THERE is no doubt the trades are stronger when women are part of them and for Challenger Valve and Actuator’s valve assembler, Kayla DiBella, that is certainly the case.
Specialising in automatic control valve assembly and testing, Kayla works as the sole female team member on the production floor at CVA. Her role involves the complex modification and testing of high-performance, high-tech valves designed to regulate water flow, pressure, or liquid levels in pipelines without the need for external power.
Sizing of the Cla-Val Valves can range from as small as 25mm all the way up to 1400mm in diameter. These control valves require precision and technical expertise.
“I manage the Cla –Val control valve department. The valve bodies are sourced from overseas, mostly New Zealand and Canada, before being fully assembled onsite.
“I assemble all the functions required by each customer onto the valve bodies. Some of these commonly include pressure reducing, pressure relief or sustaining, and solenoid control. Once assembled, I test the units before they’re sent out to customers,” she said.
While Kayla’s work is highly technical, it’s a niche role that she genuinely enjoys, working in a small team from detailed instructions provided by the sales team, adapting each build to specific customer requirements.
Developing her skills through hands on mentoring from Internal Sales Manager Daniel Aitken and collaboration with her team, Kayla said the support she has received has been instrumental in developing her unique and highly specialised skillset, enabling her to become an integral part of the CVA team.
