Ball valves are used to control the flow of gas and liquids within all kinds of processes and systems. Despite their ubiquity, selecting the correct ball valve for the job in hand is vital but often confusing.
Making sure you know exactly what you need the valve to do is the first step in choosing the correct industrial valves. Knowing the requirements of the valve makes their selection far more simple. As UK manufacturing is growing in such a manner that it is expected to be the 5th biggest manufacturer by 2021, growth in the need for such valves is almost inevitable.
Size and type of valve
There are a number of different functions of a valve, including to shut off, divert or mix flow, or reduce pressure within a system. Once you know the function of the valve within your system, selecting the right type of valve is straightforward. Ensuring that the valve is the correct size to meet the flow requirements is a vital step here also.
What is the valve made of?
Now that we know the type and size of the valve, it is vital to consider what the valve is made from as industrial valves are made from all manner of materials, and it is important to select a material for your valves that will not react in any way with the products flowing through. If the valve is due to have corrosive chemicals passing through, plastic is likely to resist corrosion more than metal.
Level of performance
Valves are rated to run under certain pressure and temperature levels. Knowing the pressure of your system as well as the temperature at which it will run will help you know which materials and valves will work best. Metal valves withstand extremes of pressure and temperature better than those made of plastic. This is due to them being generally stronger than plastic valves.
Is your valve normally open or closed?
Some valves are designed to be normally open, whilst others are designed to be normally closed. Selecting the correct type of valve for the job is vital to ensuring that your system works at the optimum level.
Figuring out the answers to these questions will help you select the most appropriate valves for each point within your system.