12-01-2024

The Neles™ XH ball valve - Taking every angle into consideration

We really have looked at this through the eyes of the customer. The Neles™ XH metal-seated ball valve has been designed to deliver benefits across its entire lifecycle, and not just during its active operating life either.

Designed for the customer
The experience of ownership starts way before your valves are fully operational as a part of your process. With the release of the expanded product family that now includes a complete range of sizes and pressure classes, we wanted to deliver the same high reliability and performance our customers are used to, but at the same time bring new improvements to the table. The Neles XH brings reliable performance to many applications in oil and gas as well as the petrochemical industries. It has also proven capabilities for service in renewable energy applications such as blue and green hydrogen production.

The featherweight heavyweight
Perhaps the biggest improvement is the fact that we made the valve smaller. And by that we mean that we have been able to reduce the weight and outer dimensions of the valves without compromising on reliability, robustness, or performance. We like to say that in comparison to many of its predecessors, the Neles XH has been able to lose fat without losing any of its muscle.

Lifecycle sustainability
This weight loss means a more sustainable product in terms of how much raw materials are used in its manufacturing as well as when it comes to transport and logistics. It takes up less space and requires less energy, meaning less fuel, to transport it, reducing the products carbon footprint considerably. The smart valve design also means that wear parts are easily accessible with smaller parts needing to be regularly replaced, making maintenance and ownership more sustainable as well. Obviously, the valve’s superior tightness, which minimizes fugitive emissions, also plays into the fact that we wanted to ensure that sustainability was a key factor in this product.

End-to-end safety
Operational safety is a prerequisite for any industrial valve, but we also wanted to further improve safety during everything from manufacturing, transportation, handling, installation and maintenance. Again, the reduction in overall mass was the first feature improving safety when handling the valve. In fact, the weight difference between the Neles XH and an equivalent ball valve of the same size and pressure class, can be significant bigger. But regardless of the weight loss, they are still often heavy pieces to handle. This is why we added new detachable lifting mounts that improve manoeuvrability and safety when moving and installing your larger valves.

All-in-one approach
Innovation doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel, but rather bringing together all our experience and ambition into one. With the new Neles XH valve sizes, what we are bringing to market is a product that is based on field-proven technologies, engineered by the world’s leading valve professionals, manufactured in our own hi-tech factories and thoroughly tested in the best labs and facilities available. This metal-seated wonder comes available with every possible option, from various proven valve body material technologies and coatings to our world-renowned proprietary Q-trim technology. We wanted to provide our customers a product family so comprehensive and all-inclusive in nature that the choice would be easier than ever before.

Valtteri Koskinen
Senior Product Manager
Flow Control Ball Valve Product Center