Valves have a wide range of applications, from pipelines and transportations to industrial functions like regulating the flow of liquid and gasses, valves are useful in many industrial markets. With the increase in demand for valve from the power industries as well as various oil and gas industries, new and innovative valve designs from valve casting manufacturers are sprouting up to meet the various sectors' demands.
The designing, quality and cost-effectiveness of the product play an important role in working out the ideal structure for metal valve casting. Here are few of the design tips and trends for valve casting that should be taken into consideration by all valve casting manufacturers:
1) Rising Demand for Automatic ValvesAutomatic valves are gaining momentum in the global market due to rapid changes in technology and the increasing capabilities of computerised control systems.
Automatic Valves which include mechanisms like electric, hydraulic, solenoid, and digital and has advanced preventive maintenance ability which eliminates the risk of shutting down as most standard valves do. Thus, automatic valves are one of the leading design trends in the market right now.
2) Control ValvesThe oil and gas industries are actively increasing the demand for control valves which has an expected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of approximately 6.6%. Thus designing control valves is an increasing trend which includes all categories, for example, sliding stem control valves and rotating shaft control valves.
3) Globe ValvesHigh-performance globe valve design is being developed by valve casting manufacturers to overcome the problems of the conventional globe.
These high performance globe valves which overcome problems like reduced flow capacity, cavitation issues, noise problems and other operational problems are being designed with integrating new features like non-rotating stem globe design, guided disc arrangement, seal-welding of threaded seat ring and other features that are good for enhancing high sealing performance and reducing hand wheel effort.
Some Tips to ConsiderAn ideal framework of a valve casting requires a detailed study of the contradictory needs and consequently finding the best solution. Here are a few basic designing tips for valve casting manufacturers to consider:
- To minimize stress concentrations, avoid an excessive number of sections as well as avoid sharp angles and abrupt section changes.
- Avoid sharp edges, as they encourage high thermal gradients. Trademarks of valve castings are rounded corners for external and fillets for internal. Sharp angles must be filleted to improve manifestations and dispense strain.
- Dimensions of inner walls should be proportioned correctly and for maximum effectiveness, ribs and brackets should be designed.
- All sections should be as uniform in thickness as possible.
- To avoid mass concentrations while production, design junctions.
- Heavy sections must be avoided to improve the designing capabilities of the valve cast, as heavy sections often involve stress concentrations and tears.