Swanson Flo High Purity Valves, Instruments & Process Equipment

Swanson Flo maintains our position as an industry leader in high purity valves and instrumentation by partnering with the world's top manufacturers and satisfying customers with unmatched project success.

Swanson Flo
https://swansonflo.com
800-288-7926

Swanson Flo - An Industry Leader in Process Automation with a Long History of Unmatched Project Success

Founded in 1960, Swanson Flo has long maintained our position as an industry leader in process automation with unmatched project success leveraging industry preferred products and services.

Our team of skilled experts is uniquely equipped to rapidly apply resources and skills for the maximum benefit of our clients. We continue to adapt new technologies and solutions to build solid client partnerships.

Our mission is to provide innovative process control solutions for engineers, managers and maintenance professionals through quality equipment and experienced application engineering. These efforts combined with excellent aftermarket service yield reduced operating costs and improved production.

1960 Thomas B Swanson Co.
Tom B. Swanson saw a need for innovative technical products for industrial applications that was being underserved by the large PVF wholesale houses.  Tom started a rep company focusing on new specialty and engineered products.

1974 Swanson Flo-Systems Co.
Tom Swanson and his business partner, Dick Westphal, saw that industrial processes were changing from manual operation to automated systems and solutions to improve quality and gain efficiencies.  This forward thinking and vision inspired a new business model of actuation and fabrication to service their customers’ needs, providing automated solutions, while providing a high degree of technical support and customer focus.

1989 Evolution of Swanson Flo Systems
Expands our integration of products by adding control valves and specialty valves to their quality, technical product offering.

1991 Tom Howe acquired Thomas B Swanson equity.
Tom Howe and Dick Westphal continue to serve their customers with a vision to provide full control loop solutions and application engineering experience to the growing market by integrating our products to help customers develop more efficient, productive, and profitable process solutions.

1992 - Acquired Control Dynamics, Co.
The acquisition of Control Dynamics Co. added experienced personnel and additional instrumentation lines including Foxboro and Badger Meter Co. This addition allowed Swanson to provide experienced, technical personnel to assist in the evaluation, specification and application of valves and instrumentation for projects and customer needs.

2001 – Acquired Power Supply and Engineering Co.
Swanson Flo acquires PSE adding Ashcroft instrumentation and additional technical salespeople.

2001 – Acquired Limitorque Actuation Line
Swanson Flo continues their commitment to customers by adding an expanded automation offering with Limitorque.  This acquisition created a shift to incorporating services to our product portfolio.  Additional square footage was added to handle the services requirement.  Expanding in-house repair and field service, and remanufacture electric actuators across the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, Minnesota, and Western Wisconsin. 

2002 - Acquired Process Sales Inc., Wisconsin
Swanson Flo expands eastward into Wisconsin.  Adding Masoneilan Control Valves and Foxboro Instrumentation to the entire state.

2005 - Launched BioFuels Automation Co.
BioFuels Automation becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Swanson Flo launching the first exclusive renewable fuels focused automation company to serve this rapidly growing industry.  Providing a complete solution for automating newly constructed ethanol plants for the future.

2007 - Acquired Failsafe Company
Swanson Flo expands into more quality technical products and experienced people for Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.

2013 - Acquired Valves and Automation Inc.
Swanson Flo adds Limitorque Electric Actuation across Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Indiana, with an expansive shop to repair, assemble and remanufacture electric actuators. 

2014 - Acquired Process Sales Inc.
Swanson Flo expands with Masoneilan Control Valves and Foxboro Instrumentation across Upper Illinois and Indiana with full control valve service, repair, and assembly facility.

2016 - Acquired Tech Sales and Marketing - Indiana
Swanson Flo grows in Indiana with additional lines and technical salespeople focused on quality products and customer service.

2021 – Swanson Flo is acquired by MCE to continue to service our customers with an extended offering of highly-engineered, technical solutions by providing leading process control products and services.

Brewery Valve Application Guide

Download the Brewery Valve
Application Guide Here

Today, beer is one of the oldest beverages humans have ever produced and has spread all over the world. It is a product valued by its physicochemical properties as in its quality and traditional link with culinary and ethnic distinctiveness.

Many types of valves are commonly used in a brewery to regulate the flow of fluids throughout process pipes in a plant.

One type is the diaphragm valve, in which a soft diaphragm is pushed against a bell-shaped feature using a mechanical screw . This mechanism allows gas or liquid flow to be controlled within the valve’s total variability, but the flow pressure tolerances are fairly tight.

The butterfly valve is the next most commonly used valve in breweries due to its compact design and wide pressure and flow tolerances. It consists of a metal disc which rotates within the body of the valve and closes against a rubber seal. Its flow-through design makes it easy to clean.

The Brewery Valve Application Guide, located on Swanson Flo web site, provides a quick reference on the various processes involved in brewing and what type of valves are used for those processes.

Hazardous Area Classifications in the USA

Understanding Hazardous Area classifications is critical.

An important aspect of safe installation is to determine the hazardous area classification in the area. Checking the area classification is also important for safe electrical wiring. The hazardous area classification should be known by personnel before starting work in an area.

Hazardous areas refer to locations with a possible risk of explosion or fire due to dangerous atmosphere. The hazards can be associated with flammable vapors or gases, ignitable fibers, and combustible dusts.

Different hazardous area classifications exist in the North America and Europe. Generally, the National Electric Code (NEC) classifications govern hazardous areas in the US. While in Europe, hazardous area classification has been specified by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

CLASS	NATURE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIAL
CLASS I	Hazardous area due the presence of flammable vapors or gases in sufficient quantities to produce ignitable mixtures and cause an explosion. Examples include natural gas and liquified petroleum.
CLASS II	Hazardous area due the presence of conductive or combustible dusts in sufficient quantities to produce ignitable mixtures and cause an explosion. Examples include aluminum and magnesium powders.
CLASS III	Hazardous area due the presence of flammable fibers or other flying debris that collect around lighting fixtures, machinery, and other areas in sufficient quantities to produce ignitable mixtures and cause an explosion. Examples include sawdust and flyings

Division groups hazardous areas based on the chances of an explosion due to the presence of flammable materials in the area.

DIVISION	LIKELIHOOD OF HAZARDOUS MATERIAL
DIVISION 1	Areas where there is a high chance of an explosion due to hazardous material that is present periodically, intermittently, or continuously under normal operation.
DIVISION 2	Areas where there is a low chance of an explosion under normal operation.

Group categorizes areas based on the type of flammable or ignitable materials in the environment. As per NEC guidelines, Groups A to D classify gasses while Groups E to G classify dust and flying debris.

GROUP	TYPE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIAL IN THE AREA
GROUP A	Acetylene.
GROUP B	Area contains flammable gas, liquid, or liquid produced vapor with any of the following characteristics: Minimum Ignition Current (MIC) value equal to or less than 0.40 Maximum Experimental Safe Gap (MESG) value equal to or less than 0.45 mm Combustible gas with more than 30 percent volume Examples include hydrogen, ethylene oxide, acrolein, propylene oxide.
GROUP C	Area contains flammable gas, liquid, or liquid produced vapor with any of the following characteristics: Minimum Ignition Current (MIC) value between 0.40 and 0.80 Maximum Experimental Safe Gap (MESG) value greater than 0.75 mm Examples include carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, ether, cyclopropane, morphline, acetaldehyde, isoprene, and ethylene.
GROUP D	Area contains flammable gas, liquid, or liquid produced vapor with any of the following characteristics: Minimum Ignition Current (MIC) value greater than 0.80 Maximum Experimental Safe Gap (MESG) value greater than 0.75 mm Examples include ammonia, gasoline, butane, benzene, hexane, ethanol, methane, methanol, natural gas, propane, naphtha, and vinyl chloride.
GROUP E	Area contains metal dusts such as magnesium, aluminum, chromium, bronze, titanium, zinc, and other combustible dusts whose abrasiveness, size, and conductivity present a hazard.
GROUP F	Area contains carbonaceous dusts such as charcoal, coal black, carbon black, coke dusts and others that present an explosion hazard.
GROUP G	Area contains combustible dusts not classified in Groups E and F. Examples include starch, grain, flour, wood, plastic, sugar, and chemicals.

NOTE: This post serves only as a guide to acquaint the reader with hazardous area classifications in the USA. It is imperative to discuss your instrumentation, valve, or process equipment requirement with a qualified applications expert prior to installing any electrical device inside of any hazardous area.

Swanson Flo

https://swansonflo.com

800-288-7926 

Flowserve Valves - Kammer Control Valves

FLOWSERVE Kämmer manufactures special application and general service control valves and actuators, which are used extensively in the chemical, petrochemical, power, petroleum, pulp & paper, pharmaceutical, food processing and cryogenic industries.

FLOWSERVE Kämmer pneumatic actuators are widely known for their versatile diaphragm design, easy installation and simplified maintenance. When compared to other manufacturers’ diaphragm actuator designs, Kämmer actuators have much higher thrust capabilities, feature a very compact design and are lighter in weight. They also feature a field reversible design that requires no additional parts.

Download the Kammer Control Valve Product Profile Here

Flowserve Valves - Kammer Control Valves from Swanson Flo

DelVal Flow Control - Ball Valves, Butterfly Valves, Actuators

DelVal Flow Control offers high quality butterfly valves, ball valves, and quarter turn actuators that provide smooth, controlled and dependable flow of fluids through pipelines in process plants.

Products Include:  

• Resilient seated butterfly valves 
• Lined butterfly valves 
• High-performance butterfly valves (double and triple offset) 
• Trunnion mounted ball valves 
• Floating ball valves
• Actuators

https://swansonflo.com 

800-288-7926

Swanson Flo's Illinois Sales Office Linecard

Swanson Flo's Illinois Sales Office linecard.

Swanson Flo Illinois (Process Sales) Line Card from Swanson Flo