Key Questions to Ask When Ordering ductile iron Air Valve

Choose the right valve means answering key questions first

Published: August 1,  
Last updated: December 30,  

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Knowing what makes a valve the right choice
Valves control gas and liquid flow in almost every process and system. As common as they are, choosing the right valve can sometimes be time consuming and confusing.

Begin valve selection by first gathering some basic information on system performance requirements. Knowing this will make it easier to find the right valve. The five tips in this article focus on how to match valve features with these requirements.
 

Tip 1 – Valve size and type
Choose the right valve type. Every valve needs to perform one or more basic functions:

• Shut off flow
• Divert flow
• Mix flow
• Pressure relief
• Backflow prevention
• Adjust flow

Function determines the design of standard valve types. These are some of the most common valve types:

• Check valves
• Ball valves
• Needle valves
• Metering valves
• Toggle valves
• Stopcocks
• Relief valves
• Regulators
• Pinch valves

Properly sizing the valve is also important. The right valve choice means matching the valve’s size to expected flow through the system.

Common Valve Types at VMA, Valve Manufacturers Association of America

How to Select the Right Valve (with Pros and Cons) at Indelac Controls

Tip 2 – Materials of construction
Know the chemical compatibility requirements. The valve materials need to be compatible with the gases or liquids flowing through it. Plastic valves usually resist harsh or corrosive chemicals better than metal valves.

Miniature Ball Valves: Plastic, Brass or Stainless Steel? at ISM, Industrial Specialties Mfg.

Chemical Compatibility Chart at ISM, Industrial Specialties Mfg.

Tip 3 – Performance requirements
Determine the pressure and temperature requirements. Find out both the temperature and pressure ranges where the valve will be installed. Metal valves tend to withstand higher temperatures and pressures than plastic valves. Metal valves are also usually best for pressurized gases. This is because they tend to be stronger than plastic valves.

A Selection Criterion for Pump and Valve Reliability at Processing Magazine

Tip 4 – Check valves have special requirements
Be sure the new check valve will work as expected. Look at the response time needed as well as the cracking pressure required to open the valve.

Another consideration is normally closed vs normally open. There are basic check valve designs that require positive downstream pressure to open. These are usually referred to as normally closed check valves. There are other designs that require a positive backpressure to close. These are usually called normally open check valves. An appropriate choice between these two can improve check valve reliability. It is usually best to base this decision on whether the valve is usually open more or usually closed more during normal system operation.

Some check valve types may not work properly if mounted vertically instead of horizontally. Flow direction (upwards vs downwards) and fluid density both matter for check valve designs that can be mounted vertically.

Checking Out Check Valves – An Introduction at ISM, Industrial Specialties Mfg.

Tip 5 –Maintenance
Don't forget to consider ongoing maintenance. Any valve choice should include attention to maintenance requirements. This is important for both valve reliability and application stability.

A good example of this are ball valves. They resist clogging, jamming or malfunctioning. But they are not suitable for adjusting flow. Using them to control flow can lead to leaking or premature failure.

Valve connection type affects the ease and speed of repair or replacement. Each connection type (threaded, barbed, push-in, Luer, and so on) has its pros and cons.

Plant and Equipment Maintenance at HSE, Health and Safety Executive

Knowing where to start makes valve choice faster and easier
There it is. Knowing particular information beforehand, makes choosing the right valve easier and more certain. There will always be complications like application requirements, operating conditions and chemical compatibility. Starting with basic valve requirements will simplify and speed up valve selection:

• Valve size and type
• Materials of construction
• Performance requirements
• Check valve specific requirements
• Maintenance planning
   

Some additional resources 

• 7 Tips for Choosing a Miniature Ball Valve >>  
  Need a small ball valve but aren't sure what matters? Get tips & information that help you get a jump start narrowing down the options. Find out more about designs, specifications, materials & more. 
   
• 10 Tip for Selecting a Miniature Check Valve >> 
  What you need to know to choose the right inline direct-acting miniature check valve. These tips cover key issues including cracking and reseal pressure, materials, flow rates, connection types, installation and more. 
   
• Miniature Ball Valves: Plastic, Brass or Stainless Steel? >> 
  An overview of what matters when choosing a ball valve body material. Temperature, pressure and corrosion resistance are key issues when the choice is between plastic and metal. When metal is definitely the way to go, the most common mini ball valve body metals are brass and stainless steel. Each has its pros and cons. 
   
• Full Port Ball Valves vs Standard Port >> 
  The differences between full port or full bore ball valves and standard port valves. Includes FAQs describing some of the basics of ball valve design. 
   
• Extruded, Forged or Cold-Drawn Brasses for Miniature Valves >> An overview of how brass is formed, worked and shaped to make miniature ball and check valves. Brass is a great material choice for miniature valves. Learn more about why brass is such a useful metal for making valves. This post also covers some of the basics of the most important industrial brass forming techniques. 
   
• Stainless Steel Materials for Miniature Flow Control Valves >> Stainless steel materials are strong, pressure and temperature resistant, tough, less reactive and more durable than cast iron, ductile iron, brass or copper. They are a great metal choice for fluid and gas flow control valves. 

How ISM can help you find the right miniature valve for your application
Personalized customer service and resources available at the ISM website can be a great help when selecting a valve. Available online resources include chemical compatibility reference guides, dimensional drawings and product data sheets. Our online and PDF flow control valve catalogs provide access to a wide variety of miniature valve types, connection types, materials and sizes:

• Check valves
• Ball valves
• Needle valves
• Metering valves
• Toggle valves
• Stopcocks
• Relief valves
• Regulators
• Pinch valves

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Ordering valves is not difficult.

But ordering the right valves can be a challenge. Not least in the mining industry, where using the wrong product in an enrichment plant can have major consequences.

If your job is to supply the mining industry with robust and affordable components, you probably have a wide range of items to keep track of. Keeping track of every single product category can present a challenge.

So how can you make sure the order is correct without delaying it? By keeping track of:

• What you need to pay attention to in tender documentation
• What to ask of the technical consultant and supplier

Do not rely on old assumptions

A common mistake when receiving an enquiry and ordering products for a valve solution is to rely on old assumptions. What has worked in the past or been chosen for other customers will not necessarily work for the contract you are currently focusing on. There is an imminent risk of something being wrong somewhere.

More haste, less speed

It is not uncommon to largely pass on specifications that suppliers receive. Time is money, but it pays to do your homework before ordering. Tender documentation is not always correct. Important information is missing at times. Especially if the supplier was not involved at an early stage, or is relying on information from a less knowledgeable source. If things do not add up in the request for a quotation, things can easily be passed from pillar to post, making the ordering process take longer.

Include everything in the procurement documentation

The range of valves and automation is enormous, especially if we are talking about regulating valves, and one supplier can have hundreds of variants. There is a reason for that: every medium, application and facility has its own unique requirements for the valves to ensure that things work and perform as they should. To be sure that you are ordering the right products, it is important to ensure there are no gaps or inaccuracies in the tender documentation.

Insist that the documentation you receive is as complete as possible, but do not blindly rely on it either.

Particularly important aspects to include in the tender documentation to the supplier are:

• Media
• Flow (min, normal, max)
• Temperature of media
• Inlet pressure
• Outlet pressure, also known as backpressure, pressure drop across the valve

Some key questions to ask the developer of a technical solution are:

• What is the application of the valve – what should its function be?
• In which environment will the valve be used, and what demands does the environment place on the valve?
• If the medium is liquid, what is its density, viscosity and concentration?
• Are any particles present that will cause wear?
• What materials are suitable for parts in contact with media?
• What spare parts are available, and how are broken parts replaced?
• Are there any requirements for certification and labelling of the products, and if so which ones?

Maintain the right technical level

Keep the possibility that you might be overreaching in the back of your mind. Choosing oversized valves or materials that can withstand stresses to which they will never be subjected costs money, for no benefit. Ask yourself question: what will the solution cost, and what will it achieve?

At the same time, overly simple products can mean an unnecessarily high maintenance budget and may end up with an end customer facing unplanned downtime at the enrichment plant. A real example of the wrong technical level – in both directions at the same time – is the plant where stainless steel valves were installed instead of cast iron, but without rubber linings. They ended up having to replace the expensive valves once a fortnight.

There have also been cases where valves have been supplied with advanced control equipment with Profibus interfaces without having any other equipment to talk to. One lesson that can be learned from this is to adapt the products to the technical level of the plant.

Maintain personal contact with the supplier

Get into the habit of always checking with the supplier before ordering. There may be a cheaper or better solution you are unaware of.

As we all know, a good relationship makes communication easier: quick answers, quick orders, more business. A good cooperation with the supplier can avoid misunderstandings and inadequate information and avoid delays, product failures and dissatisfied customers.

The supplier must also be able to keep you informed and give you “quick training” in control engineering, product selection and other aspects. At Ramén Valves, we are happy to help you.

• Click on the image below to download our guide and learn more about valves in mining enrichment ⇓

• Keep reading, go to the article “How to choose the right ball sector valves for enrichment plant processes”

• Do you want to know more about our Ramén KSG rubber lined valve, specially designed for the mining industry? Read here.

• If you have any questions about which valve solution would be suitable for a particular plant, please contact us.

Ramén Valves has been a valued partner to the mining industry for 40 years. We supply valve solutions for applications commonly involving abrasive media.

The company is the world’s best flanged y strainer supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.