Several problems, including the sale of remanufactured and poor-quality valves, plague the industrial valve industry. These issues put engineering safety at serious risk and may result in excessive downtime and accidents.
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Therefore, industrial valve purchases must be well thought out to guarantee dependable and secure operations. This article lists six crucial variables to consider when buying valves for industrial applications.
The Use of the Valve Place and Purpose
Verifying a valve's precise usage and environment before purchasing is essential. Valves can be used to regulate pressure, control flow, or isolate equipment, among other things.
Understanding the valve's intended application aids in choosing the right type, size, and design to satisfy operational requirements successfully.
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Valve General Requirements
It is crucial to consider the general criteria particular to the application while buying valves. This involves evaluating the valve's operating circumstances, including pressure and temperature ranges, the type of media being handled (liquids, gases, or slurries), and any unique environmental concerns.
Understanding these elements ensures the selected valve can endure the circumstances and work at its best. The following are some general guidelines for valves that you should remember:
Valve Type
Choose the type of valve best for your application. Ball, gate, globe, butterfly, and check valves are common valve types. Each variety has unique qualities and is suitable for various uses.
Valve Size
Specify the suitable valve size based on your system's flow rate and pipe dimensions. Valves come in various sizes, usually in inches or millimeters.
Pressure Rating
Consider the operating pressure in your system when choosing a valve, and select one with a pressure rating that is higher than or equal to the needed pressure. In most cases, pressure ratings are given in pounds per square inch (psi) or bars.
Temperature Range
Consider the range of temperatures across which the valve will function and select a valve that can withstand those conditions. Different substances and building techniques are appropriate for various temperature ranges.
Valve Material Compatibility
Check the valve's material to ensure it is compatible with the liquid or gas passing through it. Different substances, such as PVC, brass, bronze, or stainless steel, offer differing corrosion resistance and compatibility with various media.
Flow Characteristics
Consider your system's flow requirements when choosing a valve, such as whether you need one that can turn on and off or throttle and regulate flow. Specific flow control applications suit some valves better than others.
End Connections
Choose the appropriate end connections for your piping system. Fittings that are threaded, flanged, welded, or compressed are examples of common types. Verify that the valve's end connections meet the needs of your system.
Operation and Actuation
Consider if you need a manually operated valve or one that can be automated using actuators or control systems for operation and actuators. Applications requiring frequent operation, precision, or remote control are good candidates for actuated valves.
Compliance & Standards
Depending on your application's demands, ensure the valve complies with pertinent industry standards like ANSI, API, ISO, or particular certifications like NSF, UL, or ATEX.
Maintenance & Service
Consider the ease of maintenance, the accessibility of replacement parts, and the reputation of the supplier or manufacturer for technical assistance and post-purchase support.
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6 Factors That Should Be Considered When Purchasing Valves
1. Valve Material Requirements
In industrial settings, various corrosive, erosive, and abrasive chemicals are exposed to valves. The material requirements for the valve shell and its internal components must be examined.
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The material selection should be appropriate for handling the media to avoid early wear, leakage, or failure. When choosing the valve, chemical compatibility, thermal resistance, and mechanical strength should be carefully considered.
2. Compliance with Safety Standards and Pipeline Regulations
In terms of industrial applications, safety comes first and foremost. Confirming that the valves being purchased adhere to the necessary safety requirements and pipeline laws is crucial.
Following these guidelines ensures a safe and legal working environment by reducing the possibility of leaks, equipment breakdowns, and potential hazards.
3. Valve Performance and Packaging/Transportation Requirements
Based on the application's needs, it is crucial to determine the performance criteria for valves, including sealing performance and leakage rates.
To safeguard the valves during shipping and handling, consideration should also be paid to the packing and transportation requirements. Protective coatings can be required to prevent corrosion if the valves are exposed to hostile environments.
4. Quality Testing of the Valve
It is crucial to confirm the quality of the valves through meticulous testing to guarantee their dependability and longevity. It also entails determining if the valves adhere to the necessary design specifications.
Ball valves, for instance, must follow API6D, while butterfly valves must follow API609. Quality testing should cover various topics, including material integrity, dimensional accuracy, and functional performance, to ensure the valves satisfy the necessary criteria.
5. Valve performance requirements and packaging and transportation requirements
It's essential to consider the performance specifications of valves before buying them and to ensure they adhere to established industry standards. Sealing performance requirements and protective coating needs are two important things to consider.
Performance Requirements for Sealing: Valves must adhere to strict sealing regulations to ensure operating effectiveness and prevent leaks. To suit the unique requirements of your application, factors including sealing grade and sealing leakage should be carefully examined.
6. Quality testing of the valve
It is essential to conduct quality testing on valves to guarantee their dependability and efficiency. Valve makers frequently conduct extensive testing processes to ascertain whether the valves adhere to the design criteria.
API6D for ball valves and API609 for butterfly valves are a few examples of design standards that are frequently utilized.
Final Words
Several things must be considered when buying valves for industrial applications to guarantee dependable and secure operations. Engineers and procurement experts can make well-informed selections and choose valves that best meet their unique application needs by carefully assessing the use, general requirements, material compatibility, safety regulations, performance criteria, and quality testing.
Dombor: Your Trusted Valve Solution Supplier
Dombor is a reputable supplier that offers a one-stop purchasing solution for industrial valves. We ensure that customers can discover the ideal valves for their particular applications by offering various valves created to fulfill the needs of various industries. Dombor offers pre-sale consulting services to help customers choose the best valves for their needs while providing invaluable technical advice.
Figure 1: A sectional view of a ball valve
A ball valve is a shut-off valve that uses a rotary ball with a bore to control a liquid or gas flow. The rotary ball is rotated a quarter-turn (90°) around its axis to allow or block the flow through the valve. These valves are mostly preferred for their longer service life and reliable sealing property. There are many options available in the market when it comes to the selection of ball valves. However, the wide range of operation, connection type, circuit function, housing material, and many other criteria make the valve selection process complex. This article will walk you through the ball valve selection process.
Ball valve online selection!
The ball valve can be operated manually, electrically, or pneumatically. Different actuation methods all have their advantages and disadvantages.
Manual: You should select a manual ball valve if you have a low budget, no electricity/compressed air at installation, or if no automation is needed. If the ball valve needs to be turned on/off frequently or the system needs to be automated, a manual ball valve should not be used.
Automatic: Deciding between an electric ball valve and a pneumatic ball valve can be difficult. It typically comes down to what is available at the installation site (electricity or compressed air) and the torque needed (pneumatic ball valves have a higher torque, pneumatics are therefore used for larger sized valves). Electric ball valves have a higher initial cost but lower operating cost compared to pneumatic ball valves. For a more in-depth breakdown, read our electric vs pneumatic ball valve article.
Ball valves may have 2-way, 3-way, 4-way, or 5-way circuit functions based on the number of ports.
Read our article on the circuit function of ball valves to learn more about this topic.
The housing material of the valve should be compatible with the fluid media being used for the application. Common materials and their features are:
Ball valves have two seals. Seat rings, which are around the ball on the inlet and outlet, and an o-ring to seal the stem. Typically, the seat rings are made of PTFE. For both seals, the seal material should be compatible with the fluid media being used for the application. Common materials and their features are:
There are different sizes and types of ball valve connections to connect them to a system. The common ones are:
To learn more about ball valve connection types read our technical article about ball valve connection types.
The flow coefficient, or Kv value, is expressed as the flow rate in m3/h of water at 20°C at a pressure drop of 1 bar. The flow coefficient can be calculated as follows:
Use our sizing calculator to find the Kv-value and the corresponding valve size for your application. All of our valves are designated with a Kv value and so you can easily select the right valve size.
Make sure the ball valve can withstand the minimum and maximum pressures in the system. The material of the housing helps determine the pressure range of a ball valve. For maximum pressure, stainless steel usually has the highest rating, followed by brass and then PVC housings. It is important to review your ball valves data sheet to confirm the appropriate pressure range.
Ensure that the valve material can withstand the maximum and minimum temperature requirement of your operation. The housing and seal material typically determine the temperature range of a ball valve. Common ranges are below, but review your ball valve's datasheet to confirm.
Depending on the application, ball valves may need to be made to certain standards or receive approvals from regulatory bodies to be used with certain applications, like drinking water or gas applications
One of the most common ball valve applications is for a residential water line. We walk through our selection process for this ball valve based on the steps outlined above.
Ball valve online selection!
For more information, please visit High Pressure Flanged Ball Valves.