Networking
Valve World road-trip
As seen in our last issue, networking is an incredibly important part of building the valve community. In this issue, we bring you a retrospective of a business trip to Italy that allowed some of our team to meet clients, view workshops and visit the OMC exhibition.
By Lyndsey Denton-Fray, Valve World
Whilst a week in Italy may conjure up days in the sun with pizza and prosecco, our sales and editorial team went to enjoy the sights of the industrial side of Italy, spending their days in valve manufacturing factories, visiting clients and sipping espressos in between meetings.
Meeting the Clients
The week began with a visit to Saporiti, an Italian manufacturer specializing in ball valve grinding machines. Our Valve World team had the opportunity to see the production process up close, from the precision engineering behind the machines and the sizing of the balls for the ball valves. During a tour of the facility, General Manager Sabrina Saporiti proudly noted that none of their machines had ever been reported as broken, a testament to the reliability of their craftsmanship. Creating these machines is no small feat. Ball valves must have exceptionally smooth, uniform surfaces to guarantee a tight seal, and each grinding machine is built on-demand to accommodate specific valve sizes and customer needs. In this line of work, precision isn’ t just preferred, it’ s essential. Next, our team visited Energized Seals, where Stefano Muzzoni shed light on a growing concern in the sealing industry: the communication gap between valve and seal manufacturers. Although seals are produced to fit a valve’ s specifications, they often become incompatible over time due to wear and erosion. This doesn’ t necessarily mean either component is flawed but rather pointing to the challenge of predicting how each will evolve in real-world conditions. This issue can have serious implications for end users. As Muzzoni explained, the key lies in anticipating the environment in which the valve will operate and the specific forms of erosion the seal will face. With a better understanding of how valves degrade over time, seal design could be optimised for longevity and performance. He also addressed the topic of fugitive emissions, emphasising that leakage isn’ t always caused by defective components, but that it may simply reflect a mismatch between worn parts. Our next stop was CMD, an Italian gasket manufacturer operating since 1989. In conversation with International Sales Specialist Debora Ghirardelli, our team found that the gasket industry shares similar challenges. She echoed the call for clearer information about the valves their products will be paired with, reinforcing the need for cross-industry collaboration to ensure compatibility and improve outcomes.
On the factory floor at with Marketing Manager Cristina Verrengia and Valve World Editor Lyndsey Denton-Fray
On the factory floor at Galli & Cassina with Sales Manager Gionata Cotardo and Valve World Editor Lyndsey Denton-Fray
Following CMD, our team visited Galli & Cassina, a well-established plug valve manufacturer. Sales Manager Gionata Cotardo welcomed our team for a tour of their new facilities and valve workshops. While smaller valves are often the standard in factory showrooms, Galli & Cassina impressed with an impressive display of
18 Valve World June 2025 www. valve-world. net