Expectations for a Butterfly Valve Manufacturer
A butterfly valve is a valve classification that mainly regulates the flow of different substances though a circular pipe or a tube. Various industries, especially those that maintain water systems, require the use of butterfly valves. Butterfly valves can accommodate the flow of not only water but also air, gas and steam materials. Some of the major components for this type of valve type include body, seat, stem, actuator and butterfly disk. Every butterfly valve manufacturer has its own line of butterfly valve models. Some of these valve models are designed to exhibit desirable characteristics, such as high efficiency, low cost, light weight, and compactness.
In order to surpass other competitors, a butterfly valve manufacturer must pay attention to the efficiency of their products. Efficient butterfly valves are those that are fast acting, offer positive shut-off, and can be used for throttling. Manufacturers are also expected to produce butterfly valves that are easy to maintain. They accomplish this objective by making sure that the valve seat is held in place mechanically instead of using other means like bonding or cementing. In this manner, the seat can be replaced at any time without having to conduct machine work or grinding. It is smart for companies producing butterfly valves to price their product competitively as butterfly valves are known to be less expensive than other industrial devices.
Manufacturers can build butterfly valve components using various materials, also known as trim features. Some of the most common materials used include iron, brass, aluminum, carbon steel and stainless steel. In selecting the correct butterfly valve models, one must be able to choose the right trim features that suit the kind of material that will be handled by the valve.
Aside from offering varied valve materials, a butterfly valve manufacturer also produces different butterfly valve designs. When it comes to the body of butterfly valves, the two most popular designs are wafer and lug. Wafer style valves are placed in between pipe flanges, which make it easier to replace and install. Lug style, on the other hand, possesses tapped holes that enable them to be bolted to a mating flange. Manufacturers of butterfly valves can either produce removable seats or ones that are molded into the valve body. The advantage of removable seats is that they can be repaired or replaced when damage occurs.
Another challenge that a butterfly valve manufacturer must overcome is to create valve disks that have the proper size, and material of construction to fulfill particular application objectives, such as increasing flow patterns through a piping system. As for the stem component, manufacturers can offer one or two piece construction depending on the size of the valve and its intended function. Manufacturing companies also offer a variety of actuators that come with their butterfly valve models. In terms of the source of power to generate motion, actuators can be classified as mechanical, pneumatic, electric and electro-hydraulic.
Depending on what the client desires, a butterfly valve manufacturer can add more features to their valve units. Businesses should work with valve manufacturers that can offer and apply different trim features to ensure the success of the butterfly valve in an application.