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An industrial ball valve is a form of valve designed to control onrushing fluids or gases by means of a pivoting perforated sphere. Inlet and outlet are established when the ball is rotated through 90 degrees. These valves are very durable; they can hold up to very high pressures and temperatures with minimal wear and tear issues because they close tightly even after long periods of disuse. Also, they have greater resistance to infected materials compared to other types of valves.
Common ball valve types:
Standard Ball Valve (threaded)
Standard ball valves consist of a housing, seats, balls, and manual lever. The number of ports may be two, three, or four. The ends are female threaded or male threaded or a combination of both. The most commonly used ball valves are the threaded type. There are many different types of this kind of valve; mini ball valves, angled ball valves, ISO-top ball valves, and others such as those approved for specific media or applications including integrated strainer or bleed point valves. This makes them have a very big option field and to be applied under various pressures and temperatures.
Hydraulic Ball Valve
Hydraulic ball valves are designed for use in hydraulic and heating systems because of their high resistance to high operating pressures in addition to being impervious to hydraulic and heating oils. These valves are made of steel or stainless steel. In this regard, the seats of hydraulic valves are also very important for high operating pressures. These seats are made from POM, ideal for high-pressure applications and low temperatures. The hydraulic ball valves can handle minimum pressures of up to 500 bars, while the maximum temperature it can handle reaches up to 80°C.
Flanged Ball Valve
It is referred to as flanged because of its mode of connection. The openings are flanged and hence are easy to connect to a piping system. The standard is just regular, and these valves allow very high flow rate because they have wide opening design. When choosing a flanged ball valve, besides the pressure rating also consider the flange compression class. This indicates the maximum pressure that can be handled by this type of connection. Factors for these ball valves include coming in two, three or four port designs; they can be approved for specific substances; having an ISO-top; and being what would otherwise be considered a standard quarter turn valve. They typically are made from stainless steel, steel, or cast iron materials.
Vented Ball Valves
The design of vented ball valves makes them appear very much like standard 2-way ball valves. However, the key difference is that when in the closed position, the outlet port does not just stop-flow but also releases pressure to the surroundings. This is achieved by a small hole drilled in both the ball and valve body to realize this when shut, these holes align with the outlet port allowing pressure to escape. This feature is especially useful in compressed air systems for setting a safe working environment by reducing pressure. While looking like 2-way ball valves at first sight, these are actually 3/2-way because of that small venting borehole.
Forged ball valves
Ball valves can be either forged or manufactured. Forged ball valves are created by taking solid metals through the extensive application of heat or large machinery tools that cause a deformation process to make them take the shape of a valve. They are best suited for industrial use in very brutal conditions, which means high temperatures and high pressures. Materials such as stainless steel and brass can be used in the construction. In the manufacturing process, the metal is heated, compressed, bent, and shaped by the action of a die forging machine.
The die shapes the metal while being pressed by the machine into the desired form. In bigger ball valves, maybe different components need to be welded. Also, valve components may be given special coatings based on specific requirements.
Ball Design:
The "floating ball design" is the most widely used design for ball valves. In it, the ball is suspended within the media and held by two sealing rings. A trunnion ball design is used in some high-quality valves. In this design, the ball is supported both at the top and at the bottom, hence decreasing the load on the valve seats.
Floating: The majority of ball valves employ a floating ball design. In this design, the ball is supported by the valve seats.
Trunnion: Valves that have larger diameters and operate at higher pressures (such as those with a diameter greater than 100mm and operating at 30 bar) often utilize a trunnion design. In this design, the ball is supported at both the top and bottom to help alleviate the load on the seat rings. Additionally, trunnion valves generally require less operating torque. The hole within the ball can have various profiles, including a full bore, reduced bore, or V-shaped.
Smaller Opening: The majority of ball valves have a smaller opening. Consequently, these valves cause some friction losses in the system. However, these losses are still relatively minor compared to other valve types. One-piece ball valves typically have a smaller opening.
Larger Opening: Full bore valves have the same opening diameter as the pipe. The benefit is that there are no additional friction losses, and the system is easier to clean mechanically (pigging). The drawback is that the ball and housing are larger than a standard smaller opening quarter-turn valve. Consequently, the cost is slightly higher, and for many applications, this is unnecessary. They are also known as full port ball valves.
V-shaped: The hole in the ball or valve seat has a profile shaped like a 'V'. As a result, the desired flow rate can be more precisely controlled by rotating the ball. By optimizing the profile, a linear flow characteristic can be achieved.
Ball Valve Housing Materials
In the construction industry, brass, stainless steel, and PVC are the most widespread materials for housing. Balls are generally made of chrome plated steel, chrome plated brass, stainless steel, or PVC. The seats that hold the ball in places where it seals tightly are usually made of Teflon. They can also be made of other synthetic materials or metals. Information regarding the chemical resistances is available in this guide.
Brass Ball Valves
Among ball valves, those made of brass are the most popular and in great demand. Brass is a copper-zinc alloy with good mechanical properties. These valves can be used for a wide range of applications with different fluids like water, gas, oil, air, and others. However, it should be noted that chloride solutions (such as seawater) or demineralized water can lead to dezincification. Dezincification is a type of corrosion that attacks the zinc content in the alloy, leaving behind a porous structure with greatly reduced mechanical properties. Therefore for an air ball valve, a brass housing would be perfect. Please view our product catalog for manual 2-way or 3-way brass ball valves.
Stainless Steel Ball Valve
Stainless steel is used in aggressive environments and for corrosive media that can cause corrosion. It can also be found in seawater, swimming pools, osmosis installations, higher temperatures, and various chemicals. About 90% of all stainless steel produced is austenitic. The most frequently used grades are Type 304 and Type 316. The second of these offers much better resistance to corrosion than the first. Type 304 has the nominal composition of 18% chromium plus an 8% nickel balance and is known as 18/8. On the other hand, nominal Type 316 has a composition of 18% chromium with a 10% nickel balance and is labeled as being '18/10.' An important consideration regarding stainless steel valves would be that they generally require more torque for operation when compared to something like brass or PVC material valves. This would be important to remember when electric or pneumatic actuator was being installed on it
