Various Applications of Butterfly Valves In The Industry

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Various types of valves are used in industrial pipes to monitor the media flow. Some of the most common of them are ball, check, globe, gate, and butterfly valves. This blog will help you learn about butterfly valves, mainly their uses in various industries. But first, let’s review the structure and function of this device.

A butterfly valve is a quarter-turn rotational motion device used to start, stop, and regulate the media flow in industrial pipes. It features a disc mounting on a rotating shaft to monitor the flow. When it is fully closed, the disc helps block the line, and when it is fully open, the disc rests at a right angle to the flow to allow it to pass through.

This device functions with the help of a rod feeding through the center of the disc. It connects to the actuator that controls the disc’s motion and is positioned either parallel or perpendicular to a media flow. The invention of butterfly valves has permitted an upgrade in applications across various operations that we will discuss here.

In Food Processing

The food processing industry is a diverse network of businesses supplying edibles to the population. Since the food is offered on a massive scale, it is essential to maintain cleanliness, quality, and safety by employing butterfly valves. The workers rely on these devices to make their jobs less strenuous and complete the work quickly and efficiently.

Although butterfly valves help maintain cleanliness levels, the workers also take appropriate measures by wearing gloves during various operations. Learning about what is latex gloves is essential as it acts as an effective barrier during food handling to avoid cross-contamination.

If you’re spending a significant amount of time on cleaning equipment, thus slowing down the overall production and increasing the costs, switching to butterfly valves is suggested. This device is easy to upkeep, offers control over media flow to ensure quality, and is reliable as its parts undergo rigorous testing to ensure safety and suitability for processing.

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In High-pressure Systems

High-performance double offset butterfly valves are ideal for high-pressure systems as they are offset from the center line of the disc seat, bore, and body seal. Triple offset valves are also best suited for such systems as the seat here is made of metal, allowing a bubble-tight sealing.

For Shut-off Purposes

Various types of butterfly valve are used in industrial pipelines for general shut-off purposes as they offer a tighter seal than gate or globe valves. Since the sealing is bubble tight, it helps stop the fluid flow from passing through the pipe in the closed position.

Due to their simple design, butterfly valves take less space and are lightweight. They function as a throttling device to control the flow rate. Besides, these devices cover a range of applications as they are available in various designs and sizes for different usages and pressures.

In Building the Ships

Butterfly valves are also employed in the ship-building industry as they provide reliability and durability. They are ideal for power generation applications where ABS-approved materials are employed.

This device functions by creating a water-tight shut-off in the pipes to avoid fluid flow. The small size of these valves makes them perfect for tight space applications that are common aboard a ship. Besides, they are best for jack-up rings, ballast systems, ship side, firefighting apparatus, capacity lines, domestic piping, and several other applications.

Oil and Gas Refineries

In oil rigs and gas refineries, heavy-duty valves are used for operation. Such devices include butterfly valves made of materials that can handle aggressive media and withstand explosive environments. In such environments, it is vital to maintain safety through video surveillance by installing explosion-proof cameras that are also used for purposes like courtroom video recording. It helps organizations mitigate myriad threats by providing real-time situational awareness.

Conclusion

Butterfly valves provide high reliability and include minimal maintenance. Triple-offset valves are an effective solution in terms of cost, weight, and space-saving. They offer quality performance in water treatment and gas compression by allowing zero leaks.

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Parting Thoughts

The technology employed in manufacturing butterfly valves has progressed tremendously over the years. Since their demand in the construction processes is rising, industries are producing them on a large scale for reliability. A few typical applications of these valves include slurry and vacuum services, steam service, compressing air and gas, and preventing backflow.

Butterfly valves offer several advantages in industrial applications, making them ideal for many sectors.

This device features a gearbox that makes it easy for an operator to open and close it. Besides, it is economical to build, takes less space, is reliable, and requires little maintenance. All these advantages make a butterfly valve ideal for various industrial applications as it eventually helps them cut-down operating costs and the hours spent on maintenance services.

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