Let’s talk in detail about the development trends of slide valves.

Release time:

2022-01-11

The plug valve is a type of valve that was not originally invented in China. It was introduced to China in the 1980s. Over the nearly 20 years since its introduction, it has expanded from its initial limited use in ordinary industrial sectors to now being widely adopted across all industries.

　　From the mining industry to industries involving pipelines for urban sewage treatment—and gradually expanding to pipeline equipment in the food and healthcare sectors—valves are increasingly being used across a wide range of applications. One advantage of slide valves, for instance, is their lightweight and compact design, which makes them easy to install. This addresses the shortcomings of other types of valves—such as their heavy weight, difficult installation, and large size—that often pose significant challenges.

　　It has once replaced a large number of valves that were previously cut or adjusted. Currently, statistically analyzed data show that the United States and Japan account for the largest share of plug valve usage worldwide. Although in China, the percentage of plug valve usage still lags behind that of the U.S. and Japan, China is increasingly placing greater emphasis on their application in this area.

　　The electric slide valve boasts excellent manufacturability and a relatively simple structure. Its sealing seat is designed based on a movable mechanism, featuring wear resistance and self-compensating capabilities, which significantly extends its service life. During the opening and closing process, the valve seat and the gate continuously move in close contact with each other, ensuring that the actuation force required for valve operation remains stable and enabling the valve to effectively shut off the medium.

The vast majority of stainless steel knife gate valves employ forced sealing: that is, when the valve is closed, an external force is applied to forcibly press the gate against the high-pressure valve seat, thereby ensuring a tight seal on the sealing surfaces. Some gates can also be designed to undergo slight deformation, which helps improve their manufacturability and compensate for any misalignment in the sealing surface angles that may occur during the manufacturing process. Such gates are referred to as flexible gates. The majority of knife gate valves rely on forced sealing—meaning that when the valve is closed, an external force is used to press the gate firmly against the high-pressure valve seat, thus guaranteeing a secure seal on the sealing surfaces. Valves of this type are generally installed horizontally in pipelines.

2023-05-11

Next, let’s talk about several operating procedures for knife gate valves.

When a gate valve is closed, the sealing surfaces rely solely on the pressure of the medium to achieve a seal—specifically, the sealing surface of the gate is pressed against the valve seat on the opposite side by the medium’s pressure, thereby ensuring a tight seal. This type of sealing is known as self-sealing. In contrast, most gate valves employ forced sealing: when the valve is closed, an external force must be applied to press the gate against the valve seat in order to guarantee the sealing performance of the sealing surfaces. Such valves should be installed vertically in the pipeline.

2023-05-11

Next, let’s talk about whether knife gate valves have fire-resistant and anti-static requirements.

When an electrostatic knife gate valve is opened or closed, the sphere and the valve seat experience mutual friction. The static electricity generated by this friction tends to accumulate on the sphere—something that is unacceptable for ball valves used in gas, fuel, and chemical pipelines, as it could potentially lead to pipeline explosions. Ball valves with antistatic designs are equipped with static discharge devices.

2023-05-11

Next, let’s talk about some important considerations for the installation, operation, and maintenance of pneumatic knife gate valves.

Pneumatic knife gate valves have a wide range of applications, spanning from ordinary fields to more diverse industries—from coal preparation, gangue removal, and slag discharge in coal-fired power plants to urban wastewater treatment; from general industrial pipelines to pipeline systems used in food, sanitation, and pharmaceutical industries. So, what are the key considerations when installing, using, and maintaining pneumatic knife gate valves?

2023-05-11

Slurry Valve Manufacturer: How are stainless steel knife gate valves good?