AxFlow UK supplies APV ball valves for hygienic processing, product transfer, utilities, high-flow isolation and specialist mixproof applications.
The APV range includes BLV1 stainless steel full-port ball valves, DKR2 hygienic double-seat ball valves and process ball-valve solutions for utilities such as water, steam and glycol.
Ball valves are particularly useful where low flow restriction, reliable shut-off and a substantially unobstructed flow path are important.
As APV's exclusive UK distributor, AxFlow can help select the correct valve around your product, pipe size, pressure, temperature, hygienic requirement, CIP regime, automation and required flow path.
Need help selecting an APV ball valve?
Send us your fluid, pipe size, pressure, temperature, valve function, cleaning requirements and automation needs and our hygienic valve specialists can review the application.
What is a ball valve?
A ball valve is a quarter-turn valve that controls flow using a rotating ball containing a bore through its centre.
When the bore is aligned with the pipeline, fluid can pass through the valve.
When the ball is rotated through approximately 90°, the solid side of the ball blocks the flow path and closes the valve.
Ball valves are valued for:
- Reliable shut-off
- Compact operation
- Low flow restriction
- Fast quarter-turn actuation
- High available flow area
- Manual or pneumatic automation
- Suitability for liquids with a wide range of viscosities
Specialist ball-valve designs can also provide hygienic cleaning, mixproof separation, pigging compatibility or high-pressure capability.
How does a ball valve work?
Inside the valve body is a spherical valve element with a passage through its centre.
In the open position, the passage lines up with the process pipe.
This provides a relatively direct flow path through the valve.
As the actuator or handle turns the ball through 90°, the passage rotates away from the pipeline until flow is shut off.
Seats positioned around the ball provide the required seal.
Depending on the APV valve type, operation may be:
- Manual
- Pneumatic spring-to-close
- Pneumatic spring-to-open
- Double acting
- Integrated with valve-position feedback
- Integrated with automated control units
Why choose a ball valve?
Ball valves offer several advantages in process applications.
Low pressure loss
A full-port ball valve provides a large, relatively unrestricted flow path when open.
This can reduce pressure loss compared with valves that significantly obstruct or redirect the process stream.
Reliable shut-off
The rotating ball and seat arrangement provides effective process isolation when correctly selected and maintained.
Quarter-turn operation
Only approximately 90° of movement is required between open and closed positions.
This enables fast actuation.
Suitable for viscous products
The open flow path can make ball valves useful for relatively viscous liquids where restriction through the valve should be minimised.
Automation
Ball valves can be manually operated or fitted with pneumatic actuators, position feedback and control units.
Specialist configurations
Different APV ball-valve designs can provide:
- Full-bore flow
- Hygienic cleaning
- Mixproof separation
- Pigging compatibility
- High-pressure operation
- Tank-outlet duties
- Utility isolation
Why use a double-seat ball valve?
A conventional ball valve provides shut-off.
A double-seat ball valve can provide additional separation between two incompatible process streams.
This may be useful where:
- Product and CIP must remain separated
- Two products share a process area
- Cross-contamination carries significant cost
- Full-bore flow is important
- Pigging is required
- Product recovery is valuable
- A compact mixproof valve is desirable
The DKR2 is therefore significantly more specialised than a standard single-ball isolation valve.
