Your Qualified Wafer Ball valve Manufacturer

Kinvalve: Your Reliable Wafer Ball Valve Manufacturer

At Kinvalve, wafer ball valves in forged construction are lug wafer ball valves. The method of installing a lug type wafer ball valve is familiar with lug butterfly valve.

You can use threaded studs to fix the lug wafer ball valves between two flanges. These studs are screwed thru the hole on the flanges into the wafer ball valve body solid lug with threaded holes.

This unique design ensures safely block the flowing fluid when the downstream components like an instrument valve are damage or required maintenance.

This kind of lug wafer ball valve allows taking apart from only one side connection while the other still keeps reliable tightness with fixed flange.

This connection design also ensures lug wafer ball valves ideal for dead-end service. While one pipe flange is connected to one side with threaded studs, and the other side is without any connection.

Kinvalve is a professional wafer ball valve manufacturer with over 18 years of experience in the flow control device field.

We can supply kinds of different material wafer ball valves including stainless steel, carbon steel as well as special alloys in both cast and forged steel body.

You can make a choice of wafer ball valves in API, DIN & JIS standards. All of these three standards have different mating face types.

At Kinvalve, there are two common types of mating faces including FF and RF.

Kinvalve’s wafer ball valve is a kind of floating ball valve with a full port design. Usually, this kind of ball valve excels in the soft seats, but in order to satisfy the specific customized requirements, a metal seat design is also available.

Kinvalve’s support team consisting of more than 20 engineers will help you find the design most suitable for your applications.

Wafer Ball Valve: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

Choosing a suitable wafer ball valve can be an overwhelming task.

However, this guide will make everything simple for you by exploring all the details you need to know about wafer ball valves.

From design specifications, features, parts, working principle to benefits – you will learn everything you need to know about these ball valves.

Keep reading to learn more.

What Is Wafer Ball Valve?

Wafer Ball Valve

Wafer ball valves are special types of stainless-steel ball valves that are made from flanged or threaded joints.

You will use them inside pipeline systems to interrupt the flow of gases and fluids depending on application demands.

Which Are The Applications For Wafer Ball Valves?

You can use the wafer ball valves for quite a number of applications depending on the applications demands.

Here are some of the applications where the wafer ball valves come in handy to perform different functions.

• High Pressure Piping Systems
• Low Pressure Piping Systems
• Carpentry Industry
• Food Processing Industry
• Pharmaceutical Industry
• Petroleum Refinery Industry
• Gas Production and Supply Industry
• Water Treatment Industry
• Chemical Industry
• Thermal Power Stations

You will use the wafer ball valves to perform different functions within different applications or industries.

In this case, they help in controlling the flow of gases and liquids through the pipeline system.

Is Wafer Ball Valve Compatible With All Media?

Well, the wafer ball valve is compatible to two main types of media including gases and liquids.

Implying that, it is not compatible with all types of media except liquids and gasses.

In other words, you cannot use the wafer ball valves to control the flow of solid media.

What Are The Advantages Of Wafer Type Ball Valves?

There are quite a number of benefits that you will realize when using the wafer type ball valve.

Generally, the benefits that you will enjoy with the wafer type ball vale will depend on its contrast with other valves.

Here are some of the benefits that you will enjoy with the use of wafer ball valves.

Superior Easy Operations

You can use the wafer ball valves very easily with minimal hitches in comparison to other ball valves.

There is no need for extensive training on how to handle the wafer ball valves due to the ease of

operation.

Maintains And Regulates High Volumes

You will also use the wafer type ball valve in the maintenance and regulation of very high volumes of fluids.

It has the capability of handling very high-volume fluids comfortably thus suitable for high volume applications.

Handles High Temperature Applications

You can also use the wafer type ball valves to control the flow of fluids with very high temperatures.

The materials for manufacturing the wafer ball valves are very strong and can withstand the heat and pressure from hot fluids.

Light In Weight

Due to the small size of the wafer ball valves, you will realize that it is also very light in weight.

In other words, the materials for manufacturing wafer ball valves are light in weight thus reducing overall weight.

Tight And Reliable

In reference to the application requirements, wafer ball valves provide a very tight seal to prevent leakage.

The tight seal will definitely increase its reliability thus preventing unnecessary problems while operating the pipeline system.

What Are The different Components Of Wafer Ball Valves?

Wafer ball valves have quite a number of components that influence how the wafer ball valves work.

In other words, the wafer ball valves have different parts that work in conjunction with one another.

Here are some of the parts of the wafer ball valve that you should know more about.

Components of Wafer Ball Valve

Main Body

Theis the main frame or body of the wafer ball valve that houses and holds all the other parts of the valve.

Screwed Cover

Just from the name, you will note that the screwed cover is part of the wafer ball valve that covers the opening of the valve.

You can open it and close it very easily with screw aid by simply turning it either clockwise or anticlockwise.

Seat

This is a rubber piece of the wafer ball valves where the ball rests during the turning of the valve to open and close.

It creates a very tight seal when the ball rests on it thus preventing any form of leakage through the system.

Ball

This is the main part of the wafer ball valve with a hole through it that controls flow of fluids.

Depending on how you turn it, you can either open or close the passage of the fluids through the pipes.

Thrust Washer

These are special types of bearings that you can insert between rotating components and stationary components.

In this case, you will have the thrust washer between the ball and the seat thus keeping the ball in place.

Gasket

The gasket is a type of mechanical seal which will fill the space between two mating surfaces to prevent leaks.

Wafer ball valves have gaskets between different mating parts that help in the prevention of leakages.

Packing

The packing is a gland on the bonnet that pushes down on top of the V leading to expansion of packing.

As the packing expands, it will create a seal against the bonnet of the stem on the wafer ball valves.

Stem

The stem is the point of connection between the ball and the external control mechanism.

You can either have it connected to the lever or handle in a manual wafer ball valve.

Gland Flange

This is the part of the wafer ball valve that will compress or retain the stem packing within the stuffing box.

It will help in retaining or holding down the gland within the stuffing box of the wafer ball valves.

Lever

The lever is the external part of the wafer ball valve that you will use to turn the ball in different directions.

You can easily open and close the wafer ball valve by controlling the ball movement using the lever.

How Does Wafer Ball Valve Work?

Wafer ball valves use the principle of turning the hollow ball through different angles in order to control fluid flow.

The ball is usually sandwiched between two seats thus controlling flow of fluids through the pipeline.

Here is a demonstration of how the wafer ball valve works.

Most of the wafer ball valves have four holes that align within the connected pipeline.

It also has a valve that is designed in such a way that it clamps between two flanges within the pipe work.

Once you turn the lever on the external part of the wafer ball valve, it will also turn the stem.

As that happens, the stem will produce a significant turn on the ball at different angles.

At some point, the ball will turn at an angle that will align the hole with that of the pipeline.

In this case, the pipe will be open and the fluid will flow through the valve to other parts of the system.

You can also close the valve by turning it towards a different direction which will change the alignment of the hole.

This change will force the hole within the ball to face the walls of the pipe thus closing the system.

The fluids will not be able to flow through the valve and the rubber seal will also create very strong barriers.

In other words, it will create a barrier strong enough to prevent the fluids from leaking through small spaces.

What Materials Are Used To Make Wafer Ball Valves?

As a manufacturer of the wafer ball valves, there are special types of materials that you ought to use.

You will use different types of materials to make different parts of the wafer type ball valve.

Here are the main types of materials that you can use to make different parts of the wafer ball valves.

Carbon Steel

This is a special type of steel that has a combination of high carbon concentration mixed with steel materials.

It is very strong type of steel that is capable of withstanding the pressure and force within the piping system.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel consists of a mixture of different ferrous alloys that help build and maintain the strength of steel.

Apart from that, it also provides it with the stainless features thus making it clean and non-corrosive.

PVC

You will also use polyvinyl chloride (PVC) synthetic plastic polymer to make parts such as the seat of the wafer ball valves.

It is impermeable to water and gasses thus making it the perfect material for making seals within the wafer ball valves.

Brass

You can also opt for brass which is an alloy of zinc and copper to make some parts of the wafer ball valve.

Despite being expensive, brass is light in weight with great mechanical strength and is also resistant to corrosion.

What Types Of Wafer Ball Valves Are There?

There are different types of wafer ball valves that you can choose from depending on the application requirements.

Here is a list of the main types of wafer type ball valves you can choose from.

• Floating Wafer Ball Valve
• Trunnion Wafer Ball Valve

What Is The Difference Between Floating Ball And Trunnion Ball Valve Design?

Among the main types of wafer ball valves, we have the floating ball and trunnion wafer ball valve designs.

Here is a comparison between the two types of wafer ball valves.

Floating Ball Valve Design

Just from the name, you will note that the ball floats and does not have a fixed connection to the trunnion.

The seats are also fixed and the ball only has one connection or support which is the stem.

Due to the free nature of the ball, the torque of operation id often very high.

floating Ball Valve Design

Trunnion Ball Valve Design

Trunnion ball valves ate known as quarter turn valves that you can use to start or stop flow of medium through pipes.

It has a ball that connects to both the stem and the shaft of the wafer ball valves from two different ends.

Due to the connection to the trunnion shaft, the ball holds firmly to the valve thus suitable for high pressure applications.

Trunnion Ball Valve Design

How Does One-piece Vs. Two-piece Vs. Three-piece Housing Assembly For Wafer Ball Valve Compare?

You may choose among the three commonly used designs of the wafer ball valves.

Here is a comparison between the three main types of wafer ball valve housing designs.

One Piece Housing Assembly Design

You can opt for the cheapest variant with two parts enclosing the ball either welded or pressed.

You may not have the chance of opening and closing the valves for the purpose of cleaning and maintenance.

Two Piece Housing Assembly Design

You can disassemble parts and assemble them back for the purpose of cleaning, inspection and servicing.

In this case, the parts of the wafer ball valves are connected through threaded connection types.

Three Piece Housing Ball Design

It is the most expensive with parts that are clamped together with bolt connections.

You can simply clean and service the valves without removing the whole unit.

What Is The Difference Between Magnum Wafer And Split Wafer Ball Valves?

You can either opt for the magnum wafer or the split wafer ball valve for your application.

To influence the choices made, here is a comparison between the magnum wafer and split wafer ball valves.

Magnum Wafer Ball Valve

This type of wafer ball valve comes in soft seated and metal seated configurations specifically for high pressure and temperature.

It offers you a very broad range of sealing selections that you can decide on for your application specifications.

Magnum  Wafer Ball Valve

Split Wafer Ball Valves

Split Wafer Ball Valve

You will also use the split wafer ball valves for applications that demand very high pressure and temperature.

It is best for applications with working conditions of ASME class 2500 and sizes of 36 inches.

What Are The Different Body Styles For Wafer Ball Valves?

You can choose among the three types of body styles for the wafer ball valves.

Here are the three main body styles for the wafer ball valves.

Reduced Bore

In comparison to the diameter of the pipe, the reduced bore wafer ball valve has a smaller diameter on the ball.

Full Bore

Here, the diameter of the ball is almost if not the same size as that of the pipe that transports the fluids.

V-shaped

In this case, the wafer ball valve takes a twist in terms of shape where the bore is in the shape of letter V

What Are The Actuator Options For Wafer Ball Valve?

There are three main actuator options that you can opt for the wafer type ball valves.

Here are the three main actuator options available for the wafer ball valves.

Pneumatic Ball Valve

Pneumatic Wafer Ball Valve

Pneumatic wafer ball valve actuators depend on pressure to help in controlling the movement of the actuator.

It is capable of converting energy in the form of compressed air into mechanical motion thus moving the ball valve.

Manual Of Wafer Ball Valve

In this case, you will have to depend on manual or physical strength to turn the lever or valve to the desired position.

You should not worry about the kind of force you need because the lever is pretty much simple to turn.

Manual Wafer Ball Valve

Electric Ball Valve

In this case, you will depend on electricity to automatically turn the wafer ball valve to the desired position.

You can control the amount of electricity flowing through the system to turn the ball valve.

Electric Wafer Ball Valve

What Are The Available Sizes For Wafer Type Ball Valves?

Here, the sizes of water type ball valves will also vary according to the application specifications.

One of the most important things that you need to look at is the fitting of the wafer ball valve to the pipe.

In this case, you need to know the size of the pipe before choosing the right size of the wafer ball valve.

For instance, you can opt for wafer ball valves with a size range of 15mm to 100mm NB.

In case the available sizes do not meet your application requirements, you can order a custom size.

How Many Ports does a Wafer Ball Valve Have?

The number of ports on the wafer ball valves will vary depending on the type of valve you purchase.

For instance, you may purchase a three-way wafer ball valve which has three ports or openings.

You may also have a wafer ball valve that has only one port where the fluids enters and leaves.

What Are The Connection Types For Wafer Ball Valves?

There are many types of connections that you can have for the wafer ball valves.

Here are some of the most important connections that you can choose from.

• Screwed Connections
• Flanged Connections
• Socket-weld Connections
• Butt-weld Connections
• Compression Connections
• Capillary Connections
• Spigot Connections
• Socket Connections

How Does PN16 And ANSI150 Pressure Rating For Wafer Type Ball Valves Compare?

There are different pressure ratings that you can have on the wafer ball valves.

Among the most important pressure ratings to consider are the PN16 and the ANSI150 pressure ratings.

Here is a comparison between the two types of pressure ratings.

PN16 Pressure Ratings

PN is the acronym that details the pressure acronym for the wafer type ball valves.

In this case, PN16 signifies that the wafer ball valve was designed to operate up to 16 levels.

ANSI150 Pressure Ratings

ANSI150 pressure rating establishes different measures for pipe sizes that you would use on wafer ball valves.

American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 150, are the best standards for threaded, weld necks, lap joints and slip on.

It will also work well for blind flanges as well as socket welds for the wafer ball valves.

What Is The Recommended Working Temperature For Wafer Ball Valves?

Well, the recommended working temperature for the wafer ball valve is not constant.

In other words, depending on the type of wafer ball valve and material, the recommended temperature will vary.

In most cases, you will have the recommended working temperature between -20 and 180 degrees centigrade.

What Does Rangeability Mean In Relation To Wafer Ball Valves?

Rangeability is the minimum to maximum flow rates that you can control through a given type of valve.

You can calculate rangeability by looking at the actuator and geometry of the wafer type ball valve.

In case the valve is not accurate at 5% of stroke the desired rangeability is 20:1.

An increase in rangeability simply means an increase in flow rate that can be controlled by wafer ball valves.

You should also note that the rangeability also varies depending on the type of valve.

For instance, V-notched wafer ball valves have the greatest rangeability of 200:1.

On the other hand, globe valves have lower rangeability of 100:1.

What Are The Applicable Standards For Wafer Ball Valves?

Well, there are specific applicable standards that you should have for the wafer ball valves.

These applicable standards will ensure that the machine is in perfect condition for different application requirements.

Here are some of the most important application standards for the wafer ball valves.

• ASME Quality Standards such as ASME B31.1 for Power Piping 2014, ASME B31.3 for Process Piping 2014.You can also ensure that it has ASME B31.4 for Pipeline Transportation Systems for Liquids and Slurries among others.
• API Quality Standards
• ISO Quality Standards
• RoHS Quality Standards
• ANSI Quality Standards

What Is The Lifespan Of Wafer Ball Valves?

You should rest easy knowing that the wafer ball valves will serve you for at least 8 years.

Depending on the type of wafer ball valve, you can even use it for more than 10 years.

You should, however, be very careful and conduct proper maintenance on the wafer ball valves.

How Much Is Wafer Ball Valves Price?

There are different types of wafer ball valves that are available at different prices.

You should also note that different suppliers charge different prices for the wafer ball valves.

On that note, you have to look at the specifications of the wafer ball valve before you purchase.

You should note that better specification makes the best types of wafer ball valves but the price will be high.

Generally, the wafer ball valves will cost you between 10 US dollars and 450 US dollars.

What Are The Considerations For Choosing Wafer Ball Valves?

You have to take into consideration several factors before choosing the best type of wafer ball valves.

Here are the main factors to consider when choosing the best types of wafer ball valves.

Similar Valves

In case you have other types of valves within the system, their connection will definitely influence your choice.

Implying that you must choose a wafer ball valve that is compatible to the other types of valves in the system.

Process Pressure Ratings

You have to look at the maximum amount of pressure that you will expect to operate with on the wafer ball valve.

Depending on the pressure levels, you can either have welded or bolted connections for the wafer ball valves.

Cost Of Wafer Ball Valve

Here, you will look at the cost of purchasing the wafer ball valve as well as that of connecting it to the system.

Welded connections are very cheap but not flexible while screwed and bolted connections are expensive but flexible.

Zero Leakage

You must ensure that the wafer ball valve you are purchasing has zero leakage and will not compromise application demands.

In such a case, you should have welded connections which might not be flexible but will provide zero leakage.

Pipe Size

Here, you will be looking at the main dimensions of the wafer ball valve in reference to the size of pipes.

Obviously, you have to purchase wafer ball valves with fitting sizes on the main pipe system.

Ease Of Operation

It is important to get the best types of wafer ball valve that is very easy to install, replace, and even maintain.

You can opt for flanged connections that are easy to maintain instead of threaded connections that are more difficult.

Connection Standard

You should have a good look at the connection standards for flanged and threaded connections that matches the pipe.

In case of welding connection, you should look at the materials of the pipe as well as that of the valve.

How Do You Maintain Wafer Type Ball Valves?

Wafer type ball valves are one of the easiest types of ball valves that you can ever use and maintain.

The cost of maintaining the wafer ball valves is very low as it involves replacing very few parts.

Here are some of the factors to consider when maintaining the wafer type ball valves.

Lubrication Of Moving Parts

You should apply oil. Or grease to the moving parts of the wafer ball valve to reduce friction and ease movement.

Make sure that you lubricate all the moving joints within the wafer type ball valve.

Cleaning The Valve

You should also clean the wafer type ball valve on a regular basis to get rid of any form of debris.

Cleaning might involve removing different parts of the valve to have access to the internal parts of the valve.

Replacing Worn-out Parts

You should also conduct regular inspection on the wafer ball valve and identify the broken or worn-out parts.

As soon as you identify the worn-out and broken parts, you should remove them and replace them with new ones.

At Kinvalve, we design and manufacture a range of wafer ball valves, depending on your specific needs and requirements.

We also support OEM clients.

You can contact us today for all your wafer ball valve needs.