Here at Coastal Technical Sales, we offer a huge variety of products for industrial, commercial, chemical and pharmaceutical companies to fulfill their storage needs when it comes to tanks and the equipment they use. Last month, we wrote a little bit about the types of tanks we offer and the typical uses for each different material we typically construct tanks with; this month, we’ve done the same with our selection of valves. While some of our customers are just as well-versed as we are in the business of tanks, pipes, valves, actuators and steam traps, we’ve put together this brief guide to help others learn about the choices available to them from Coastal Technical Sales, Inc.
Ball Valves: this type of one-way valve is opened or closed by pressure on a ball (known as a “floating ball”) with a hole in it, which fits into an opening. When the ball is twisted (by a handle) to line the hole up with a flow of liquid, the valve is open; when it is repositioned so the hole is no longer aligned with the flow, the valve is closed. They are very durable and reliable, which makes them useful for shutoff applications.
Gate Valve: This valve works much like a gate or perhaps garage door, hence its name – a wedge is lowered or raised into or out of a pipe to either stop the flow of a liquid or gas or let it flow freely. It’s also called a sluice valve, presumably because of the way it “sluices” through liquids to cut off flow.
Butterfly Valve: A butterfly valve can turn a flow on or off, or regulate the amount of substance being released. When this type of valve is opened or closed, a disc mounted on a rod is turned to either block off flow or let it go through the pipe; it is named as such because the disks resemble the wings of a butterfly. With this type of valve, you can quickly turn a flow on or off, as well as regulate the amount of liquid passing through; rotating the actuator to which the disc is attached will let our more or less liquid, according to your needs.
Check Valve: Check valves usually have two ports, one where fluid can leave and another where it is able to enter; this type of valve is often found in households, as they are simple and able to operate without anyone controlling their action.
Diaphragm Valve: Also known as a membrane valve, this type of valve will have two or more ports and is made with a diaphragm on a “seat” that it closes in order to close the valve. This type of valve is an excellent choice for the bio-pharmaceutical industry because it is able to hold up against sanitizing methods.
Globe Valve: A somewhat complicated setup compared to the other types of valves, globe valves usually take the form of a plug that is screwed in to the seat of a baffle in order to close or shut a valve. The plug is usually screwed in via handwheel in manual valves, though they can be automated; the process of shutting such a valve is slower than other kinds of valves, but also holds quite firm.
For more information on our supply of wholesale and surplus valves in PA and NJ, be sure to visit our products pages or give us a call!