A factory at the cutting edge of innovation
Manufacturing such a high quality slide gate requires employing tools and processes which are at the cutting edge of technology. At Fontaine-Aquanox we use many state-of-the-art manufacturing processes to produce a fabricated slide gate of the highest quality. The entire slide gate is manufactured under the same roof, no outsourcing. This permits the process to flow with continuity and precision and the result is a finished product which is the envy of the industry.
Exceptional quality thanks to robotization
The cornerstone of Lean Manufacturing is the optimization of processes in the factory. Nothing says "optimization" better than Robotics. In 2019 Fontaine-Aquanox became the first manufacturer in our industry to employ a welding robot in the process to produce our highly regarded fabricated stainless steel gates. The quality of the welds produced by the robot are impressive and the speed at which the robot can produce these welds is phenomenal. The end result is a higher quality finished product for our valued customers and an increase in our capacity to fabricate at Fontaine-Aquanox.
Aquanox Advantages
The Lowest Leakage Rate in the Industry
One of the key metrics to measure the advantages of using such state-of-the-art manufacturing processes is Allowable Leakage. The AWWA C-561 Standard stipulates slide gates leakage must not exceed 0.10 gal/minute/foot (1.25 l/min/m) of seating perimeter under design head pressure. Fontaine-Aquanox will guarantee less than 1/2 of that value or 0.04 gal/min./foot (0.5 l/min/m) of seating perimeter (40% of the AWWA Standard!). Again, we trace this success back to our stringent and precise manufacturing processes. As Standard practice, Fontaine-Aquanox factory tests all of our submerged, four side sealing slide gates in our factory prior to shipment to ensure they exceed even our own guaranteed leakage values. A test report is available for each tested gate and can be supplied to the contractor or owner/engineer.
Engineering Innovation Leads to High Efficiency
At Fontaine-Aquanox we consider fabricated stainless steel slide gates as "Engineered Products". It's very rare that any two slide gates are the same. They differ in size, configuration, strength (as it relates to head pressure), materials of construction, etc, Therefore, it is imperitive that each gate is properly engineered based on industry standards to perform as required within industry determined factors of safety. Our highly skilled team of engineers and draftspeople take pride in offering a submittal package for each gate selection that is precise and complete. We have developed (in-house) software to assist in the production of these drawings with accute accuracy and speedy delivery.
Contact us for more information
At Fontaine-Aquanox we are always available to help you with your design or installation questions . Please don't hesitate to reach out to us for more information any time. We're here to help!