Since its inception, Bonney Forge has been devoted to surpassing expectations and exceeding industry standards. For over 140 years, the company has achieved manufacturing excellence through detailed attention to customers’ needs. As a leading manufacturer of forged steel fittings and unions, branch connections, forged steel valves, cast steel valves, and bespoke engineered products, Bonney Forge has set a standard for the industry.
Valve World Americas recently had the pleasure of speaking with Bonney Forge’s; Manager of Shipping and Valve Production, Ron Waite; VP of Product Engineering, Specialties, and China Operations, Paul Heald; Vice President, of Valve Products and Business Development – Southwest Region, Steve Thomas; and VP of Sales Engineering and Valve Projects, Tim Harrigan, to learn more about the company’s superior cast steel valve capabilities and how its dedication to producing both standard and customized configurations has enhanced its long-standing commitment to end users.
By Angelica Pajkovic & Sara Mathov
In 2002, Bonney Forge made the decision to add cast steel valves to its fine reputation of product manufacturing. To match its other products, the Bonney Forge team wanted a valve of superior quality, and so the team at Bonney implemented a unique testing program within the cast steel industry which resulted in a product line of unequaled strength, longevity, quality, and wear resistance.
“After over 20 years in the cast steel valve manufacturing sector, Bonney Forge has established a production system that allows it to produce the highest quality valves in the industry,” stated Harrigan. “With our own in-house machining, assembly, and testing processes, we have developed a range of products whose merit can be seen through our presence on major end user approved manufacturers lists (AMLs).”
Customers in search of high-quality valves can select from Bonney Forge’s full line of cast steel gate, globe, and check valves, which service industries ranging from refining and petrochemical to power generation and renewables. With warehouse inventories exceeding 35 million in value, and the ability to efficiently provide custom products, Bonney Forge has earned its reputation as a go-to source for steel cast valve solutions.
Wholly Owned Facilities
“While there are several practices used to elevate Bonney Forge’s cast steel valves, the company’s commitment to wholly owning each of its facilities is one practice that distinguishes it from other manufacturers,” stated Heald.
Bonney Forge has owned and operated each of its global facilities since its inception. With locations across the United States, Italy, and Shanghai, the company meets the needs of a global market, while maintaining its dedication to achieving the highest quality across its full product range.
“Wholly owning each of our facilities provides us with a lot of flexibility when it comes to production,” explained Harrigan. “We fully control each step in the process, such as machining, testing, inspection, and even painting. We can tailor any aspect of the valve’s construction necessary to accommodate the needs of our customers. Historically, this has allowed us to exceed our customer’s expectations.”
Unlike other companies, Bonney Forge does not outsource any element of its cast steel valve manufacturing process; in short, everything it produces is made at one of its locations. “All of our facilities utilize the same machines, follow the same work procedure guidelines, and use the technologies and innovative valve designs that we develop in the United States,” said Heald. “We also conduct frequent technical visits to the facilities to ensure casting quality, machine tool modernization, and processing standardization. While some of the products may be fabricated overseas, the design, technologies, IT, and the standards used to create them are all governed by the processes Bonney Forge Corporation has established,” continued Thomas.
As a corporation, Bonney Forge is continuously looking at each of its facilities from not only a personnel and quality standpoint but also from a production investment standpoint. “Every year, the entire management team assesses each of the facilities, determines what is needed to thrive, and then invests back into each one. In so doing, we have expanded our capabilities, and refined our casting processes,” relayed Waite. “We constantly strive to improve – improving our quality processes is who we are.”
Quality Assurance
When Bonney Forge provides products to the market, it approaches the process as pragmatically as possible, in all facets of the manufacture, proof testing, and certification processes. So much so, that in addition to the typical testing standards for API, ASTM, ASME, and MSS, each of Bonney Forge’s valves undergoes a scrutinizing process to qualify and verify the integrity of each asset. “Our standards are always higher than industry standards,” commented Heald. For instance:
- Third Party Xray examination,
- Third Party Emissions Testing and Certification,
- Steel Microstructure Evaluation,
- Leakage Rates lower than industry standards.
Additionally, extensive testing at a third-party facility in Houston, TX is conducted on fully assembled gate and globe valves from Bonney Forge cast steel valve inventory.
“When valves are received from Bonney Forge Shanghai, we select valves from all containers and ship them United Valve for radiography and other NDE and testing. The valves are randomly selected, but over time, all of our product line is third-party tested,” stated Thomas.
The fact that its products are tested by accredited, recognized laboratories holds weight with end users. This quality approach to product manufacturing has kept Bonney Forge ahead of other manufacturers allowing the company to provide new products for severe service, expanding its cast steel valve line to include cryogenic valves. These valves are designed and tested to meet extreme temperature requirements typically seen in LNG applications, heat exchanger units, and many additional applications.
“There are several reasons why we do more than the standards require, it is a sense of responsibility to the market, it is a sense of transparency between the end user and manufacturer, and it is a sense of ownership,” added Harrigan. “At the end of the day, this is our product with our name on it going out the door, and we have the confidence that the product leaving any one of our facilities will out-perform any other product out there.”
Providing a product that meets and exceeds industry standards is the Bonney Forge way. Its unique testing program reinforces that; it assures its customers a quality product through and through.
Traceability
Transparency is at the core of Bonney Forge and this is achieved through its full product traceability. “We provide critical paths to our customers. Field engineers, planning personnel, and receiving teams all know what to expect from a product so that they can plan effectively. If the customer knows the body/bonnet materials, they can find the dedicated heat lot number which is directly tied to the raw material poured from the steel mill. The more upfront understanding we can provide our customers, the smoother the work goes. We therefore take care to review, test, and evaluate applications that require special attention, and provide the relevant product information,” stated Waite.
Low Emissions is the Bonney Forge Standard
Another way that Bonney Forge has enhanced its cast steel valve products, is by designing each valve with its low-E technology.
“After developing our low emissions valves with Bonney Forge’s Eco-Seal® proprietary packing, we made this packing a standard for all our valves and since then have never considered producing any of our valves without it,” stated Thomas.
Bonney Forge’s Eco-Seal® packing is a true die-formed flexible graphite packing technology that exceeds API 622 2nd Edition requirements and has validated packing and valve performance with 3rd party test results of less than 50 ppm. Bonney Forge’s low emissions valves meet the EPA’s Enhanced LDAR consent decree requirements as a ‘Certified Low-Leak Valve Technology’. All Bonney Forge cast steel valves are offered with Bonney Forge Eco-Seal® as a standard, meaning that Bonney Forge has made the commitment to low emissions valves, adding timely value to meet the consent decree requirements imposed by the EPA.
“It is by focusing on details, like the impact of fugitive emissions, and taking steps to produce innovative valve designs for our cast steel lines that mitigate that impact, which deepens and strengthens our long-standing commitment to providing the highest quality products to our end users,” added Waite.
Final Thoughts
“While there are several practices used to elevate Bonney Forge’s cast steel valves, it is the company’s commitment to wholly owning each of its facilities, its focus on quality testing, and its dedication to eliminating fugitive emissions, that truly makes it stand out,” explained Harrigan.
Bonney Forge will continue to grow, invest, and improve the company’s operations in every aspect; this includes capacity, efficiency, productivity, and quality. “Manufacturing requires continuous improvement, and we invest in our people and facilities every year. That will continue our success throughout the years,” concluded Heald.
As part of this commitment, the company is always looking forward to the future of the industries they serve and new industries where Bonney Forge can have an impact with its manufacturing innovations.