Industrial Valves

Industrial valves are classified in many different ways. They can be distinguished by material of construction, media handled, and/or application. Most industrial valves are made of metal or plastic materials. Metal valves are made of aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, cast iron, ductile iron, steel, or stainless steel. Plastic valves are made of acetal polymers, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). In terms of media handled, there are many choices for industrial valves. Air valves can handle breathable, compressed, or non-pressurized air. Water valves can handle hot water, cold water, ground water, potable water, salt water, or wastewater. Gas valves can handle high-purity gas, liquefied petroleum (LP), natural gas, or sour gas. Some industrial valves can handle abrasive materials, acids, adhesives, concrete, coolants, hazardous materials, high viscosity fluids, hydraulic fluids, or gasoline. Others are designed to handle liquid metal, lubricants, oil, powders, rendering wastes, solids, sludge, slurry, or steam.

There are many different types of industrial valves. Examples include angle valves, back flow prevention valves, balancing valves, ball valves, bellows valves, block-and-bleed valves, blow-off valves, butterfly valves, cartridge valves or manifold valves, check valves, clamshell valves or bin gate valves, control diaphragm valves, directional valves, diverter valves, double-flap airlock valves, drain valves, duckbill valves, float valves, foot valves, and gate valves or knife valves. Industrial valves also include globe valves, hydraulic valves, iris valves, metering valves, mixing valves, needle valves, pilot valves, pinch valves, plug valves, pneumatic valves, poppet valves, pressure relief valves, shut-off valves, sampling valves or dispensing valves, safety valves, sanitary valves or hygienic valves, servo valves, solenoid valves, spool valves, toggle valves, underwater valves, and vacuum relief valves or anti-siphon valves.

Specifications for industrial valves include valve size, number of ports or ways, valve flow coefficient (Cv), pressure rating, and media temperature. Actuation method is also an important consideration. Basic industrial valves are hand-operated or actuated by a mechanical device such as a float or cam. Electric, electro-hydraulic, pneumatic, electro-pneumatic, and pilot-operated valves are also available. Thermally-actuated valves are actuated by a change in temperature in the handled media. Typically, temperature and pressure relief occurs once a preset temperature is reached.   

Industrial valves such as ball, check, control, gate and solenoid valves are used in a variety of flow control applications. A ball valve provides tight shut-off and predictable control. A check valve is a self-activating safety valve that prevents process flow from reversing. A control valve or proportional valve is a power-operated device used to modify fluid flow or pressure rate in a process system. A gate valve is a linear motion valve in which a flat closure element slides into the flow stream to provide shut-of. Gate valves are usually divided into two types: parallel and wedge-shaped. A solenoid valve is an electro-mechanical device that uses a solenoid to control valve activation.

• Valve Selection Handbook: Engineering Fundamentals for Selecting the Right Valve Design for Every Industrial Flow Application, Fifth Edition
  Valve Selection Handbook: Engineering Fundamentals for Selecting the Right Valve Design for Every Industrial Flow Application, Fifth Edition Designed to to assist the Piping Specifying Engineer in...
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• Pneumatic and Electric Actuator Product Guide - Metric
  El-O-Matic develops and manufactures actuators for the automation of industrial valves. Our product range includes pneumatic actuators, electric actuators and a wide range of control accessories, such...
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• Velocity Mode Valve Positioning Temperature Control
  Many industrial processes are heated by means of gas or oil, which is burned in a combustion chamber somewhere within the system. There are two techniques used for dispensing the fuel. Valves are...
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Part Numbers for Valves