Tank Inlet Valves

The tank needs an inlet valve to control the flow of cleaning materials like acids or alkalis. The sanitary pneumatic diaphragm valve is applied in most instances. It contains no dead ends and is easy to clean. The valve may be automatically controlled for accurate operation. A water supply valve is also needed. It provides water to the tank and adds dilution water. A sanitary ball valve or diaphragm valve would be a good choice here. It has to be of drinking water quality construction. A filter is recommended for barring impurities.

Outlet and Recirculation Valves

There must be an outlet valve at the bottom of the tank. It provides water to the transfer pump and controls the cleaning solution supply to the CIP system. Sanitary butterfly or diaphragm valves may be employed. They do not present any obstruction in the free flow and also do not permit liquid to get trapped inside the valve. A return valve has to be employed. It receives liquid returned from the cleaning circuit. Such a valve is usually pneumatically controlled. It allows automatic acceptance and transfer of returning liquid.

Safety Valves

A breather valve needs to be fitted on the top of the tank. It equalizes pressure inside and outside the tank. This eliminates vacuum or over-pressure conditions. It also purges particles from the air. A drain valve is necessary at the bottommost section of the tank. It is used to drain residual liquid or purge sediments. A sanitary valve quick-open type is best for easy use. An overflow valve is also necessary. It prevents filling the tank to excess. This valve typically comes with a level sensor. It automatically drains or alarms if the level is too high.

Control and Monitoring Valves

The level control valve is controlled with a level gauge. It regulates liquid input automatically or closes flow to keep the tank level stable. If heating, a temperature control valve needs to be installed on the hot water or steam line. It uses PID control to maintain the set temperature. Sample valve is another essential part. It is installed on the side or at the bottom of the tank. It is used for sampling for quality inspection. Choose a sanitary sample valve that has good sealing and operation ease.

Points to Consider When Selecting Valves

Valve material must be 316L stainless steel. The inner surface must be polished to Ra≤0.8µm. It must meet sanitary standards like FDA and EHEDG. Valves must not have dead ends and must allow full drainage. They must allow CIP and SIP cleaning. The sealing material must withstand chemicals and high temperatures. EPDM or PTFE are common choices. For operation, pneumatic or electric actuation is suitable. This allows automation and reduces labor.

In conclusion

Valve selection for a sanitary CIP tank is a thoughtful process. Function, safety, and cleanliness have to be addressed. Properly selected valves increase cleaning effectiveness and prolong equipment life. It is prudent to design the valve arrangement according to process requirements. Employ automated controls when feasible. Proper maintenance is also important to maintain system operability.

The post Which Sanitary Valves Need to Be Installed on a CIP Cleaning Solution Storage Tank? appeared first on Adamant Valves.

Why a Sanitary Valve Could Leak and How To Repair It

Leaks usually happen at the seal or connection points. One of the common reasons is that the seal wears off. It may be due to continuous use or because fluids are corrosive in nature. The solution is to replace the seal. Use wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials. EPDM or PTFE are some examples. Inspect the seals regularly too.

Loose bolts are another reason. If the bolts are loose, the valve may leak. Tighten the bolts evenly. Criss-cross pattern tightening. Check if the gasket is in good shape.

Sometimes, the internal components or valve body is damaged. This is possible if the fluid has solid particles in it. Or if the pressure was just too high. To fix this, clear out the pipe and get dirt out of it. Repair or replace any damaged parts. You may need a more durable material valve.

If pressure or temperature is too high, the valve leaks. Make sure to operate the valve within its capacity. If needed, apply a higher pressure or heat capacity valve.

Why a Sanitary Valve Gets Stuck and How to Fix It

The stuck valve can’t be opened or closed. Often, this is caused by restriction in the valve. Sugar or protein-containing liquids can deposit. The valve has to be cleaned regularly. Clean with CIP cleaning or remove the valve and clean. Some valves have in-built self-cleaning properties.

Rust or lack of lubrication also causes sticking. Add food-grade lubricant to moving parts. For stainless steel valves, the protective coating needs regular inspections.

Sometimes, dirt or shavings of metal clog the valve. Or the inner part may be bent. Take apart the valve and remove the dirt. If a part is bent, replace the part.

If the valve is electric or air power driven, inspect the source of power. Verify that the voltage or air pressure is stable. If the actuator is broken, repair it with a professional.

Prevention is less expensive than repair. Keep the valves in good condition by cleaning and lubricating them on a regular basis. Document valve conditions.

Choose the appropriate valve for the application. Take into account the type of fluid, temperature, and pressure.

Well train the operators. They need to know how the valve operates. They shouldn’t open or close the valve too fast or too hard.

If it is a complex problem, call a professional. Don’t fix it yourself.

In Summary

Sanitary valves need proper maintenance. Simple precautions will prevent leaks and sticking. This will keep the system running smoothly and safely. For further information, please contact Adamant Valves.

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4 Core Requirements for Bio-Pharmaceutical Sanitary Valves

1. Aseptic Design

Sanitary valves must be free of dead legs. The flow path inside must be smooth and continuous with no gaps, pits, or areas of stagnation. There are to be no blind areas where cleaning and sterilizing agents cannot reach the contact areas with the product. This avoids cross-contamination, microbial infection, and the development of residue. Valves are typically installed at a 2° to 5° angle to drain liquid off the valve body and piping entirely under gravity.

2. High Surface Finish

Roughness of the inner surface directly affects cleaning efficiency. It is easy for impurities to get trapped in rough surfaces. Therefore, all product-contact surfaces must be highly polished.

3. Corrosion-Resistant Materials

Biopharmaceutical processes contain corrosive liquids and gases quite frequently. Due to that, sanitary valves are typically made from corrosion-resistant materials such as 316L stainless steel, PTFE, or titanium alloys. Of course, these materials must be non-toxic and safe as well.

4. Aseptic Sealing

Valves must provide absolutely reliable sealing. They must exclude both internal and external leakage when in the closed position. This avoids fluid mixing or external contamination. Valve design should be aseptically connectable and easily disassembled, e.g., clamp-type connections (e.g., Tri-Clamp) instead of threaded ones.

Main Types of Sanitary Valves for Biopharmaceuticals

As per the needs of different biopharmaceutical processes, sanitary valves are of different kinds. Some common ones include diaphragm valves, ball valves, butterfly valves, and control valves.

• Sanitary diaphragm valves are widely used for the regulation of corrosive fluids as they seal well and are corrosion-resistant.
• Sanitary ball valves have a simple design and fast action and are therefore appropriate for high-frequency switching.
• Sanitary butterfly valves are compact, light, and easy to operate, appropriate for certain fluid control operations.
• Sanitary control valves allow precise adjustment of pressure and fluid flow, ensuring stable production processes.

Conclusion

With the advancement of biopharmaceutical technology, the specifications for valve performance will be even higher. Valves will become more precise, resistant to corrosion, and easier to clean and maintain in the future.

The post What are the Requirements for Bio-Pharmaceutical Sanitary Valves? appeared first on Adamant Valves.

By the phrase “regular butterfly valve,” we’re typically talking about manual butterfly valves. These are completely reliant on manual labor to operate. You will have a hand lever or a wheel. Someone has to be around in order to turn it by hand to open or close the valve. They’re cost-effective, reliable, and perfect for easy shut-off applications where you don’t need to use them very often, like maintenance

Conversely, a pneumatic butterfly valve is like having a manual valve and giving it muscles—a pneumatic actuator, that is. Instead of using human effort, it is powered by compressed air. When the control room sends an electric signal, a solenoid valve governs compressed air into the actuator, which rapidly rotates the valve disc.

This change in the mode of powering the valve has some real benefits:

• Automation and remote control: A big one. Pneumatic valves can simply be added to PLC or DCS systems. So you operate them remotely—automate processes en masse. Click a mouse in the control room to operate hundreds of valves plant-wide.
• Speed and efficiency: Since frequent switching or quick shut-off is needed, pneumatics are much faster than manual action. They can be opened or closed within seconds. This increases efficiency and renders operations safe.
• Greater power: In large pipes or high-pressure situations, it may be hard—or impossible—for a person to operate a manual valve. Pneumatic actuators deliver firm, consistent torque and endure brutal conditions without difficulty.
• Safety and flexibility: Pneumatic valves can be installed in hard-to-reach areas, too hot to touch, or where there are hazardous substances. That makes them a good choice for tough environments.

True, pneumatic valves do need extra equipment—such as an air compressor for energy and wiring for control signals. That’s more expensive upfront than manual valves.

So how do you choose? It’s relatively easy. If you just need a simple valve that will only be used occasionally, a manual valve is convenient and cheap. But if your use involves automation, remote control, high usage, or safety interlocking, then a pneumatic valve is the way to go. The benefits of increased efficiency and safety are definitely worth the expenditure.

We don’t just provide superior manual and pneumatic butterfly valves at Adamant Valves—we also help you choose the right solution based on your automation and process needs. We are even able to provide the matched pneumatic actuators and accessories. Our technical engineers are always ready to consult you.

The post What’s the Difference between Pneumatic Butterfly Valves and Regular Ones? appeared first on Adamant Valves.

Sanitary ball valves, also called hygienic ball valves are opened by turning handles attached to balls inside the valves.

Adamant valves can supply valve body and disc materials such as AISI 304 or AISI 316L, 304L, and 316 materials according to your requests. This hygienic ball valve is suitable for dairy, food, beer, beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and other industrial areas.

Adamant valves sanitary ball valves are made of high-quality stainless steel, which can meet the special requirements of various media in the food and biopharmaceutical fields. The smooth, seamless, and automatic emptying of handicrafts is also very suitable for steam cleaning.

Reference: What is a Sanitary Valve?

How does it work?

Sanitary ball valves can be opened by turning handles attached to balls inside the valves. The valve body is a ball, the ball has a hole or port through the middle. When the port is in line with both ends of the valve, the flow will occur.

When the valve is closed, the hole is perpendicular to the ends of the valve, and flow is blocked. A ball valve is durable and suitable to achieve perfect shutoff and flow control purposes even after years of disuse.

What are the types of sanitary ball valves?

Ball valve classification according to the assembly structure, can be divided into three commonly used designs: one-piece, two-piece, and three-piece housings. The difference is how the ball valve is assembled:

One-piece —The valve parts are pressed or welded. The diameter of the ball is slightly smaller than that of the pipe. The valves can not be opened for cleaning or maintenance.

Two-piece — Two-piece ball valve is composed of two parts, the sealing effect is better than a one-piece ball valve, the diameter of the ball and pipe diameter of the same, and the one-piece ball valve is easy to remove. Usually, the parts are connected via a threaded connection. The valve must be completely removed from the pipe in order to separate the two parts.

Three-piece — Three-piece ball valve is composed of three parts, a valve cover, and an intermediate valve body, the parts are generally clamped together by bolt connections, and it is easy to remove and maintain.

Ball valve classification is according to the hole of the ball, such as reduced bore, full bore, and V-shaped.

Reduced bore — Most ball valves have a reduced bore. One-piece ball valves are almost always reduced bore.

Full bore — Full bore valves have the same bore diameter as the pipe. The advantage is that there is no additional friction loss and the system is mechanically easier to clean. The disadvantage is that the ball and the housing are bigger than a standard ball valve with a reduced bore.

V-shaped — The hole in the ball or the valve seat has a “V” shaped profile, the required flow can be controlled more precisely by rotating the ball.

The post What is a Sanitary Ball Valve and How Does it Work？ appeared first on Adamant Valves.

For this wine, the process begins during the 4-week fermentation process where each tank of grapes is tasted twice a day. When this process comes to a close, samples are drawn from each tank and evaluated to decide if they are “blend worthy”.

Once the lots are selected, the wines are blended together in upright, 6,000-gallon oak crests. With these blends being drawn from as many as 30 different lots, it is critical to have the most reliable wine manufacturing process in place. For these reasons, the Three-Way Sanitary Ball Valve was chosen.

Adamant’s Three-Way Sanitary Ball Valves meet health and safety requirements for industries that require thorough cleanliness and the absence of contamination. This food-grade valve provides flow control for raw ingredients as well as finished products, making it ideal for the meticulous wine blending process. Adamant’s unique Three-Way Sanitary Ball Valve features a direct mount actuator pad and high cycle stem seal design, making it suitable for a wide range of process applications.

If you would like to learn more about Adamant’s Sanitary Valve options, please reach out to our sales team for assistance.

The post What is the Best 3 Way Sanitary Valve for Wine? appeared first on Adamant Valves.

Adamant sanitary provides sanitary 3-way ball valves with full bore or reduced bore design, in stainless steel 304 or 316L with different connection end.

Stainless steel sanitary 3-way ball valves are used in a wide variety of high-pressure applications.

The sanitary ball valve is compact and simple in design, and easy to maintain, with a full diameter from 1/2″ to 4″, and meet the stringent requirement of high-purity sanitary industries of Food, Brewery, Beverage, Dairy, Pharmaceutical, Biopharma, etc.

A full, unrestricted flow allows no product restrictions through the valve, allowing easy diversion. We offer three-way ball valves made of T316 (CF8M) stainless steel with PTFE seats that are easily removed.

Clamp and weld ends are standard. Other connections are available upon request. Ball valves meet 3A requirements. L-Port is standard, but T-Port is available upon request.

Stainless steel sanitary 3-way ball valves are used in a wide variety of high-pressure applications. A full, unrestricted flow allows no product restrictions through the valve, allowing easy diversion.

We offer three-way ball valves made of T316 (CF8M) stainless steel with PTFE seats that are easily removed. Clamp and weld ends are standard. Other connections are available upon request. Ball valves meet 3A requirements. L-Port is standard, but T-Port is available upon request.

The post What is a 3 Way Sanitary Ball Valve Used for? appeared first on Adamant Valves.

The ball valve is mainly used in pipelines to cut off, distribute and change the direction of media flow, and designed as a V-shaped opening ball valve also has a good flow regulation function.

Which ball valve is best?

One of the answers is Sanitary 3-way Ball Valves.

The main characteristics of Sanitary Ball Valves are its own compact structure, reliable sealing, simple structure, sealing surface and the spherical surface is often in a closed state, not easy to be eroded by the medium, easy to operate and maintain, suitable for water, beer, pharmaceuticals, and other sanitary working media, widely used in various industries.

Sanitary Ball Valve is a sphere, it is the ball around the center line of the valve body for rotation to achieve opening, or closing a valve. The pipeline is mainly used to cut off, distribute and change the flow direction of the medium.

Why are sanitary ball valves better?

1, small fluid resistance, the full diameter of the ball valve basically no flow resistance.
2, simple structure, small size, and lightweight.
3, good sealing, in a wide range of pressure and temperature, can achieve a complete seal.
4, easy to operate, can achieve rapid opening and closing, can be used in the automatic control system, easy to control from a distance.
5、The valve body is symmetrical and can well withstand the pressure from the pipeline.
6, easy to maintain, the ball valve structure is simple, the seal is generally movable, and easy to disassemble and replace.
7, long service life, in fully open and fully closed, the ball and seat sealing surface is isolated from the medium, so the high speed through the valve medium will not cause erosion of the sealing surface.

What are the specification sizes of sanitary Ball valves?

1、Nominal pressure or pressure level: PN1.0-32.0MPa, ANSICLASS150-900, JIS10-20K.

2、Nominal diameter or caliber: DN6～900, NPS1/4～36.

How do I know what size sanitary ball valve I need?

The larger the size of the bore, the better the flow rate so this is a good place to begin, especially if you are specifying a new assembly that will include your sanitary ball valve. If the rate of flow within your process system is optimized with a 2” hose then it is likely that you will require a 2” sanitary ball valve to suit.

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Every industry has a demand for sanitary fittings, but the pharmaceutical industry takes the crown in this race. There is very little margin of error in this industry, as we are talking about medicines. Medicines that cure our headaches, medicines that save our life! As it is evident, the standard sanitary fittings aren’t meant for manufacturing drugs. Hence, there is a need for biopharmaceutical sanitary valves, which we are going to discuss in this brief. Biopharmaceutical fittings (BPE) are a perfect solution to this problem.

The Difference Between Sanitary Valves and Industrial Valves

On the face of it, there seems to be very little difference between biopharmaceutical fittings and 3A sanitary fittings. However, there are some critical differences in the styles of the two fittings that set them apart. The BPE fittings comply with the ASME-BPE standards. It is pertinent to mention it again that sanitary valves play a critical role in the production of pharmaceutical products. Therefore, it is natural that these vales feature high tolerance and clean interior surface finishes. This is in contrast to standard fittings. Furthermore, material requirements are a lot different than 3A sanitary standards. 3A standards are industrial valves that find plenty of uses in industries like food, beverage, and dairy.

What are the Main Types of Sanitary Valves?

Fun fact: It is possible to build sanitary valves with thousands of variations! However, for the sake of convenience, we can classify sanitary valves into three key types. This classification is made on the basis of their mechanical motions. These three classes are linear motion, rotary motion, and quarter-turn valves. Let us talk about them briefly in the following lines of this brief:

1.    Linear Motion Valves

These valves use a closing member. As they move in a straight line, they permit, stop or choke the medium’s flow. You might have come across some types of linear motion valves already. These include gate, diaphragm, pinch, lift check valves and globe valves.

2.     Rotary Motion Valves

In this type of sanitary valve, a valve closure member is used. It is this valve that permits motions on the cylindrical or angled paths. Some of the common types of rotary motion valves include ball, eccentric, swing check, and butterfly valves.

3.    Quarter Turn Valves

In essence, these are just like rotary motion valves. The key point to note here is that these valves require only a quarter-turn stem motion to switch their positions between fully open and fully closed.

An important that must be kept in mind is that a sanitary valve is defined by a set criterion. Unless these special sterile requirements are met, a valve cannot be deemed sanitary.

Let us talk a bit about the sanitary ball valves and butterfly valves in this space as well. Coming towards the sanitary ball valves first, well, they use a ball with a hole that is drilled through the middle swivel mounted to the valve body. The sanitary ball valves operate at their maximum when the ball is in line with the pipe. However, it is quite possible to rotate the hole in the ball away from the pipe’s direction. This chokes the flow rate. It is cut off completely once the hole is at 90 degrees in the pipe direction.

Often, there is a question about the nature of the butterfly valves. Do they have a place in the sanitary club or not? The answer is, yes, of course, they are sanitary valves. They feature a single eccentric structure. Their soft seal is predominantly different from the middle section. Their characteristic features are compactness, lightweight and minimalistic composition.

Who Uses Sanitary Valves and Why?

Now, let us talk a bit about the end users of sanitary valves. Usually, biopharmaceutical sanitary valves are used by folks concerned with the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnological facilities, and certain other purity industries. What makes them suitable for use in these industries? Let us find that out in this section of the discussion!

In medical industries, contamination is the last word you would want to hear. We don’t need to build on why it is a taboo word there, right? Now to the real point, if there are services in the valves, then the chances of contamination increase by a significant factor. So ideally, valves that come without any services sound like a perfect pick for industries that we have mentioned in the earlier lines of this brief, right? Guess what? Sanitary valves come without any services! So that contamination problem is solved alright, what do you think?

Cleaning is cumbersome sometimes. When we are talking about mega industries like the pharmaceutical industry, then we need to pay more attention to streamlining the process. That’s where sanitary valves save the day. Because they are not stained easily, they are a super convenient option. Now you might not realize it at first, but the extensiveness of the process is directly proportional to the amount of cleaning that needs to be done afterward!

Sanitary valve manufacturers in USA are making gold as they are a perfect pick for anyone who is weary of polishing and smoothing valves all the time. Do you know who that is? Pharma boys! Rust is enemy number one in all such settings. It can complicate things to a great extent. Hence, sanitary valves are a perfect pick again because they are made of polished stainless steel.

Standards & Certification

ASME-BPE

ASME has a BPE committee that acts as a governing body for BPE standards. The ASME-BPE standard is concerned with all aspects of BPE fittings. These aspects include tolerances, interior surface finishes, product markings, composition, and packaging. BPE certification implies that ASME has conducted an audit of a company. Companies that hold ASME-BPE certification can proudly flaunt that they are meeting the required standards. Such audits are a must for compliance. Companies who undergo the said audits have permission to label their products with ASME certification marks.

One of the key requirements of ASME-BPE standards is that the BPE fittings must be consistent in terms of dimensions. It doesn’t matter who is producing them; the manufacturer becomes an irrelevant topic in this discussion. Then, these sanitary valves must also come with specific permanent markings on the outside of the fittings. These markings include heat number, material type, company, manufacturing country, surface finish, and the letters BPE inscribed on them.

An important question that arises here is: how is material verification performed in the case of BPE fittings? Well, it is done so by using a niton gun. Thanks to this clever invention, identifying a fitting in terms of its chemical composition is fairly easy. All that it takes is a single click! Performing this identification is extremely important since, without it, one cannot be sure about the materials that the end-users are getting.

Traceability

Traceability is one of the most important factors when we are talking about BPE fittings. It is absolutely essential that the chemical and mechanical make-up of the materials must meet the set criterion. Otherwise, the sanitary valves in question will not be given the due nod of approval. Here, talking about heat numbers is a must; they identify the manufacturing lot of the steel. Normally, heat numbers are marked on the outer side of the sanitary valves. Heat numbers must match up with the corresponding paperwork. This corresponding paperwork is dubbed Materials Test Reports. It serves as proof that the sanitary valves meet the specified standards.

MTR

Let us talk about Material Test Report (MTR) in this domain as well. It is an official piece of documentation from the mill; it specifies the mechanical and chemical properties of the steel. Its importance in material traceability and verification cannot be ignored. The MTR must be provided with every sanitary valve. Sanitary valve suppliers need to take care of these parameters.

Conclusion

So, that would be all from this brief. As it is evident from these lines, the biopharmaceutical sanitary valves have critical importance in medicine and related pharmaceutical industries. Precision and fine finishes are key parameters that distinguish them from their industrial counterparts. To ensure that nothing wrong has happened throughout the process, documentation and packaging have been given due weightage as well. It is these major points that allow users to trace back products to inception. Once the understanding is at the most perceptive level, users can easily pick the sanitary valve that is the requirement of the process.

Today, the industrial web is bigger than ever. It is getting more and more specific with every day passing. Biopharmaceutical industries needed something safer and more efficient to solve their quality woes and concerns. Sanitary valves are the answer, as it seems!

The post The Ultimate Guide to Bio-Pharmaceutical Sanitary Valves appeared first on Adamant Valves.

Definition

A valve is defined as “The generic name of a device with a moving part allowing it to open and close a passageway to allow, prevent or regulate the flow of a fluid.”

Valve Categories

There exist many types of valves in various technical industries. The most commonly used manual valves in steam systems and sanitary systems are globe valves, ball valves, slide valves, and butterfly valves.

Valves can be categorized as follows based on their construction and features:

• Ball valve or Butterfly valve – The valve element ‘swivels’ in the flow path to stop the flow.
• Globe valve – The valve element acts as a seal or plug in the passageway to stop the flow.
• Gate valve – The valve element is ‘inserted’ into the flow path to stop the flow.
• Diaphragm valve – The passageway itself is ‘throttled from the outside’ to stop a flow.

The construction of a gate valve is similar to that of a sluice. Another essential characteristic of this type of valve is the low-pressure loss when the valve is fully open. The valve body, however, must be lifted entirely out of the way for the valve to be fully open. This means that the lever must be turned frequently. Low-pressure loss is also present in this valve type because of the face-to-face dimension of a butterfly-type valve that is often tiny. These valves are often used in water and air applications.

Let’s take a closer look at ball valves and globe valves, two types of valves often used in steam systems.

Ball Valves

This type of valve features a polished ball with a hole in the center that rotates in the valve body. When the hole is aligned with the pipe, materials can flow through it. However, the ball cuts the flow when turned at right angles to the line. Because of their short actuation travel, motorized ball valves belong to a family of products called quarter-turn valves. This makes them very fast to operate and ideal for fast response cuts. The ball valves also offer exceptional shut-off values, the average arrangement of the balls ensuring a perfect seal.

Ball valves offer a very good shut-off and are practical because to open and close the valve; it is enough to turn the lever by 90°C. In addition, they can be a full bore, which means that the opening of the valve is the same size as the inside of the pipe. This generates a very low-pressure loss. Another feature is the lower likelihood of gasket leakage. This results from the valve stem only having to turn 90°C.

It should be noted, however, that this valve is intended for use only when it is fully opened or fully closed. It is not suitable for use in a partially open position for any application, including flow control. Thus, it is not ideal for use in a partially open position for any application, including flow control.

Globe Valves

The globe valve is suitable for various applications, from flow control to zero flow.

When the valve is tight against the valve seat, the valve is closed. This type of valve opens when it is moved away from the valve seat. So, flow regulation is not by the degree of opening of the valve seat but by the valve lift (distance between the valve and the seat). A feature of this type of valve is that, even if used in the partially open position, there is little risk of the fluid damaging the valve seat. The kind of globe valve mainly used for flow control is the needle valve.

It should be noted, however, that due to the S-shape of the passageway of this valve, the pressure drop is more significant than that observed with other types of valves. Also, the valve stem must be turned frequently to open and close the valve. Consequently, the gasket tends to leak. Also, because closing the valve involves turning the valve stem until it is seated firmly against the valve seat, it is difficult to determine the exact point at which the valve is fully closed. Cases have occurred where overturning the valve stem by accident has damaged the seating surfaces.

Pneumatic Ball Valves

Pneumatic valves, also known as pneumatically actuated angle seat valves or externally piloted valves, are an excellent choice when a conventional solenoid valve just won’t do.

Such a valve is a good troubleshooting solution for troublesome situations; it allows very high flow rates, can start operating from 0 differential pressure, and enable high temperatures of fluid. It can also perform to flow high viscosity and contaminated fluids. Moreover, it works in EEx zones simply by placing the pilot valve outside of this area. The valve is usually paired with a pneumatic actuator powered by a 3-way valve solenoid. Pilot fluid pressure flows into the actuator cylinder and acts on the piston, allowing the seal to open or close through the stem. The seal returns to its resting position using a return spring which is located in the pneumatic actuator.

Note that a ball valve is not pneumatic in and of itself. When someone refers to a “pneumatic ball valve,” they are referring to the commonly used ball valve that is fitted with a pneumatic actuator. The actuator is typically mounted to an industry-standard (ISO 5211) 4-bolt mounting pad on valves designed for automation.

Applications for pneumatic valves

A Pneumatic ball valve can be used in many applications:

• Cooling.
• Pre-Heating.
• Sterilizers and Autoclaves.
• High-Pressure Lubrication.
• Distributing Steam.
• Bottling.
• Textile Production Equipment.
• Industrial Steam Ironing Equipment.
• Mixture of Paints, Inks, and Colors.
• Industrial Washing and Cleaning Equipment.

Other applications of pneumatic valves

Pneumatic valves are used in the development of automation or remote-control systems. As such, they are found in all industry sectors, machine tools, chemicals, petrochemicals, medical, pharmaceuticals, food, transport, etc.

They can also be applied to communities: hot water, air or steam heating, air conditioning, transport of liquid or gaseous fuels, and fire-fighting.

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