Renowned for product solutions that are characterized by superior quality and high performance, OMAL Automation provides valves to be used in complex and challenging applications. Headquartered in Northern Italy, the company has spent the last four decades expanding its product lines and growing its distribution reach. To achieve its continuous goal to deliver empowered performance and surpass the needs of its customers, the company has established a permeant presence in the USA.
Valve World Americas had the pleasure of speaking with OMAL Automation USA’s Branch Manager, Michael Hasson, concerning the company’s emergence in the USA, its commitment to providing exceptional equipment nationwide, and how it has become a reputable distributor in the North American market.
By Shopia Ketheeswararajah and Angelica Pajkovic
Where it all Began
Since its establishment in 1981, OMAL Automation has made significant strides and solidified its position as an authority in the valve industry. For over 40 years, the company has been serving the valve market by distributing a variety of valves and actuators that are compatible with standards such as ANSI 150 or NPT, and ISO threads, from its European headquarters. In light of its success, the company chose to expand its physical footprint and developed a distribution warehouse that caters to its North American clientele. Based in Kentucky, the warehouse allows OMAL Automation to further penetrate the American valve market, by boosting productivity and optimizing its customer service.
“After looking at statistical data, and considering several industrial areas with potential customers, the metropolitan area of Cincinnati was chosen as the ideal location to open a distribution center,” explained Hasson. “Despite the inevitable logistical challenges and adversity caused by the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, the North American branch officially opened its doors in September 2020.”
During the U.S. branch’s first year, the focus was to set up the business and provide solutions to the market.
“Once established, we focused all our energy on visiting our valued customers. We needed to determine their current product needs, while simultaneously bringing to light all the additional product lines OMAL Automation has to offer,” continued Hasson. “Now that we have established a base and are successfully providing our customers with high quality ‘Made in Italy’ products, our hope is to enlighten our clientele to the vastness of our product lines, and further develop OMAL Automation as a go-to source for powerful valve and actuator solutions.”
Revolutionizing the Valve Industry
OMAL Automation is a pioneer valve and actuator manufacturer. Many of its designs are catered to meet internal specs and standards that exceed those used by other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Its products set it apart from competitor production due to the unique approach its research and development team uses to innovate designs.
One product that exemplifies this technological innovation is OMAL’s VIP EVO valve. Recognized as a solution that revolutionized the company’s existing valve line, the VIP EVO valves provide users with unparalleled performance.
The VIP EVO is an on/off coaxial valve, and the evolution of OMAL’s flagship product, the VIP valve. VIP EVO has the same function of the VIP but increases the allowable pressure from 10 bar to 40 bar. Air is supplied to the side of the valve camber and allows for the internal piston to press on the seat seal of the valve. This stops the fluid from flowing, moving the flow away from the seal. As the seat is tight and intercepts the fluid, the pressure discharges. The necessary pressure needed to move the piston is hardly affected by the fluid pressure. Internal fluid dynamics have been incorporated into the design to reduce turbulence and pressure loss. Additive features such as easy mounting, comparative longevity of up to ten times that of a ball valve, as well as reduced maintenance cost and air consumption in comparison to other valve selections, makes the VIP EVO para- mount for optimized operations and is a product of quality.
“To maintain versatility in each of the sectors it focuses on, OMAL Automation spends significant resources anticipating potential industry pain points. By providing solutions to anticipated pain points now, customers can trust that their products will meet the requirements of whichever application they are used in, in the future.”
The Rackon-X Pneumatic actuator is another ground-breaking design by OMAL.“ The research and develop- ment department at OMAL created an actuator that has an internal monitoring and data collection system. The product can record and wirelessly transmit crucial data such as the number of cycles, temperature, open-to-close and closetoopen time, and actuator rotation angles,” explained Hasson.
This system serves as a valuable resource for the integration of remote monitoring and control systems. These functions are pivotal in any automation process.
“To maintain versatility in each of the sectors it focuses on, OMAL Automation spends significant resources anticipating potential industry pain points. By providing solutions to anticipated pain points now, customers can trust that their products will meet the requirements of whichever application they are used in, in the future,” he continued.
For example, the KRATOS ball valve is another innovation offered by OMAL Automation, which promises impeccable quality and mitigates the risk of valve failure in severe service high pressure applications. KRATOS was developed with 100% in-house manufacturing process technology and boasts high corrosion resistance and longer seal life due to the low wear of the ball. This valve offers maximum control and accuracy in all stages of the manufacturing process and is customizable to accommodate any special requirements.
With sustainability at the top of its list, followed by new development, and technology designs, OMAL Automation prides itself on being able to provide durable and reliable products for any market.
Maintaining a Presence in the Market
As OMAL Italy is a reputable and well-recognized brand in the European Market, OMAL’s USA center is confident it will follow in its parent company’s footsteps.
OMAL Automation’s production process offers complete design solutions, die-casting, plastic molding, mechanical processing, assembly, and stress testing. This all-around service is completed during production to prove that the company upholds quality products above all. “Quality has been an integral part of our corporate strategy,” said Hasson. “At OMAL Automation, we strongly believe in upholding the promise of delivering products with structural integrity. This all begins with the research and development facility within the company, which works diligently to select the correct materials. Material selection is a fundamental role in maintaining high-level performance and reliability,” he added.
Once the materials have been selected, each valve undergoes a thorough testing and approval process, to ensure its optimal performance. “By selling valves that embody all of these qualities, and making them accessible to the North American market, we will succeed at becoming the go-to manufacturer of new industries in the USA, just like we are in Europe,” stated Hasson. OMAL’s product range includes many valve or actuation solution its customers require. Should the need arise, its engineering team can also adjust equipment for unique specific requirements. “We have the ability to develop a new valve or actuator for a client, but more frequently, we adjust current products to meet their specifications.” At least 90% of the requests OMAL receives are fulfilled with its standard product range. For the rest, the company works with its network of partners and our engineering team to develop a solution.
Final Words
OMAL Automation’s primary focus is on providing technical solutions to address operational challenges related to the foundational integrity of its critical components, like valves and actuators. To achieve this goal, the Omal USA has taken on the responsibility of serving as the North American Distributor of OMAL Automation.
One crucial aspect of OMAL Automation’s approach is ensuring the maintainability of its product line, as it continuously strives for new and improved innovations.
Its commitment to sustainability can be seen throughout the entire range of products, without compromising on product quality. Its efforts to extend the lifetime of each of these valves and their respective components also speak to the company’s interest in creating long-lasting products that are cost-friendly for end users and sustainable towards operations. This dedication not only significantly impacts the North American valve market but also has a positive influence on the global valve industry.
“OMAL’s presence in the USA makes it possible for customers to receive their products as if they themselves were in Italy,” stated Hasson. “Support and service are less than a day away, and we have an excellent stock of goods in our warehouse to eliminate many lead times. It also simplifies the management of purchase orders, coordinated production time, and optimized shipments without wasting time or resources. This is how we are bringing OMAL’s highly specialized valves and actuators to the USA,” he concluded.