SYNOPSIS:

TEST PLATE SEPARATOR

In L&T valves, valves of different pressure range are manufactured and the testing of these
valves takes place in test stand. Before placing the valve in the test stand test plates are fixed on
the bore of the valve body where the test plates differ based on the diameter of valve and the
schedule (specified by the customer). After fixing the test plate the valve body is placed on the
test stand which compresses the test plate with the valve body tightly since the testing done here
are hydrodynamic testing so the valve has to be tightly clamped. After testing is done the
problem arise since the test plate is tightly clamped to the valve body there is difficulty in
removing the test plate. At present the workers user to hit the test plate with the rod and remove
it where the workers should be care enough that the test plate may fall on them or during removal
it may damage the nipple. To separate the test plate from the valve body use of screw jack were
considered which could reduce the manual work but the minimum distance between the test plate
and the flange of the valve is around 50mm. To place the screw jack between the which can
provide a separating force of 5KN a minimum distance of 100mm was needed so use of flange
spreader which is available in the market was suggested it was used to separate flange in pipe
lines to remove the o-ring. But it was costly so it suggested to study the mechanism of the flange
spreader and design it according to the requirement which we are doing it.

LOCATING MECHANISM FOR THE VALVE BODY
This was the initially given project here during the first machining of the valve body in VTL
problem occurs during setting since the valve body is directly from the foundry it bottom and top
surface wont be flat and parallel which may result in run out and face out of the casting during
machining. Setting the valve body for the first pre-machining is a tough job where even a skilled
worked may take around 90 minutes to align the valve body since the worker has to eliminate
both the errors. They do it by attaching the dial gauge to the tool post and rotate the valve body
based on the movement of the dial the tap the valve body on the side having more run out
through this the reduce run out error for face out error they place the wedge on the bottom
surface and move it in or out accordingly to the reading of the dial gauge to make the top surface
parallel to the face plate of the VTL. Then clamping is made on the four side of the valve body.
Initially we tried of doing it with the three or four jaw chuck but it wont provide enough
clamping force and it is necessary to tilt the valve body based on the reading of the dial which
moves on the rough surface and the casting weighs heavier it was difficult to self centre the valve
body.