Key Suppliers of PROCESS VALVES.

PROCESS VALVES, a type of VALVES.

Process Valves are a type of Valves. This subcategory encompasses a wide array of manual and actuated on?off valves and is where the differences in terminology and definitions are greatest across the supply base. While valves may be distinguished by factors such as material (for instance carbon steel or stainless steel), manufacturing method, size, certification standard, pressure rating, specific application (for pipelines, critical service or cryogenic service) and design, the organisation here is based chiefly on the valve design because that is the most significant competitive differentiator—individual manufacturers often cover multiple sizes and pressure classes. Vendors specify their preferred materials, sizing and API standards, and some companies specialise in particular materials such as bronze, titanium or plastics. This subcategory includes both manually operated valves and large on?off valves that are actuated due to their size, and widely used standards include API 6D, 6A, 594, 599 and the 600 series. A common size break is at two inches: most producers of large valves can also manufacture small diameters, but not all small?diameter specialists can make large units. Within this subcategory the common types—ball, plug, butterfly, gate, globe and check valves—are broken out based on design. For ball valves the distinction between side, top or fully welded entry and various body styles is not treated as a separate competitive factor. In plug valves the main difference is between lubricated and non?lubricated versions, with non?lubricated styles representing an older construction. Butterfly valve competition hinges on whether the supplier can provide double? or triple?offset designs, while concentric and single offset arrangements are less significant, and wafer versus lug styles are not separated. Cryogenic valves, used primarily in LNG projects, are included here: the industry generally defines cryogenic valves as those operating at temperatures below about ?150 °C (?238 °F). For cryogenic service, triple?offset butterfly valves are common in larger sizes and ball valves in smaller sizes, with rising?stem designs being particularly important for switching between processes. Manufacturers of cryogenic gate, globe and check valves typically offer all three designs, so they are consolidated. Finally, double block and bleed valves within this subcategory should be distinguished from the smaller instrumentation versions.