An industrial valve is an essential part of the industrial system. Every pipeline is incomplete without valves. The safety and lifetime service of the pipeline process depends on the quality of industrial valves. So, it is pivotal for an industrial valve manufacturer to deliver high-quality valves. But how to make a high-functioning industrial valve? What is the secret of a good quality industrial valve? Does the performance of the industrial valve depend on its material? You need to understand the manufacturing process of industrial valves to know how good quality valves can be made.
What are industrial valves?
A valve is a device or an object that regulates, directs, or governs the flow of fluids by opening, shutting, or partially obstructing passageways. Valves are mechanical devices that manage the fluid’s flow and pressure. Industrial valves are designed to handle high pressures of liquids or gases, and they can last years in this harsh environment. Any piping system will not survive without a valve. So now you know the importance of industrial valves, let’s dig into their processing and production process.
Industrial Valve Manufacturing Process
Before starting the manufacturing process, you have to determine the type of industrial valve you want to make. You should know customer’s demand and manufacture industrial valve according to it. The valve or its raw materials have to undergo various processes. Here is the complete series of procedures.
Order and design of industrial valve
First, you need to get an order from a customer. Ask the customer what type of valve he needs and in which appliance he will use the valve. You can show the customer the list of already available designs. A customer can pick a design from that list or demands a customized design. After the selection of design, the sales representative puts order and notify the company. The customer will also provide the company with a pre-defined deposit.
Inventory
A single industrial valve has various parts. Following are the main parts of an industrial valve.
- Stem
- Body
- Spool
- Bonnet
- Actuator
- Valve trim
- Valve member
The company will gather all the raw materials required to produce various parts of an industrial valve. If there is insufficient material present in the company’s inventory, the industrial valve company will contact the supplier and demand the material.
Checking the checklist
Once you have all the materials, the manufacturing team will go over the list again to make sure all materials are present. At this point, the approval of the final draft of the design also happens. Moreover, the management team will call the quality assurance team to ensure that all the raw materials are top-quality.
Production process
The majority of the procedures occur in this process. The raw materials will undergo different phases to give the final shape of the industrial valve. All the major components of industrial valves will be made individually. Some companies have a checklist at this point also. The list entails all the names of the spare parts and the raw material to use for each piece.
The team leader will provide the company with the paperwork for the actual manufacturing, from the start of the manufacturing to the completion date of the production process. Commonly, there are two important methods of industrial valve manufacturing.
1: Cast method
The casting method uses the liquid form of metal to create industrial valves. The metal from the raw material is melted at high heat and then poured into the mold. This metal is allowed to cool and solidifies, and once the metal cools and hardens, we will eject it from the mold. Here is a detailed description of the whole process.
The initial pre-shaped material is cleaned before the turning process. Turning is the process of removing surplus material from the mold by cutting away the unwanted material. You have to attach the pre-shaped body to the amount and turning machine. The machine rotates at high speed. During rotation, it cuts the body into a desired and specific shape.
In the next step, a plating metal, usually copper, is added to the different sections of the body. Copper plating ensures proper and complete sealing of the body. After the plating is done, the body will undergo polishing. After it, the technician will attach the body to other parts of the valve. Valves need holes for this purpose, so the holing is done at this point. This is because each industrial valve has a unique hole size depending upon the requirements.
After this step, workers paint the industrial valves with Teflon or any other elastomer. Baking of the valve follows its painting. Teflon binds with the body during baking.
The same process used to manufacture the body is used for the manufacturing of seats. But the seat needs better sealing and perfect attachment because it is mostly present inside the body. For this purpose, the seat has rubber wrapping in addition to the Teflon to ensure tight fitness.
The manufacturing of stem is not very detailed. Only cutters are used to cut the material in the right dimensions for stem manufacturing.
2: Forged method
As the name suggests, the solid metals are forged to make the valve. Here are the highlights of the forged method.
Firstly, select the right raw material. In the next step, cut the material into desired length and width. After this, the next step is to forge the material by slightly heating them to a certain degree.
The next step is trimming after cutting and forging. Here, the excess material is removed, and the body is flashed to mould it in the right industrial valve shape.
Sandblasting is the next step after trimming. Examine the industrial valves and remove the defective ones. Sandblasting is done to make ample valves smooth and clean. The size of the sand particles used depends upon the customer’s requirements or standards.
Machining is done to enhance further the sizes and shapes of threads and holes. It ensures whether the product reaches its standard quality or not.
The industrial valve undergoes some treatment of the surface by the use of acid or alike. This ensures that the valve will not harm the environment in any way.
Assembly
Assembly is the step where all spare parts of the valve are aligned to give the final shape to the industrial valve.
Pressure test
As the name suggests, the pressure test valve has to undergo actual high-pressure testing for leakage. In some instances, air with 6 to 8 bar pressure fills the closed valve for a certain number of hours. If the leakage is reported after some time of testing, the company will repair the valve. If there is no leakage, it will move onto the next phase. The same test can also be done by use of water pressure.
Inspection and quality control
In this step, the quality assurance team will inspect the valve for any leakage or production error. If no defect is found, the industrial valve will move further into the line.
Packaging and transportation
The finished industrial valve is packed and sent to the warehouse for delivery.
Conclusion
The manufacturing of an industrial valve is a complex process. It is not just a simple creation of valves. Many factors contribute to its efficiency and quality. All the steps mentioned above are needed to perform professionally to produce a good quality valve. Moreover, industrial valves should undergo rigorous testing before handing them over to the customer. If during testing, industrial valves started to leak, then they should not be delivered to the customer. If there is internal leakage in the valve during testing, the manufacturing methods employed are not within the standard.
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