DVG

Automation is a world-leading Italian manufacturer of pneumatic, hydraulic, electro-hydraulic and gas-operated piston-type actuators and related control systems. Its actuators are suitable to operate quarter-turn and linear valves in the automation of the flow control process - across production, transportation and distribution - with a particular focus on the most challenging applications in the oil and gas industry.

Decades of Italian perfection

DVG Automation forms part of the Giva Group, a conglomerate with particular interests in forging and steel manufacturing.

The Giva Group is a family-owned business, founded by Mr Antonio Vienna in the 1960s. Today, it boasts an annual turnover of €900 million and a staff complement of 1,200 employees. The Group owns 15 modern, highly specialised manufacturing plants in northern Italy, servicing over 1,500 customers from around the world. Mr Vienna remains both the majority shareholder and President of the Group.

Giva Group established DVG Automation in 2007 as part of its ongoing diversification efforts.

DVG Automation’s initial challenge was to obtain vendor approvals from the major oil and gas companies. Having subsequently secured Approved Vendor List status with many larger operators, the company has enjoyed sustained growth, completing installations with major customers around the world.

Into the Arctic

A past project that DVG Automation is especially proud of is one that it completed a few years ago for a customer in Russia. The Arctic LNG project was valued at approximately €6 million and required extremely specialist knowledge, materials and installation expertise, according to Business Development Director Armando Albertazzi: “This mega project in the Arctic required a very low-temperature application, with ambient temperatures regularly reaching minus 60 degrees Celsius.

“So, we had to carefully consider how to select each actuator part and component for such a harsh and challenging environment. It required specific materials to avoid fragility at those temperatures.”

Preventing disaster

Reliability is a critical aspect of DVG Automation’s engineering because its actuators are a crucial part of the safety systems of its customers’ installations, which include plants, pipelines, platforms, FPSO’s and refineries. DVG Automation’s actuators, specifically designed to operate the mated valve, are the star of the show because they automatically perform the operation in case of an emergency, by means of a remote signal.

Mr Albertazzi explained why these kinds of actuators are so important: “Imagine a very long pipeline, such as those through which gas is internationally distributed. If an external event causes an explosion in the pipeline, our actuators automatically detect it and then close the pipeline to avoid the risk of that explosion spreading.

“Oil platforms offshore are another example,” he continued. “The pressure involved in drilling is very high and therefore all of the actuated valves involved on the well circuit must be able to instantly open or close in any kind of emergency scenario that might occur. The risks are huge - there are enormous consequences for people and the environment.”

DVG Automation’s pneumatic actuators are its best-selling products. Their uniquely compact design substantially differentiates them from the competition.

“They’re designed to deliver high performance within a very compact body,” said Mr Albertazzi. “High-performance actuators are normally quite large, but we were able to design our product based on a mechanism that delivers high performance within a compact shape.”

Certified engineering

DVG Automation is based in Cortemaggiore, Italy, where it has an impressive 10,000 square metre factory run by 80 staff members.

The factory is highly automated and includes a robotic welding facility that guarantees perfect repeatability on complex components. Six-axis horizontal machining centres and automated tube bending, added to a press for spring cartridge assembling and an automatic warehouse, give DVG Automation a pro - duction capacity of approximately 7,500 units. All of those are typically fully customised and individually tested.

Every completed product is subsequently individually subjected to physical testing, including output torque, functional and pressure tests, and stroke speed recording, as well as testing that all coupling dimensions are correct.

This all ensures that each and every actuator that leaves the DVG Automation factory is in perfect working condition and in full compliance with the customer’s specifications. Each product is also delivered with its own individual inspection cer tificate according to EN 102043.1. For even more peace of mind, DVG Automation’s processes are certified according to ISO 9001 2015, 14001 and 45001.

The future is green: while the company continues to enjoy strong performance within the oil and gas industry, DVG Automation believes that the future for its products is in the green economy.

“We’re now upgrading the design of our products to allow them to be used with hydrogen,” said Mr Albertazzi. “While oil and gas are still very important for us, the trend is towards hydrogen, and therefore that’s the direction in which we’re aligning our efforts. In future, valves and actuators will increasingly be required for hydrogen fluid transport. Therefore, we’re currently investing a lot of time and money into redeveloping our materials and engineering for that application.”

Meanwhile, in line with efforts across the Giva Group, DVG Automation is heavily investing in digitalisation in 2023. The company is embarking on a wide-scale programme to introduce more software tools into its processes.

In conclusion, Mr Albertazzi reminisced on his favourite aspects of the work that DVG Automation does: “I enjoy being part of a company that really listens to its people. And I really enjoy selling our products because it’s an exciting mix of disciplines such as mechanics, electrics, electronics and various strategic elements; that’s why our motto is ‘embodied symphonic flow’.” n