European safety valves manufacturer Leser celebrates its 200th anniversary this year, with the share of its profits last year spent on the development of its facilities amounting to €35.3-million.

Leser’s service and products in South Africa are offered through its sole local distributor, Boksburg-based industrial equipment supplier Heaton Valves Africa.

“The most extensive investments were the establishment of the Chinese production and sales facility in Tianjin to the value of €6-million, the extension of the German production facility in Hohenwestedt, which cost €7.3-million and the Leser-Kontor facility in Hamburg, at a total cost of €22-million,” says Leser Europe sales market development and key account manager Alexander Guriyanov.

He says the new developments will provide the basis for further business growth in new markets and with new products. In this way, Leser not only looks back on a company history of 200 years, but is also optimally prepared for the future.

Guriyanov explains that the company confronts the emerging topics of digitalisation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, beginning with the selection and purchase of a safety valve, to actual operation over the life of the valve to the point of maintenance and asset management.

“The company’s customers already use the Leser Web-services, such as order status, access to certificates, valve- related part lists, electronic data interchange connection or the software supported sizing of safety valves.”

The company supplies safety valves to major companies in the chemicals and petrochemicals industry, technical gases, oil and gas production, mechanical engineering as well as the food and beverage industry and pharmaceuticals industry.

Guriyanov says Leser produces more than 100 000 safety valves every year at its Hohenwestedt production facility and the production plants in Paithan and Tianjin supply local markets in India and China with 25 000 valves. “Leser’s production is distinguished by a high vertical range of manufacture, especially the high level of automation is vitally important here, to guarantee an efficient production using positive economies of scale.”

In contrast to common industrial valves, he indicates that safety valves depend on the application conditions of the different plants such as mass flow to be discharged, opening pressure, temperature, medium, but also on installation conditions such as materials and piping.

Leser’s products and services cover all requirements, whether major projects, maintenance, repair and overhaul inquiries or deliveries within 24 hours through an emergency supply chain.

“Safety valves are the last chain link and plant operators rely upon the valves’ sheer mechanical function, for example, when there is a power breakdown in a chemicals plant,” Guriyanov concludes.