over the past weeks, months and years to get the Valve World Conference & Expo Asia 2011.

Our Shanghai office put a lot of work into this and now that the people from the Zutphen office have arrived two days ago, it is all a GO!

As you can see on the pictures the workers in the hall make good progress to get everything ready. The stands are getting ready, the first exhibitors are also arriving to check what their booths look like and whether they need to make last minute adjustments.

Our Conference Secretary Yuzhong Shen and Conference Director Sjef Roymans are controlling the conference rooms in order to have everything prepared for tomorrows Kick-off.

In the meantime, while all these things are taking place, Valve World Staff is packing bags for delegates, exhibitors, and visitors. These bags include the latest issues of Valve World and Valve World Asia magazines but most importantly they contain the Valve World Conference & Expo Asia 2011 catalogue, so that everybody knows where they have to go once the event has started.

So, when all these things are done, what can you expect?
Well, tonight will be a Welcome Reception, for all delegates, exhibitors and visitors to get in the mood for the coming two days, an official Opening Ceremony starring, an official representative from the government of Suzhou, representatives from Valve World and Messe Düsseldorf and of course our Valve World Asia Conference Chairman Ling Yun, the well known, conference dinner and a closing ceremony featuring speeches from Valve World Asia Co-Chairman Tony Smart and Sjef Roymans, and of course you are in for the latest discussions regarding the hottest topics in the valve business – to be discussed in the conference – and the newest product developments – to be presented on the expo floor.

Stay tuned for more in the coming hours and days.

Best wishes,

Christian

DBB vs DIB

The range of technical papers that pass the desks here at Valve World is quite astounding.

Some cover the mechanical properties of valve bodies or internals; others look at the latest advances in communications technology and yet more provide case histories or look at innovative field trials.

All these papers are treated with the respect they deserve. After all, if a busy professional makes time to write an article, the least we can do is review it thoroughly. And find the best ways to present it, such as in the magazine, via the webshop, or even in one of the Valve World Conferences.

And, like Lady Justice, we treat each submission fairly, irrespective of the author's credentials.

That said, of course from time to time we will have personal favourites.

Recently, for example, Valve World magazine published a paper with a very intriguing headline: DBB vs DIB.

Sounds almost like a football game, doesn't it?

Actually, the author gives a good review of the differences between double block and bleed valves as compared to double isolation and bleed valves.

I am pleased to note that this paper is now availavble to all parties through the Valve World Webshop. Please click here for more info.

Read all about it! Valve World Conference Americas...

 I'm sure it can't have escaped your notice, but the recent Valve World Conference in Houston went down very successfully. In fact, many attendees said that the presentations were quite exceptional.

We are therefore pleased to report that  many of these presentations are now available through the Valve World Webshop.

For example, you can read what Petrobras' João Henrique Rittershaussen had to say about  Petrobras’ Business Plan 2014: Strategy and Demand for Valves, and catch up on how Marie Murphy (NPPD) believes  Nuclear Industry Operating Experiences can be transformed into Improvements in Valve Performance.

And that's just the start: other quality papers come from Marc Simoëns (Dow Benelux) and Rajan Hingoraney (Aramco Services Company).

And then there are workshop presentations too, including Predicting valve performance during sizing & selection phase (by Bill Ross (Chevron) & Henk Hinssen (iHandl Engineering)), Counterfeit valves - a threat to the valve industry  (Steve Butler (Shell) & Ginger Restovic (IDS-Tag Tech)) and Supply chain management (moderated by Jerry D'Avanzo (DuPont Engineering) & Ralph Chaney (MRC)).

In short, if you are into valves, then this bundle of presentations is surely a "must-read".

For more details, please check out the Valve World webshop.

The Real Renaissance

By David Sear

Funny things, words. I was reminded of that just last week, when touring the Loire valley with my partner.

Now, I’ve always seen the Loire as a great holiday destination: gentle cycle rides through the forests, visits to mediaeval villages, a glass of wine in a country café… all great fun indeed

It was my partner who pointed out that the Loire is much, much more than just a tourist hot-spot. In fact, she said, the Loire river valley has been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List on account of its exceptional cultural landscapes.

Many of the chateaux, she continued, are shining examples of the Renaissance that spanned Europe during the 14^th to 17^th centuries.

And she’s right of course, as many of these castles are simply stunning.

But the word Renaissance (which roughly translates as “new birth”) is used in other contexts, too.

And that message was struck home the day after we visited the chateau at Azay-le-Rideau (see photo).

On an leisurely bike ride, in the middle of a forest alongside the Loire, we happened upon a 20^th construction of equally impressive appearance. One that is also undergoing a certain Renaissance.

But if you want to know more, please check out my recent article on the Valve World website.

Keep on moving

Reported by Marlous Schoemaker
The second and final day of our Valve World event is almost over. The gentlemen from Freeman, the booth construction company, are probably eating steak and pasta at this very moment in preparation for the Herculean efforts to come. For all the valves, actuators and other accessories have to be quickly packed up and shipped away. Where exactly I’m not sure: perhaps they will take centre stage at another global event or – who knows – be put into service in a plant somewhere, controlling the flow of slurry, oil, water or whatever medium is being conveyed from A to B.

We humans will follow their example. I mean of course going on a journey. For me that means travelling back to the Netherlands. And it also means I will not be returning to this particular location – the Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. In 2013 the Americas Expo will be hosted in the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston. The reason for this move is very positive: the fair has grown so much. Who would not want to see more valves, people and booths? And yet for me the change is also tinged with sadness. The Woodlands is comfortably familiar. I have been here several times; it was in this very hotel that I sat out the worst of hurricane Ike in 2009 and I feel at home as soon as I stride through the doors and catch a whiff of the lobby fragrance. But as one set of (hall) doors closes another opens and that’s good, too. And I guess that in the downtown area they wear boots as well, don’t they?

P.S. In my first blog I mentioned that I had a bit of a thing for cowboy boots. Well, in Houston that has turned into quite an obsession. For three days now I have been immortalizing both boots and their wearers. If all goes to plan, we’ll soon be running a little competition to see if you can correctly pair up footwear and owners. So keep an eye on the Valve World website….

Take care and be safe, y’all!

Check out our Valve World Americas 2011 photo gallery.

My name is .....

Reported by Marlous Schoemaker

Al Monsouri, Garcia, Jackson, Kumar, Rossi, Wu and so on. It might only have been 07:10 in the morning, but even so the first visitors were queuing to pick up their badges from the assembled Valve World staff. Now, three hours later, people are still joining the row. Everyone wants to see the latest valves, meet old friends and glean fresh technical insights. And that’s exactly what seems to be happening. Throughout the exhibition hall and in the conference rooms, people are getting together. Everywhere you turn you see warm hugs and heart-felt handshakes, quickly followed by smiling faces and interested nods when the conversations get going. And between times, visitors are carefully appraising all the wares. In short, the atmosphere is great and the show only started a few hours ago. The rest of the world can surely learn a lot from our mini society called Valve World…

Check out our Valve World Americas 2011 photo gallery.

Booths and Boots

Monday, 2 p.m.
Reported by Marlous Schoemaker

The booths in the hall are literally taking shape. Curtains have been hung, power connected, carpets laid and steel edifices put up. Outside things are looking busier too: SUVs packed with valves, posters and all the other bits and pieces that can turn a humble booth into a temporary home are rumbling into the parking lot. Each one bigger and shinier than the last. Wonderful! And my heart jumps for joy when I espy cowboy boots emerging from one of these vehicles. Oh yes, I may be a Dutch lass, but I share a passion for this footwear with those Texan cowboys! I could talk with them for hours about the professional finish, the ideal fit, the different designs, the beautiful materials and just how durable they really are. But of course it’s the valves that will take centre-stage this week. The latest designs, the materials of construction, the trims, the finishes, the coatings… all that and more can be seen on the 90-odd booths starting Tuesday. But I’ll also be keeping a quiet eye open for more boots, of course.

All set to go!

At the time of writing, all the preparations for the Valve World Conference and Expo Americas 2011 are drawing to a satisfactory close. In the expo hall the stands are getting a final dusting down, the conference venue has been appropriately kitted out and quite a number of the delegates and exhibition staff have started to arrive. In fact, as the photo shows, the Valve World staff look relaxed and confident that everything will be just right for the grand opening tomorrow, Tuesday, 21st June.

The show will be the inaugural Expo & Conference in the Americas and has received support from all sides of the industry. Leading names will be at the expo, whilst top speakers will grace the lecture halls. There is still time to visit: just come down to the Woodlands Waterways Marriott Hotel & Convention Center near Houston and you can arrange both an expo visit as well as book a conference delegate ticket on-site.

Valve World Expo and Conference Americas 2011

Valve World Expo and Conference Americas 2011 will be held in June 21-22, 2011 in the Woodlands Waterways Marriott Hotel & Convention Center near Houston, Texas. This conference with an exhibition component will be a collaboration between Messe Düsseldorf and KCI Publishing. This event will develop into a the leading event for valves and valve accessories in the North and South American continents.
Valve World Americas launches on June 21st! Stick around for live feed, reports and much more!!!