Manufacture of hydrants and valves for water and gas supply, wastewater treatment and fire protection
AVK Armaturen GmbH
WülfrathNew on Amplifa
About AVK Armaturen
AVK Armaturen GmbH, headquartered in Wülfrath (Rhine-Ruhr), is a manufacturer of hydrants and valves for civil engineering. The site mainly produces above-ground and underground hydrants (Mittelmann), as well as gate valves, butterfly valves, control valves, check valves, couplings, repair clamps and installation kits. Cast parts are produced in the AVK Group's foundry using the lost-foam process from predominantly recycled iron scrap (spheroidal graphite and grey cast iron). Surfaces are coated with epoxy powder using an electrostatic process (250 µm, according to GSK / DIN 3476-1) or by enamelling in an enamelling furnace. In Wülfrath there is an assembly and test station for above-ground hydrants with integrated pressure testing. The range of services includes maintenance, inspection and repair of valves including mobile service vehicles, as well as consulting and planning for supply networks. The company has belonged to the Danish AVK Group since 2003 (over 100 companies, more than 5,300 employees, presence in over 100 countries) and employs around 100 staff in Wülfrath. Projects such as the Czajka wastewater treatment plant in Warsaw with 1,200 supplied valves demonstrate its international deployment.
- Site
- Wülfrath
- Processes
- Hydrant manufacturing (above-ground and underground hydrants), Assembly and pressure testing of above-ground hydrants (assembly and test station), Epoxy powder coating using the electrostatic spray process (layer thickness 250 µm, according to, Enamelling (firing in the enamelling furnace at high temperatures), Lost-foam casting process (AVK Group foundry for cast parts for valves and hydrants, with, PE electrofusion welding, Maintenance, inspection and repair of valves (including mobile service vehicles), Consulting and planning for supply networks in civil engineering
- Materials
- Spheroidal graphite cast iron (ductile iron), Grey cast iron (grey iron), Steel, Thin-walled stainless steel pipes, PVC-U, PE, Asbestos cement / fibre cement, Copper
- Certificates
- ISO 14001 (DIN EN ISO 14001:2015), ISO 9001, ISO 29001, ISO 45001, EcoVadis Bronze Medal, ISO 14001, GSK / DIN 3476-1
- Employees
- approx. 100
- Industries
- Water supply, Gas and biogas distribution, Wastewater treatment, Fire protection, Civil engineering, Oil and gas industry
- 01
Lost-foam casting of cast parts (AVK Group foundry)
- 02
Machining and enamelling or epoxy powder coating
- 03
Assembly of hydrants and valves
- 04
Pressure testing of above-ground hydrants
- 05
Sales and consulting
- 06
Service: maintenance, inspection, repair, mobile service vehicles
Materials and Processes
Spheroidal graphite cast iron (ductile iron)
Material for hydrants, valves and couplings, produced by lost-foam casting from recycled iron scrap.
Grey cast iron (grey iron)
Casting material for valve bodies and pipeline components.
Steel
Pipe material for repair clamps and coupling tests.
Thin-walled stainless steel pipe / stainless steel
Pipe material for coupling applications (P Niro model series on hydrants).
PVC-U
Plastic pipe material on which couplings are tested according to EN 14525.
PE
Plastic pipe material, also for PE electrofusion welding in pipe networks.
Copper
Pipe material in the repair clamp and coupling range.
Asbestos cement / fibre cement
Historic pipe material against which couplings are tested.
Epoxy powder
Coating according to GSK / DIN 3476-1 with a 250 µm layer thickness using the electrostatic spray process.
Enamel
Coating that is fired on in the enamelling furnace at high temperatures.
Site
Wülfrath
DEHeadquarters, hydrant production, sales and service
- Lot size
- Series production (hydrants)
- Materials
- Spheroidal graphite cast iron, grey cast iron, enamel, epoxy powder
- Assembly and test station for above-ground hydrants
- Enamelling furnace
- Electrostatic powder coating system
- Preheating process via heat exchanger before coating
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrant manufacturing (above-ground and underground hydrants)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Cast iron, Spheroidal graphite |
| Assembly and pressure testing of above-ground hydrants (assembly and test station)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Epoxy powder coating using the electrostatic spray process (layer thickness 250 µm, according toSurface | – | – | – | – | Epoxy powder |
| Enamelling (firing in the enamelling furnace at high temperatures)Surface | – | – | – | – | Enamel |
| Lost-foam casting process (AVK Group foundry for cast parts for valves and hydrants, withCasting | – | – | – | – | Iron (recycled iron scrap), Spheroidal graphite, Grey cast iron |
| PE electrofusion weldingJoining | – | – | – | – | PE |
| Maintenance, inspection and repair of valves (including mobile service vehicles)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Consulting and planning for supply networks in civil engineeringEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
5 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly and test station for above-ground hydrants | – | 1 | – | – | Wülfrath |
| Foundry (lost-foam) | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| Enamelling furnace | – | – | – | – | – |
| Electrostatic powder coating system | – | – | – | – | – |
| Preheating process via heat exchanger before coating | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and Certification
Production takes place under certified management systems for quality (ISO 9001), environment (ISO 14001:2015), occupational health and safety (ISO 45001) and quality in the oil and gas industry (ISO 29001). Every batch of epoxy-coated workpieces is tested for a coating thickness of 250 µm; adhesion and cathodic disbondment are checked twice a year by GSK.
| Evidence | Wülfrath |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |
| ISO 14001 | |
| ISO 29001 | |
| ISO 45001 | |
| GSK / DIN 3476-1 |
History
- 1952
First Mittelmann hydrants manufactured at the Wülfrath plant
- 2003
AVK Armaturen GmbH becomes part of the Danish AVK Group
- 2017
AVK Group acquires the enamelling division of the company EMK
- 2018
Environmental management system of AVK Armaturen certified to ISO 14001:2015