VanAire: The Engineered Difference

Since its inception in 1995, VanAire has continued to set the industry benchmark for Engineered Valve Automation Hardware (EVAH). For close to 30 years, the company’s focus on providing reliable solutions that exceed customer expectations, coupled with its eagerness to continually improve its processes, has made it a primary go-to source for valve and actuator industries.

Valve World Americas had the pleasure of speaking with VanAire’s Co-Owner and Vice President of Engineered Valve Automation Hardware, Tony Lambert, and Co-Owner/Quality Manager, Steve Soderman, to discuss the company’s belief in engineered products, its commitment to high-quality manufacturing, and its dedication to innovative and progressive technologies.

By Angelica Pajkovic

A Look Back

After working closely with several customers as a valve distributor in the early 1990s, Richard VandeVusse, a mechanical engineer, recognized a prevalent void in the industry. In response to a demand for consistent, high-quality, engineered products for mounting kits, VandeVusse convinced his employer to add in-house manufacturing to its business model.

“There was a unique phenomenon taking place in the industry,” explained Lambert. “End user facilities were experiencing premature valve failures, despite their decision to use the highest quality valves and actuators. As the event was reoccurring, several recourses were taken to determine the cause of the issue. After significant investigation, it was discovered that the mounting kits were inadequately designed; this inspired the development of EVAH.”

When Richard’s employer chose to restructure his business back to a sole distributorship model and forego any in-house manufacturing, VandeVusse took the opportunity to purchase the equipment and began to independently design and manufacture mounting kits. Due to the ever-increasing demand for these critical EVAH components, the venture quickly expanded, and Richard left that employer and VanAire became his full focus.

“VanAire’s success is not a result of happenstance or luck,” noted Soderman. “The strategy from day one was to be known as the engineering leader in this industry. We strove to take what was commonly identified as a commodity item, or even an afterthought, and make it recognized as an integral component.”

Engineered Valve Automation

Today, VanAire has grown to employ over 85 individuals who collectively work together to provide world-class valve automation hardware. The company has 15 3D CAD stations and over 30 CNC machines in its 45,000 sq ft ISO 9001:2015 registered facility, including robotic welders, laser cutting systems, machining centers, turning centers, press brakes, blind-hole keyway machines, and robotic machine tenders.

VanAire partners with leading valve and actuator manufacturers and their distributors across North America and beyond. Its kits weigh between roughly a pound to over a ton, and are used in the oil & gas, power, mining, waste and wastewater, chemical, pulp/paper, and food production industries.

Having uniquely positioned itself as an independent, full-service provider dedicated to rotary valve mounting kits, VanAire’s main objective is to provide its customers with the very best in quality, design, and delivery. “When we refer to our solutions as ‘engineered products’ it is not just a catchphrase,” stated Soderman. “We wholeheartedly believe in the notion that every asset should be optimized to meet the needs of its application.”

“We are able to offer customers tailor-made products that comply with industry requirements on a global scale. This practice has in turn allowed us to streamline production, reduce lead times, and increase our on-time delivery to customers worldwide.” – Tony Lambert

As the mounting kit is truly an essential piece of the assembly, there are several factors that need to be considered in their design phase depending on the specific valve or actuator. Process and ambient temperature, number of cycles, cycle speed, on/off or modulating use, and/or corrosion, are just a few factors that affect the design and materials selection. Once materials are selected the kits are engineered and delivered to their end application.

“I am not a salesman, but I know that our products and customer service speak for themselves,” continued Lambert. “Our commitment to excellence, to engineering, and to our customers, ensures that each mounting kit is designed by devoted engineers, metallurgists, and application specialists to meet the needs of the environment.”

The Highest Level of Quality

While the necessity of valve and actuator standards is widely accepted, the importance of standards on connecting pieces, such as the mounting bracket that connects actuators and valves, has just recently been recognized by the industry at large. In anticipation of this shifting perspective, VanAire created each of its product designs and manufacturing practices by referencing current industry standards.

Following ISO, MSS, API, ANSI, AWS, and ASME standards, the company ensures that each of its products will not only meet, but exceed, the expectation of its end user. “Designing and manufacturing our products to the international standards differentiates us from our competition,” expressed Lambert.

“We are able to offer customers tai- lor-made products that comply with industry requirements on a global scale. This practice has in turn allowed us to streamline production, reduce lead times, and increase our on-time delivery to customers worldwide.”

The implementation of certification standards to elevate the quality assurance of each of its products has become part of the culture of quality that permeates every aspect of VanAire’s business. “You will not find another independent valve automation hardware supplier in the world that has our capabilities under one roof and as strong of an understanding of this market. We are the only one that has the engineering expertise, the design expertise, manufacturing technology, and the connection with ISO to produce the solutions we devise,” stated Soderman.

Achieving ISO 9001 registration is also a major differentiating factor between VanAire and its competitors. The ISO 9001 provides VanAire with a framework and set of principles that act not only as a quality management system, but as a business management system; it provides a foundation on which to build and deliver an effective product time after time.

“One of the things we have asked our- selves since the beginning is, ‘how can we do better’? It is the mindset that we adopt each time we look to the evolving marketplace,” explained Lambert. “As an ISO-certified manufacturer, we are continually challenging ourselves to improve, first as a team, then as a company. We want to make our processes as fast, effective, and efficient as possible, and we believe that VAworks Live is the next step in that progression.”

“When we refer to our solutions as ‘engineered products’ it is not just a catchphrase. We wholeheartedly believe in the notion that every asset should be optimized to meet the needs of its application.” – Steve Soderman

Progressive Technology

To satisfy its desire to continually im- prove and offer better services, VanAire developed a unique resource centered around its core products. VAworks Live is an online platform that provides quotes, drawings, and kit numbers almost instantaneously to anyone looking to fit their valve or actuator with engineered valve automation hardware.

“After years of refining and perfecting the products themselves, we wanted to add value to the customer experience,” stated Lambert. “What started out as an internal system, designed to provide consistent information to VanAire personnel, has become a dynamic portal for our customers to use to select the appropriate mounting kit.”

Developed using the same standards that earned VanAire its ISO certification, VAworks Live offers a tailor-made interface that complements any organization’s needs. Based on a series of questions site goers can determine which kit is best suited to their application.

“With over 25,000 valves and 10,000 actuators in the database, it is easy for customers to select the components they require. Once selected, the system determines the appropriate mounting kit and provides a kit number, a price, and a drawing of what the kit looks like. It also includes some data about the engineering behind the hardware, such as the materials, torque, and our welding capabilities,” explained Soderman.

As the industry requires access to 24-hour immediate responses concerning dimensional data and exact pricing, VanAire has built the future of procurement and customer service. “No matter where you are in the world or what time zone you are in, you can go to the site, answer a few basic questions, about material and size, and get an amazingly quick response,” continued Lambert. “No more waiting for days and potentially suffering the consequences of unexpected delays.”

The concept of VAworks Live is centered around the desire to truly understand the customers’ needs and provide mounting kits that meet the requirements of the application. VanAire, therefore, works closely with clients to hear their needs and help them to understand different possible solutions; VAworks Live facilitates this process.

The Engineered Difference

VanAire’s commitment to quality and ensuring that a consistent product is provided is evident in every aspect of its process.

“We have been working to educate customers on the importance of differentiating the VanAire bracket from others. We prove to our customer base that it is worth the investment in quality. You do not have to worry about downtime, because when you get a kit from VanAire you know it is going to work as intended each and every time. That is what sets us apart,” said Lambert.

Although it is known for the quality of its high-end products, there is no job that is too small for VanAire’s expertise. “Whether an end user or distributor is looking for a large mounting kit, a high torque kit, or a two-inch mounting kit, we are committed to providing an engineered solution. We believe in our mantra to continuously improve, and by tailoring each component we sell to suit the end user’s needs. I believe we will continue to be recognized as an engineering authority of valve automation hardware,” concluded Soderman.