Cartridge Seated Butterfly Valve: Uses, Designs and Benefits

One of the butterfly valve's four main components is the seat, which can be bonded or locked in to the valve's body. The seat facilitates the shutoff function for the valve by using an interference fit found at the edge of the disk. A cartridge seated butterfly valve is a specific type of butterfly valve that is also used to control and isolate a particular flow of fluid substances. When a butterfly valve is described to be cartridge seated, it is referring to the particular seat design made to fulfill certain functions and objectives.

The cartridge seat design classification can be used in gas and liquid services, and offers a number of advantages. Some of these advantages include enabling the butterfly valve to render maximum vacuum service as well as tolerate high pressure. Top of the line butterfly valves with cartridge seat design are heavy duty and resilient. Thus, they are ideally suited in rigorous industrial applications. Chemical and petroleum plants as well as facilities that deal with power production, water purification, food and beverage, OEM and HVAC all use this type of butterfly valve.

A cartridge seated butterfly valve makes the installation process less problematic. During installation, the seat of some butterfly valves has the tendency to shift, increasing the chances for it to become stressed or torn up. A butterfly valve with a cartridge seat allows the valve with the disk to be installed in closed position. Such feature decreases damage to the valve during the installation process. The design of a cartridge seated butterfly valve is also beneficial in terms of providing a strong connection between the disk and stem without using exposed pins and bolts.

Most top manufacturers in the valve production industry offer clients cartridge seated butterfly valves in varying body, disk and seat materials. These products are made to fit a wide range of media. The material for the seat also varies, but it is usually composed of polymers or metal. Metal seats are found in a number of high performing butterfly valves because they are proven to be more tolerant to high temperature. In addition to the main components, a cartridge seated butterfly valve can come with special additional features depending on the manufacturer. For instance, some companies produce butterfly valves with a triple function cartridge seat, which characteristically separates the body and stem from the media. The design of this seat type provides a positive drop-tight shut-off of line media despite the application of full pressure. Cartridge seat design typically goes around both of the valve's faces. Thus, the seat acts like a flange seal, removing the need for flange gaskets. A butterfly valve that has a cartridge seat and a streamlined disk encourage maximum flow and longer seat life.

Reputable manufacturers meet high design standards and specifications when it comes to producing butterfly valves with cartridge seats. These manufacturers typically test the operational capabilities of their butterfly valves before offering them to clients. However, aside from acquiring a high quality valve product, proper installation is also important in ensuring that a cartridge seated butterfly valve will function most efficiently.