TECHNICAL HUB – STAINLESS STEEL VALVES
Here at API Pneumatic UK, we’re proud to call ourselves one of the elite few valve suppliers that provide heavy-duty, stainless steel valves. Manufactured from the highest grade AISI 316L stainless steel, our stainless steel valves offer a hygienic, durable and corrosion-resistant solution for a wide range of industrial applications. From stainless steel solenoid valves to stainless steel ball valves, we have the perfect stainless steel valve for you.
WHY CHOOSE STAINLESS STEEL?
Stainless steel has long been recognised for its many favourable qualities. Not only is it strong, durable and versatile, but the fact that it comprises chromium makes it extremely resistant to corrosion and high temperatures (it’s also useful in cryogenic applications). Stainless steel is also a sustainable choice of material, owing to the fact that it is typically made from around 70% scrap metal. In its original form, sustainable steel is fully recyclable.
All of these factors combined give stainless steel a favourable total life cycle cost. Of the two common types of stainless steel available, 304 and 316 stainless steel, 316 is considered a purer and higher-quality steel. This is why we only construct our stainless steel valves from AISI 316L stainless steel. Stainless steel valves are the preferred choice across a wide range of applications, including chemical processing, food and beverage production, and water and wastewater management.
TYPES OF STAINLESS STEEL VALVES
It’s essential to understand the different types of stainless steel valves available to ensure you choose the right valve for the job. Of the various types of stainless steel valves on the market, each serves a distinctive purpose.
CHECK VALVES
Check valves are used to prevent backflow into a pipeline. Stainless steel ball check valves feature a sphere within the body of the value that allows flow to occur in one direction. Stainless steel is the ideal choice for check valves intended for water purification and filtering applications because it fares well when exposed to water.
GATE VALVES
Stainless steel gate valves are on/off valves that comprise a gate (or disc) located inside the valve, which is raised or lowered when a handle is turned. There are two common designs of gate valves: rising stem and non-rising stem. These valves should not be used for regulating flow, which could damage the disc mechanism.
KNIFE GATE VALVES
Knife gate valves are comparable to gate valves, performing a similar function, except that they come in a smaller envelope. Stainless steel knife gate valves are frequently used in liquid, slurry and powder applications. That’s because they’re specially designed to cut through media containing solids as it passes through the valve.
BALL VALVES
Stainless steel ball valves can be used as on/off control valves without incurring pressure drops. These types of stainless steel valves are ideally suited for applications requiring quick shut-off. A quarter-turn (90 degrees) is all that’s needed to achieve shut-off, as opposed to the multiple turns typical of manual valves.
DIAPHRAGM VALVES
Stainless steel diaphragm valves are used for the throttling and shut-off of liquids, slurries and gases. They do this by means of a flexible membrane, the diaphragm, which is forced against a seat when pressure is exerted on it by a linear motion stem. Upstream, downstream, hydraulic or pneumatic pressure can be used with a diaphragm valve.
STAINLESS STEEL VALVES FROM API UK
API Pneumatic UK offers the following types of high-performance stainless steel valves:
STAINLESS STEEL SOLENOID VALVES
API UK provides electrically or pneumatically operated stainless steel solenoid valves featuring INLINE or NAMUR interfaces and various coils, including encapsulated, flameproof and non-sparking. Whether you require 3/2 way solenoid valves or 5/2 way solenoid valves, API UK has the ideal stainless steel solenoid valve solution.
STAINLESS STEEL BALL VALVES
Our stainless steel ball valve range includes full bore valves and mini ball valves. Our manually operated full bore stainless steel ball valves can be used to treat a wide variety of media (including water, steam and inert gasses), whereas our space-saving mini stainless steel ball valves are best suited to compressed air treatment.
STAINLESS STEEL CONTROL VALVES
API UK provides quick exhaust and uni-directional stainless steel control valves. Our quick exhaust valves increase the speed of pneumatic cylinders, which we can also provide for the ultimate bespoke package. Our stainless steel uni-directional control valves are intended for applications where no return of compressed air is admitted.
STAINLESS STEEL SPOOL VALVES
API UK is one of the few manufacturers of stainless steel spool valves. Our stainless steel spool valves work optimally when paired with our stainless steel cylinders in hazardous, corrosive environments. Our corrosion-resistant valve solutions are suitable for a diverse range of industries, from oil and gas to pharmaceutical.
WHY CHOOSE API PNEUMATIC UK?
API Pneumatic UK is one of the most innovative valve manufacturers in the UK. We offer a wide range of industrial and process control valves in lightweight aluminium, durable brass, and corrosion-resistant AISI 316 stainless steel. Designed with long-service and optimal performance in mind, API pneumatic valves can be tailored to suit your application requirements. This means we always have a pneumatic valve to suit your application.
For more information about our full range of stainless steel valves, or to discuss your application requirements in more detail, talk to the technical team at API Pneumatic UK today. Call us on 01782 206 995 or email [email protected].