Valve Basics Seminar Recap

Each year, the Valve Manufacturers Association of America (VMA) hosts a series of highly regarded Valve Basics Seminars & Exhibits to give industry associates — ranging from engineering students to experienced professionals looking to broaden their subject knowledge — a hands-on crash course in valves.

Last month’s three-day seminar hosted approximately 70 participants at the Embassy Suites Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont, IL. The dynamic program featured several speaker presentations highlighting different aspects of valves and valve safety, as well as the iconic Valve Petting Zoo, where attendees participated in hands-on demonstrations of what they’d learned earlier in the classroom.

Getting Hands-on with Valves

The Petting Zoo, a relatively new addition to Valves 101 developed based on past participant feedback, turned out to be the highlight of the program. On the second day of the seminar, after each speaker had an opportunity to present, they showcased their topics in action as attendees rotated around nine different stations to gain further understanding through hands-on learning.

“The valve petting zoo was outstanding,” said one attendee. “I learned a great deal by seeing how valves actually function and operate.”

Valves, Actuators & Controls 101 with DFT®

DFT®’s own Director of Sales and Marketing, Jeff Kane, and Regional Sales Manager, Bud Volz; have had the honor of presenting the Valve Basics Seminar & Exhibits for the past several years. This year, Kane’s course segment in “Valves, Actuators & Controls 101” focused on the subject of check valves, the importance of check valve sizing, and preventing water hammer.

In his presentation, Kane discussed how correctly sized check valves can minimize unnecessary costs by preventing low flow situations that lead to valve failure, as well as high velocity flows that can cause high-pressure shock waves (commonly known as water hammer. Students are given an unbiased presentation regarding the features and benefits of all the popular types of check valves.

Next Stop: Texas

Valves 101 will be stopping at the Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel in Houston, Texas on October 18-20 for the next installment of the Valve Basics Seminar & Exhibits program. To date, over 1,500 people have attended these workshops; the VMA looks forward to expanding this number and continuing to spread the word on the importance of valves and valve safety.

To find out more about the next Valve Basics Seminar & Exhibits program and how to attend, visit the VMA.org website.

Learn more about check valves and how to avoid common sizing mistakes by downloading DFT’s free eBook, “Common Mistakes in Check Valve Sizing.”