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Ask the Experts: Why use stainless steel valves?

API UK is dedicated to offering solutions to a variety of industrial environments with their range of stainless steel valves. In this article, Process Industry Forum aims to highlight the importance of stainless steel valves, available to purchase from API UK, and the advantages of each stainless steel valve range. We spoke with Tim Swift of API UK to find out more.

Why use stainless steel valves?

Tim Swift from API UK states that stainless steel is ideally suited to aggressive environments, such as environments that include corrosive chemicals, high temperatures, and other demanding applications. He said, “these industrial applications generally include pharmaceutical and food and drink manufacturing processes that require intensive clean-down processes that will take their toll on processing equipment”.

“Similarly, oil and gas industries have very demanding environments and the replacement or maintenance of equipment can be very costly”, Tim Swift goes onto explain. This is why stainless steel is better suited to this range of applications to prevent the need to maintain and replace the system regularly. Ultimately, stainless steel valves reduce the need for regular replacement of components, due to offering better resistance to the environment and improved life cycles.

What stainless steel valves do API UK supply?

Stainless steel control valves

API UK stock the new AX series of stainless steel electrically operated valves. Tim Swift from API UK explains that these valves have been specifically created for use in the food, chemical, pharmaceutical, oil & gas, and mining industries.

This range of AX series stainless steel valves have 5/2 and 5/3 connections in line on the body and come with an electric servo pilot to control the valve functioning. This AX line of electrically operated control valves is manufactured from AISI 316 stainless steel in accordance with the 2014/34/EU directive for use in potentially explosive environments.

Stainless steel spool valves

The API UK range of stainless steel spool valves has been designed and developed specifically for use in conjunction with stainless steel cylinders.

Tim Swift from API UK recommends this combination of products as they are ideal for use in the oil and gas industry, and also within the pharmaceutical sectors in which the environment can be corrosive or hazardous.

Stainless steel ancillary valves

Tim Swift from API UK confirms that API UK stock two different varieties of their stainless steel ancillary valve range. These include: stainless steel quick exhaust valves and stainless steel pneumatic ball valves.

Stainless steel quick exhaust valves are used to increase the speed of a cylinder. Tim suggests that these should be mounted directly onto the cylinder port to achieve maximum speed. These are suitable for use with compressed filtered air and can be used with or without lubrication as they are manufactured from AISI 316 stainless steel with FKM or polyurethane seals.

Tim from API UK goes on to explain that stainless steel pneumatic ball valves are designed for use in food processing and chemical industries due to their full bore and long lever design. Available as a full bore, unidirectional, and miniature ball valves, this range of valves are manually operated and are suitable for use with compressed air, water, steam, inert gases, and fluids. The range of valves are manufactured from stainless steel AISI 316; with seals made from either PTFE as standard or FKM for high-temperature environments from sizes 1/4” to 2”.

API Pneumatic UK has been supplying the British market since 1996, providing the full range of API Pneumatic products, including the stainless steel valve range. API stainless steel pneumatic cylinders are built from the highest grade 316 stainless steel to deliver the high estimate level of corrosion resistance for the pharmaceutical, food, marine, and oil & gas industries. Speak to the expert team at API Pneumatic UK to discuss your requirements, and which valves API UK think would be best suited to your application.

Company Profile

API Pneumatic UK

API Pneumatic UK is a manufacturer of high-quality pneumatic cylinders, valves, airline equipment and bespoke control panels.

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