South African valve manufacturer and exporter of air release and slurry valves worldwide Dynamic Fluid Control (DFC) has bought knife gate valve manufacturer Insamcor.
The acquisition is expected to grow DFC’s mining business by as much as one-half, and positions DFC in global terms as a large manufacturer of specialised valves for mining slurries.
Industry experts predict that the product portfolio provided by the purchase will provide a platform from which DFC can develop into a serious international player in the minerals processing market.
DFC MD Henry Smith says that Insamcor will retain its identity and integrity as a company and as a brand, with the only obvious change being the absorption of its Durban branch into DFC’s KwaZulu Natal subsidiary. Insamcor’s trading sales will remain unchanged.
“We aim to expand our share of the valve market in processing plants from Zambia southwards, by offering leading diaphragm and knife-gate products,” explains Smith.
“Ultimately, we will expand into slurry markets outside Africa. This will happen first in Australia, after which we will identify and buy a company in the northern hemisphere with a footprint in the US, Scandinavia, Western and Eastern Europe, Russia and Japan, and roll the package out globally,” Smith predicts.
Founded in 1972 by German engineers Heiner Hedtrich and Frank Bertschy, Insamcor is an established manufacturing and trading company with a solid reputation in the valve industry.
It is a South African manufacturer of knife gate valves for mining, water treatment, and for the pulp and paper, and sugar industries.
The company’s bidirectional slurry knife gate valve was developed specifically for minerals processing industry applications, which require a clear, unrestricted flow with no pockets to attract sediment.
Insamcor, based in Sebenza, in Gauteng province, has redesigned this complete product range to incorporate a combined stuffing box and a transverse seal arrangement. The result is a robust product of high quality, delivering advanced levels of functionality and ease of maintenance.
DFC’s plans for Insamcor include the continued operation of its existing factory, which will focus on the manufacture of knife gate valves.
Insamcor’s diaphragm valve requirement will be met by DFC’s Benoni works, while DFC will move one of its powder-coating facilities over to Sebenza.
The marketing and administrative functions of subsidiary company, DFC Mining, will also move to Insamcor’s offices.
Sales teams from the two companies will remain intact and independent, but will coordinate a wider and more frequent coverage of the target markets to provide customers with an improved and more convenient service.
“There are huge synergies between DFC Mining and Insamcor,” Smith enthuses. He adds, “Just two examples are castings, where our combined supply will be streamlined, and the increased requirements for stainless steel, which will enhance our bargaining power.”
DFC’s purchase of Insamcor is the latest in a series of strategic moves aimed at keeping DFC at the forefront of the world’s valve manufacturers.
Last year, the company recommissioned its Saunders factory after an extensive R26-million overhaul, upgrade and expansion programme that now provides shortened lead times and improved due date performance.