Ball Valve

A ball valve is a mechanical device for controlling the flow of media through a pipeline – it is a particular type of valve made up of seats, seals, a valve body and a machined metal ball which has a hole bored through the centre.

This perforated metal ball is situated between two seats designed to shut off and control the flow though a pipeline. The valve is in open position when the ball’s hole is in line with the flow and it is in a closed position when the ball is forced into a 90-degrees rotation either by a lever handle or an actuator.

A ball valve is most suited for conditions where quick on/off and/or bubble tight service is required. It is also known as an Isolation valve.

Ball valves are mainly used in the Food & Beverage, Pharmaceutical and Cosmetics industry and are very useful in low-flow situations.

What are the different types of a Ball Valve ?

There are a variety of ball valve types used in Industry such as;

Full Port (Full Bore), Reduced Port (Reduced Bore), Long Pattern, Short Pattern, Tank Outlet Valve/Drain Valve, Divert Valve and Glass Pipework Valve.

To decide which type to use it really depends on certain criteria such as the chemical compatibility, what is the media type flowing through the pipeline, the line pressure, temperature and the end connections. There are 4 basic end types; Threaded Connection, Socket / Welded Connection, ANSI Standard flanges and Sanitary / Clamp end.

But the 2 most common industry types used are either Reduced Port where the opening of the ball is one size smaller than the pipeline diameter or the Full Port where the opening of the ball is the same size or inline with the pipeline diameter and it provides excellent flow rates.