VMA NEWS
Calgary Basics Course and ‘Valve Petting Zoo’ Draw Praise from Attendees
In early June, nearly 70 end-users, distributors, valve manufacturers and mechanical engineering students gathered at the
MacEwan Conference & Event Centre on
the campus of the University of Calgary in
Calgary, Alberta, to attend VMA’s Valves
& Actuators 101 course. The event also
included a tabletop exhibition featuring
valve and actuator manufacturers and
industry suppliers.
To facilitate learning and provide attendees with an
opportunity to examine all the major types of valves and
actuators, the format included a “valve petting zoo.” The
session proved to be a great success, garnering high ratings
from attendees. The participants were divided into seven
equal groups, with each spending about 15 minutes with a
presenter who was knowledgeable about a particular product
type. The tables held a variety of products: multi-turn valves;
check valves; quarter-turn valves; pressure relief valves;
actuators—pneumatic and hydraulic; actuators—electric;
and control valves. One young engineer, a year out of school,
joked: “You mean a valve isn’t just the bow-tie shape found
on P&IDs? Who knew?”
Another new feature of the two-day event was an interac-
tive panel session in which the presenters discussed—and
queried attendees about—what types of products to use in
several different applications.
Evaluations received at the conclusion of the course
echoed the positive feedback heard throughout the event.
Among the comments offered by attendees:
“Excellent conference.
Good content, great execu-
tion.”
“I learned a lot. A
great foundation for future
learning. The materials
handed out were extremely
helpful.”
“Whole event/seminar
was really informative and
helped me to learn more
about valves and their
applications.... As a stu-
dent, it was a good expo-
sure to the valve industry.”
“The valve petting zoo
was outstanding. I
learned a great deal by
seeing how valves actually
function/operate.”
Thirteen advanced-level mechanical engi-
neering students from the University of Cal-
gary proved a valuable addition to the mix of
attendees. VMA staff received thanks from
the students for providing them the opportuni-
ty to attend at no cost. According to one stu-
dent who had just graduated from the univer-
sity, “This course was exactly what I hoped it
would be.” The scholarship program that
made their attendance possible is funded by VMA’s education-
al foundation, the Friends of the Crawford Library, Inc., and is
intended to support educational activities for newcomers to
the industry (see list of 2011 donors in box on this page).
Those who attended the seminar received a Certificate of
Completion that awarded them with VMA education credits.
The Valves & Actuators 101 course was taught by a team
of experienced volunteers, all of whom are currently active
in the industry: Greg Johnson, VMA Education Committee
Chairman, United Valve; Leon Brooks, VMA Education
Committee Vice Chairman, Cameron Valves & Measurement; Ed Holtgraver, VMA Education Committee Actuator
Lead, QTRCO Inc.; Dan Angelino, Farris Engineering
(CWFC); Arie Bregman, DFT Inc.; Peter Garrito, Samson
Canada; and Paul Souza, AUMA Actuators.
Registration for the next Valve Basics Seminar &
Exhibits—to take place Oct. 26-27 at the Embassy Suites
Chicago-O’Hare, Rosemont, IL—is now open on VMA.org.
For more information, contact Judy Tibbs, VMA director of
education, at jtibbs@vma.org.
During the “petting zoo,” AUMA’s Paul
Souza (standing, center) explains how
electric actuators work.
2011 VALVE ED DONORS
Gold Level
Cameron Valves & Measurement
Silver Level
DFT Inc.
Velan Valve
Sponsors
AUMA Actuators
Rotork Controls (Canada) Ltd.
Supporters
Conval Inc.
Moog Flo-Tork
Solon Manufacturing Company
Above includes contributions from Jan. 1
through June 30, 2011. For a complete list of
donors since the Valve Ed program’s inception
in 2009, please visit www.VMA.org > Valve
Education. To make a donation online, go to
www.VMA.org > Donations.
VMA Membership Grows by Three
The second quarter of 2011 saw the addition of three new
members to the association roster. They are:
Eii Valve, located in Houston, TX, produces a variety of
valves for oil, gas, water and power generation. The company was formerly known as Enkay Industries International.
Find out more at www.eiivalve.com.
Hemiwedge Valve Corporation of Conroe, TX manufactures and markets worldwide a patented proprietary new
valve technology known as the Hemiwedge Cartridge Valve.
It has applications in refining, mining, process, pipeline,
midstream and petrochemical markets. To learn more, visit
www.hemiwedge.com.
Joining as an associate member is BelleFlex Technologies, LLC. The company produces Belleville disc springs,
compliant to DIN specifications 2092, 2093, and 6796, at
its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in southwestern
Pennsylvania. For more information: www.belleflex.com
