Welded ball valve

Ball valve is a shut-off valve designed to block the flow of the medium. The valve's shut-off element is in the shape of a ball, with an axis that has a hole for the medium to flow through. To close the ball valve, it is enough to turn the handle, which is rigidly connected to the shutter, by 90°.

Working mediums

Ball valves can be used to block the flow of water, steam, gas, compressed air, petroleum products, acids, alkalis, viscous and abrasive mediums within a wide range of temperatures and operating pressures. All welded ball valves found in our catalog can be used for water; for other working mediums, please consult the suppliers.

Application

Welded ball valves are used in the most critical and hard-to-reach places, such as pipelines surrounded by water, buried underground without channels, or when leakage through threaded or flanged connections is unacceptable.

Welded ball valves are often used in modular units, boiler houses, heat stations, and pumping stations to reduce the product's weight and cost, as well as in energy and industry sectors where the reliability of the system is a priority.

Advantages

• Low price
• Lightweight
• Simple and reliable design
• Possibility of quick opening
• No maintenance required
• Full-bore flow capability
• No stagnant zones in the flow section
• Low hydraulic resistance
• Ensure tight shut-off of the flow
• Allow medium flow in any direction
• Can be installed in inaccessible channels and underwater

Disadvantages

• Not repairable.
• Replacement requires welding work.
• High torque is needed for closing, which necessitates long handles or reduction mechanisms for manual operation, and expensive electric actuators for automatic operation.
• Long handles are inconvenient for closing the valve in confined spaces, such as wells and thermal chambers.
• Abrupt opening can cause a water hammer, which is unacceptable for some systems.

Alternatives

• Flanged ball valve
• Threaded ball valve
• Butterfly valve
• Gate valve
• Shut-off valve (globe valve)