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Bring up the subject of reconditioned dispense gas reducing valves and most UK brewers will mention one name—Richard Llewellyn Brewery Services—now known as RLBS Ltd since its founder sold the business to the Samuel Hodge Group and the company merged with its sister dispense equipment company Teknequip. Since the sale in 2002 and merger in 2004, RLBS has continued to apply the same high standards that Richard Llewellyn established back in 1978, standards which have ensured the company's continued success as the only reconditioner authorised by all the major UK manufacturers of CO2 and mixed gas reducing valves. So far an estimated one million valves have gone through the very thorough RLBS reconditioning process.

 

Richard Llewellyn started the valve reconditioning business in 1978, after 10 years in the brewing industry as Cellar Services Manager of Border Breweries. He saw an opportunity to branch out on his own when the brewing industry's first Code of Practice for Safety was introduced in 1974. Based upon the Health and Safety at Work Act this required improved safely practice when operating pressure systems in licensed premises. For example, each primary CO2 reducing valve had to be fitted with two safety relief devices instead of one and each had to be withdrawn from service every five years to undergo an inspection and testing. Richard saw a requirement for a high quality repair and reconditioning service for CO2, reducing valves and, thus RLBS was born.
It quickly achieved authorisation from the two main UK valve suppliers, Norgren and Redditch Controls (now Cornelius). Later, with the advent of mixed gases (CO2 +N2,) RLBS extended its expertise to reconditioning mixed gas reducing valves, as well as CO2 ones. Typically a CO2 reducing valve will drop the pressure from 800 psi to 35 psi in the ring main, while a mixed gas valve reduces pressure in a full cylinder from 3,000 psi to 45 psi in the ring main.

After 24 years of successful trading—involving several moves of premises as the business grew in size—Richard Llewellyn decided to sell the company in 2002 and take semi-retirement, having reached the age of 60. He continues to work at RLBS, on a part time basis, as a technical sales consultant. That apart RLBS operates much as before, with the same skilled workforce that Richard employed. The day-to-day task of running RLBS has been passed on to general manager Paul Cox and sales and marketing manager Michael Humphrey, who both hail from the Teknequip side of the business. Appropriately, Paul has a background in precision engineering while Michael is well known throughout the trade, having worked on the sales and technical side of cellar services for some 35 years.
Today RLBS remains the un doubted leading UK reconditioner of reducing valves, handling the products of IMI Norgren, IMI Cornelius, GCE, Micro Matic, GasArc and DSI—all with the approval of the manufacturers. In addition, by using its technical expertise gained in reconditioning gas valves, RLBS can offer the same high quality of service in reconditioning all styles of keg coupler. For example it is an approved reconditioner of Micro Matic couplers. An important and unique feature feature of the business is that customers are provided with a written "Reconditioning Specification" for their valves. Additionally—and just as important—RLBS is the only UK company to have established a procedure for re-testing safety valves and keeping appropriate records of the tests.
Under its new ownership, RLBS is proud to maintain the highest technical standards for which it has become renowned and to continue to provide a personal service tailored to customers' requirements. In the ever-changing world of beer dispense it is important to remain adaptable and RLBS believes it has the flexibility to meet any client specification. For example, it can reconfigure its normal full specification for reconditioning valves (see Table opposite) to suit individual requirements.
In this way the company continues to build a customer base that now includes almost every brewer in England, Scotland and Wales. For example, it reconditions all the reducing valves supplied to Scottish & Newcastle UK and Carlsberg UK through InnServe.
RLBS emphasises that all spares fitted internally during reconditioning are obtained from the original manufacturer and sell all procedures comply with the standards and requirements set out in the BBPA and NASDM Codes of Practice for the dispense of beer and soft drinks in licensed premises by pressure systems.
For the future RLBS intends to continue its market leadership in supplying and reconditioning both primary and secondary CO2 and mixed gas reducing valves for the brewing and soft drinks industries. Backed by the authorisation of leading manufacturers, RLBS has one simple message: "Why risk using unauthorised, alternative suppliers for a product where exacting technical expertise and high quality service are paramount, particularly where adherence to Health & Safety disciplines is essential?"
Ben Rickards of IMI Norgren is certainly impressed with the RLBS quality of service: "RLBS have repaired Norgren regulators for the past 28 years, seeking and following instructions through the changing COP to return a product 'as new’ every time.

 

• (Left) Finished valves ready for despatch from the 9,000 ft2 RLBS factory. This is divided into several workshops devoted to particular jobs in the reconditioning process and/or particular types of valve. The valves come into the factory unsorted (see photo below left), so the first job is to segregate them. From this assortment of used valves the end product that emerges after reconditioning (for example the Norgren unit, below right looks—and more importantly works—as new.
RLBS's full specification for reconditioning Norgren and
Cornelius reducing valves
1. All reducing valves are fully stripped. Used cartridges, valve assemblies, diaphragms, seals, gaskets, colour-code tags and ID discs are scrapped.
2. Adjuster screws, lock-nuts, cover screws, control springs, thrust plates, slip rings and Cornelius mounting brackets are re zinc plated.
3. All bonnets and Norgren mounting brackets are stripped, sand blasted and recoated with epoxy powder in the appropriate original colours.
4. Brass bodies are cleaned ultrasonically.
5. Norgren V05 relief valves are separated from bodies and tested for correct seat lift re-seal and flow. Cornelius safety valves are dismantled, re-assembled and re-set using new components. In both cases faulty units are scrapped; those working correctly are re-fitted. Performance records are kept of re-tested V05s.
6. High pressure hoses undergo visual examination and those in good condition are re-fitted and the rest scrapped. Those refitted are subjected to full cylinder pressure testing during final test.
7. Reducing valves are re-assembled with:
• New cartridges (Norgren) or valve assemblies (Cornelius) and new diaphragms, plus new seals and gaskets.
•New or re-tested safety valves (Norgren), or re-built safety valves (Cornelius).
• New (or re-tested) pressure gauges, where applicable.
• New (or good, re-used) high pressure hoses.
• Re-zinced screws, lock-nuts, springs, thrust plates and slip rings.
• Re-coated bonnets/spring covers and mounting brackets.
8. All reducing valves are tested at full cylinder pressure (CO at 800 psi, mixed gas at 3000 psi). Test specifications are identical to those of the original manufacturer ensuring that: there are no leaks or creeping; pressure venting is correct; flow rates are correct; gauge accuracy is within prescribed limits; and the valve will set to zero, where appropriate.
9. For identification, reducing valves are fitted with a five-year "Re-Test" sticker and stamped with the month and year of recondition and the ID of the individual tester.
10. All spares fitted internally during reconditioning are obtained from the original manufacturer. All procedures comply with the standards and requirements set out in the BBPA and NASDM Codes of Practice for the dispense of beer and soft drinks in licensed premises by pressure systems.
Reliable quality in display and dispense
Since the merger with Teknequip, besides supplying reducing valves for gas ring mains down in the cellar, RLBS can also supply many of the dispense products up in the pub bar.
For example it is a major supplier of under-the-counter flow control valves fitted just before the dispense tap, in place of restrictor taps and restrictor pipe, to provide optimum dispense speeds without fobbing. These are precision engineered in BGA approved acetal co-polymer and are available in a variety of sizes. Adjustment can be by hand-operated knob or, to prevent tampering, with a 4 mm Allen Key.
RLBS is also able to offer a non return valve, with 5/16 in diameter tailpipe ports for in-line fixing and manufactured in a food grade acrylic, designed to prevent back flow with little pressure drop.
Above the bar counter, RLBS has a variety of dispense taps and display fonts for beer, cider, wine and soft drinks. These include straight T" Bars and swan neck pillars in polished brass, chrome and stainless steel, all round display fonts and bespoke displays in a variety of materials, finishes and lighting effects. RLBS also offer a full range of printed “T” Bar lenses and badges together with

branded tap levers and hand pump clips manufactured in a range of material and finishes to meet the requirements of tied and free trade.
Dispense taps available from RLBS can be manufactured in stainless steel or plastic with branded or plain levers or with a side action.
The company also manufacturers a creamer tap that pours when pulled forward and lays a tight creamy head on the beer when the tap lever is pushed back. This gives the bar staff consistent control over the tight head size which lasts longer with less product wastage. This also is available in both plastic and stainless steel.
RLBS has two divisions, manufacturer of dispense equipment for bar and the only authorised reconditioner of CO2 and mixed gas reducing valves for all of the major UK manufacturers, RLBS are undoubtedly the leaders in their market. All valves have to be reconditioned and tested every five years to ensure safe and accurate working conditions. RLBS also design and manufacturers of drink dispensing equipment in bar environments, manufacturers of T' bars to wine and soft drink dispensers from stainless steel to plastic, with a full range of lenses for product identification and under the counter flow control valves. The 9,000 ft2 RLBS factory is divided into several workshops to allow each to be devoted to a certain process or type of valve, to ensure that an efficient high quality product turnaround can be achieved.
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