Pima Valve is one of the leading suppliers of the recently revised 250-class U.S. Navy gate valves. Called the Revision K, this valve incorporates dramatic machining and material modifications from previous models. The wedges are slotted for flexibility and the rings are broached using electronic discharge machining (EDM) technology required for the precision cuts. Both the wedges and rings are coated with a Tungsten Carbide material (Seltzer Metco 5803) to reduce friction and enhance durability on the seating surfaces. The coating thicknesses are measured, as required by the NavSea drawing, using closely calibrated equipment that can detect minor differences in the 8-12 mil coat.
Pima Valve recently completed a major contract with the U.S. Department of Defense for these ‘K’ valves. Although the contract was slated to be completed in a three-year span, Prima Valve furnished the entire allotment in two years.