Valves for environmental and urban services equip mobile installations, systems in which the design constraints differ from those of a fixed plant: the space available inside the installations is limited and every component adds to the overall weight of the vehicle.
On the same vehicle there can be lines that have to hold vacuum, low pressure water circuits and washing branches running beyond 200 bar. The valve therefore has to be selected according to the specific circuit and to the fluid to be shut off.
At OMAL we design and manufacture in-house both the valves and the actuators, and we supply them as a pre-assembled, correctly sized package: the vehicle manufacturer receives an automated solution ready to be installed and connected to the control system of the equipment.
The range for this sector grew out of the collaboration with leading operators, from vacuum trucks and VAC-JET combination units through to the transport of hazardous fluids. It includes the KRAVEN butterfly valve, the MAGNUM ball valves in the Wafer and Split Wafer versions, and the high pressure series HERCULES and KRATOS.
Why choose OMAL valves and actuators for environmental and urban services?
The operators in this sector who already work with us chose us for three recurring reasons: who is accountable for the valve and actuator assembly, how that assembly fits into the installation, and how far it can be adapted to the individual vehicle.
A single point of contact for the valve and for the automation
At OMAL we do not supply the valve alone, but the complete valve-actuator package.
For the vehicle manufacturer this means dealing with a single point of contact both for the part related to the process, the valve, and for the automation part, the actuator.
Installation is simpler and the sizing of the whole assembly is optimized. On one side, we select the valve actuator valve by valve according to the torque required, so that the overall footprint of the assembly stays compatible with the space available in the installation. On the other, we deliver a valve with pneumatic actuator ready to fit.
Compactness and light weight, where every kilogram counts
On the installations in this sector, every component has to fit into a space already allocated and add as little as possible to the mass of the vehicle. This constraint concerns both the valve and its actuator.
At OMAL we build the entire series around compact and lightweight versions, aluminum pneumatic actuators included. Among these, the MAGNUM Wafer is the most compact ball valve in the range, particularly appreciated in the casting version precisely for its low weight.
Customized versions of seats, actuators and sensors
At OMAL we offer a high level of customization: choice of seats, actuator type (available for both low and high temperature) and position sensors in different ATEX protection levels.
All our valves are fitted with an ISO 5211 mounting flange, for easy coupling with pneumatic actuators and manual gearboxes with handwheel.
The functions of the valves in the vehicle circuits
On a vacuum truck or on a flusher truck, very different circuits sit side by side. Our valves for suction and discharge lines cover four recurring functions.
Suction
Here butterfly valves in medium and large sizes are used, chosen for their excellent vacuum tightness. The same type equips the tank inlet.
Discharge and transfer of water, sludge and wastewater
In sludge discharge the valve works on a loaded and abrasive fluid: what counts, therefore, is the strength of the body and the choice of seat, available in EPDM, NBR and FKM according to the fluid. The same versions handle the transfer of water and wastewater and the low pressure water circuits.
Shut-off on the auxiliary circuits
On clean water, on the water recycling systems and on the distribution manifolds the shut-off valve is a ball valve: it opens and closes in a quarter turn, with tight sealing and a compact footprint.
Isolation of the high pressure lines
On flusher trucks, where pressures can reach 200 bar or exceed them, the isolation valve is used to select the different washing zones. This is the function assigned to the high pressure ball valves HERCULES and KRATOS.
The applications in vacuum trucks, ADR vehicles and road cleaning
Our valves equip the vehicles and the equipment of environmental services, with versions that change according to the fluid handled and to the applicable regulation. Representative use cases include:
● Vacuum trucks and VAC-JET combination units, on the suction lines and on sludge discharge.
● Street sweepers and flusher trucks, where the valves for street sweepers isolate the washing zones.
● ADR vehicles for the collection and the transport of hazardous waste, which require certified valves for special vehicles.
● Vehicles for environmental remediation.
● Equipment for the suction of excavation dust.
● Installations dedicated to the maintenance of chemical plants.
The valves for vacuum trucks and for the other equipment in this sector have to guarantee service continuity and reduced maintenance, even under conditions of intensive use.
Our range of valves and actuators for environmental and urban services
The series for this sector brings together wafer butterfly valves and lug butterfly valves, industrial ball valves of several types and high pressure valves, all of which can be automated with our actuators.
| Product | Type | Sizes | Pressure or torque | Body material |
| KRAVEN | Wafer and lug butterfly valve | DN40 ÷ DN300 (1-1/2" ÷ 12") | ANSI 150, PN 10-16, PN 6 | Cast iron, disc in cast iron or CF8M |
| MAGNUM Wafer | Wafer ball valve | DN15 ÷ DN100 (1/2" ÷ 4") | ANSI 150-300, PN 16-40 | A105 carbon steel, 316 stainless steel |
| MAGNUM Split Wafer | Split wafer ball valve | DN15 ÷ DN200 (1/2" ÷ 8") | ANSI 150-300, PN 16-40; ANSI 600, PN 63-100 (DN≤100) | A105 carbon steel, 316 stainless steel |
| MAGNUM, casting version | Wafer ball valve | DN25 ÷ DN100 (1" ÷ 4") | PN 16-40 (DN≤40), PN 16 (DN≥50) | CF8M stainless steel |
| KRATOS | High pressure ball valve | DN8 ÷ DN50 (1/4" ÷ 2") | PN 414 / 6000 PSI, according to the size | A350-LF2 carbon steel, 316 stainless steel |
| AGO | Scotch yoke pneumatic actuator | DA 8 ÷ DA 8000, SR 15 ÷ SR 4000 | 8 ÷ 8,000 Nm (DA), 15 ÷ 4,000 Nm (SR) | Aluminum |
KRAVEN: the butterfly valve for suction, discharge and transfer
The KRAVEN is one of the main products for this sector, particularly suited to the suction, discharge and transfer lines for water, sludge and wastewater. It is available from DN40 to DN300 (from 1-1/2" to 12"), with a cast iron body, a disc in cast iron or in CF8M and seats in EPDM, NBR and FKM.
It is supplied as a wafer butterfly valve and as a lug butterfly valve, with both PN and ANSI flanges, and it is suitable for installation in potentially explosive atmospheres. Thanks to the EN 14432:2014 certification it can also be used inside special vehicles for ADR applications.
By adding a pneumatic actuator, pneumatic butterfly valves can then be obtained.
MAGNUM: the wafer ball valves with flanged connections
Our range includes two versions of wafer ball valves, the MAGNUM Wafer and the MAGNUM Split Wafer: they mainly equip the auxiliary circuits, the clean water, the water recycling systems and the distribution manifolds, and they are used especially in the ADR equipment for the collection and transport of hazardous waste.
The MAGNUM Wafer covers the range from DN15 to DN100 (from 1/2" to 4"), while the MAGNUM Split Wafer reaches DN200 (8"). The casting version, in CF8M, runs from DN25 to DN100.
All MAGNUM valves are flanged ball valves, with RF connections. Like the KRAVEN, the series is certified to EN 14432:2014, recently extended to all sizes. The MAGNUM is also available as a stainless steel ball valve, with a body in 316 stainless steel.
HERCULES and KRATOS: the range for high pressure
On the washing circuits of flusher trucks the high pressure ball valves HERCULES and KRATOS are used, mainly to select the different washing zones. The KRATOS covers the range from DN8 to DN50 (from 1/4" to 2") in A350-LF2 carbon steel or 316 stainless steel.
AGO: the automation of the assembly
The AGO are our pneumatic valve actuators for quarter-turn valves, of the scotch yoke type: double acting from 8 to 8,000 Nm, single acting from 15 to 4,000 Nm.
They are aluminum pneumatic actuators, with versions for low temperature down to -50 °C and for high temperature up to +150 °C. Coupled to our ball valves they give pneumatic ball valves ready to fit.
The certifications for environmental service vehicles: ATEX, ADR, EN 14432:2014 and PED
Certifications take on particular importance in vehicles intended for the transport or the suction of hazardous substances.
All the products in our range for this sector comply with the ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU, a mandatory requirement for vehicles built for the suction of explosive materials.
ATEX does not concern only the valve, but the entire package supplied by OMAL: ATEX ball valves, ATEX butterfly valves and ATEX pneumatic actuators are therefore available, so that the actuated assembly meets the requirements of the area in which it works.
Particularly relevant for this market is then the ADR certification, available both for the butterfly versions and for the flanged ball ones. The ADR valves can be used on the equipment for the collection and the transport of hazardous waste.
Compliance with PED 2014/68/EU is also available.
| Certification | Products and application |
| ATEX 2014/34/EU - Ex CE/UKCA | Entire range, valves and actuators: vehicles for the suction of explosive materials |
| ADR | Butterfly valves and flanged ball valves: collection and transport of hazardous waste |
| EN 14432:2014 | KRAVEN and MAGNUM series, extended to all sizes |
| PED 2014/68/EU | Available on the range |
| SIL up to SIL3 | MAGNUM, KRATOS, AGO |
| Fire Safe | MAGNUM, KRATOS |
| TA-Luft and Fugitive Emission | MAGNUM; on KRATOS only Fugitive Emission |
FAQ: frequently asked questions about valves for environmental and urban services
Which valves are used on a vacuum truck?
On the suction lines and on sludge discharge the KRAVEN butterfly valve is used in the medium and large sizes. In the auxiliary circuits and on clean water MAGNUM wafer ball valves are used. On flusher trucks the high pressure series HERCULES and KRATOS come into play.
What is the difference between lug and wafer butterfly valves?
What changes is the way the valve connects to the pipe: wafer butterfly valves are clamped between two flanges, while lug butterfly valves have threaded lugs that allow each flange to be connected independently. The KRAVEN is available both as a wafer butterfly valve and as a lug butterfly valve, with both PN and ANSI flanges.
What is the difference between a ball valve and a butterfly valve?
What changes is the shut-off element. The drilled ball is chosen for the auxiliary circuits, the clean water and the high pressure, while the disc is more suited to the medium and large sizes of the suction, discharge and transfer lines. Both solutions work with a quarter-turn rotation.
What does it mean to receive the valve and the actuator from the same manufacturer?
It means relying on a single point of contact both for the part related to the process and for the automation one. Installation is simpler and the sizing of the whole package is optimized, an aspect that is particularly important when the space available inside the installations is limited.
Which certifications are required for an ADR vehicle?
For vehicles intended for the collection and transport of hazardous waste, the ADR certification is required, available on the butterfly versions and on the flanged ball valves, together with EN 14432:2014. For vehicles built for the suction of explosive materials, compliance with ATEX 2014/34/EU is mandatory: ATEX valves and certified actuators are needed, because the requirement concerns the entire valve-actuator package.
