For a long time, we have read too many articles about brass ball valves in the field. Frankly speaking, we always feel that good content is difficult to find, most of which are complex, scattered, lacking basis and system; or not comprehensive enough; There are also some people who are deliberately very mysterious. We have been troubled by this, so we decided to summarize an article on brass ball valves.

1. Definition of Brass Ball Valve

2. Structure and Components of Brass Ball Valve

3. The Working Principle of Brass Ball Valve

4. Application Scope of Brass Ball Valve

5. The Reason Why Brass Ball Valves Are Widely Used

6. Classification of Brass Ball Valves

7. Manufacturing Process of Brass Ball Valve

8. Main Material and Grade of Brass Ball Valve

9. Port Size of Brass Ball Valve

10. Connection Types Brass Ball Valve

11. Quality Factors of Brass Ball Valve

12. Quality Inspection Brass Ball Valve

13. Lab Tests of Brass Ball Valve

14. Certifications For Brass Ball Valves

15. Markings of Brass Ball Valves

16. Cost Factors of Brass Ball Valve

17. Selection of Brass Ball Valve

18. Installation of Brass Ball Valve

19. Use Instruction of Brass Ball Valve

20. Common Problems and Solutions of Brass Ball Valves

21. Other Precautions For Brass Ball Valve

22. Advantages and Disadvantages of Brass Ball Valves

23. The Difference Between Brass Ball Valve and Other Valves

24. World-Renowned Brass Ball Valve Brand

25. How NAFCO Brass Ball Valve Can Help Your Business

26. Conclusion

1. Definition of Brass Ball Valve

Brass ball valve is a device made of brass to control the switch and flow rate of pipeline fluid. Usually the valve body and bonnet of brass ball valve are made of forged brass, the core of the switch mechanism is the brass ball with a hole inside of the brass ball valve, which uses the back and forth action of the ball core to rotate 0-90° around the axis of the valve stem, so as to achieve the purpose of opening or closing the valve.

Brass ball valve specifications are DN8 to DN100 (corresponding to 1/8 to 4 inches), working pressure range is PN8 to PN40 (corresponding to 50 to 600WOG), and operating temperature range is between -20-180 degrees Celsius.

Brass ball valve and stop valve are the same type of valve, the difference only lays in its closing part is a ball or cone. Brass ball valve in which the ball rotates around the centerline of the valve body to open and close. It is usually used in medium and low pressure fluid pipelines to switch off or adjust the medium.

Brass ball valves are mainly used to cut off, distribute and change the flow direction of the medium in the pipeline. It cannot be used as a regulating valve. It can only be fully opened or fully closed when in use. Otherwise, the sealing seat will be easily damaged and corroded.

2. Structure and Components of Brass Ball Valve

▶ Valve body:

The material is brass, and the surface treatment includes nickel plating, chrome plating, natural color and pickling. Chrome plating is more expensive than nickel plating. Different countries and markets require different raw materials.

▶ Valve ball:

The material is brass, and the surface is chrome-plated. Generally, in order to save cost and facilitate the use of large-sized products, solid balls are used for valves below φ39, hollow balls are used for valves above φ39, and solid balls are generally flat-bottomed balls to reduce weight. The surface roughness and roundness of the ball are one of the most important factors that directly affect the tightness of the brass ball valve.

▶ PTFE Seat:

Also known as TEFLON, the chemical name is polytetrafluoroethylene, which has excellent chemical stability, no chemical effect with strong acid and alkali chemicals, high heat resistance and cold resistance, the temperature used is generally -20 degrees Celsius ~ 130 degrees Celsius, and the friction coefficient is very high. It is a good self-lubricating material and mainly used as a chemical corrosion-resistant, high-temperature-resistant seal, for packing, gasket, brass valve seat, etc..

▶ O-ring (rubber gasket):

NBR---the code name of our material is 66B, which is divided into 66B-1 and 66B-2.66B-1 is soft, 66B-2 is hard.

At present, the hardness of the O-ring is generally 65; the greater the hardness, the better the wear resistance; but more than HA80, the greater the brittleness

▶ Valve stem:

The valve stem is divided into an O-ring structure stem and a pressure cap structure stem. The O-ring structure valve stem is sealed with O-rings, while the pressure cap structure valve stem is sealed with packing. The valve stem of the pressure cap structure is divided into top-loading and bottom-loading.

▶ Handle:

The handle is used to open and close brass ball valve. From the color point of view, the handle is divided into red, yellow, blue, green, white and black. Usually different colors indicate different media: red generally indicates higher temperature medium; yellow indicates gas medium (European countries), so the valve with yellow handle is an gas ball valve; blue generally indicates lower temperature medium; white generally indicates cold air medium ; Black generally means oily medium

▶ Valve Bonnet:

According to the shape, it can be divided into hexagonal cap and octagonal cap.

Video: What is a brass ball valve (Source: youtube.com)

3.The Working Principle of Brass Ball Valve

The brass ball valve opens and closes quickly and easily. Easy to operate, quick to open and close, only need to rotate 90° from fully open to fully closed, which is convenient for long-distance control and easy maintenance.

The brass ball valve controls the rotation of the valve ball through the rotation of the handle, so as to realize the control of the fluid medium. The basic working method is as follows:

1.Turn the handle to start the switch

2. Brass ball valve body for support and protection

3. Sealing seat: between the valve body and the valve ball to keep them sealed and prevent the medium from flowing out or leaking

4. Medium flow direction: the medium can flow in and out from either end of the brass ball valve body

5. Valve ball: The valve ball is connected to the handle through the valve stem. When the water flow hole of the valve ball and the medium flow in the same direction, the valve body is opened, otherwise the valve body is closed.

Video: How brass ball valve work (Source: youtube.com)

4. Application Scope of Brass Ball Valve

Brass ball valve has good sealing performance. When fully open or fully closed, the sealing surfaces of the ball and the valve seat are isolated from the medium, and when the medium passes through, the valve sealing surface will not be eroded.

Wide range of applications, suitable for a variety of fluid pipeline media: water, oil, gas, steam, etc. Application areas: household water supply system, household gas pipeline system, mechanical equipment, chemical equipment, general parts, industrial equipment, water supply and drainage equipment, papermaking equipment, pharmaceutical equipment, general equipment, petrochemical equipment, power equipment, metallurgical powder equipment, mining equipment , municipal, electronic industry, etc.

Water Brass Ball Valve

Water pipelines are the main application range of brass ball valves. Generally, low-pressure brass valves are used.

Gas Brass Ball Valve

City gas accounts for 22% of the entire natural market, and the number of brass ball valves is large and there are many types.

Heating Brass Ball Valve

City gas accounts for 22% of the entire natural market, and the number of brass ball valves is large and there are many types.

Plumbing Brass Ball Valve

City gas accounts for 22% of the entire natural market, and the number of brass ball valves is large and there are many types.

5. The Reason Why Brass Ball Valves Are Widely Used

The brass ball valve is not restricted by the installation direction, and the flow direction of the medium can be arbitrary. The fluid resistance is small, and the full-bore brass ball valve has almost no flow resistance.

Brass ball valve is simple in structure, relatively small in size, light in weight, and easy to maintain, Tight and reliable. It has two sealing surfaces, and various plastics are widely used for the sealing surface materials of the brass ball valve at present, which has good sealing performance and can achieve complete sealing. It has also been widely used in vacuum systems.

The brass ball valve has a simple structure, the sealing ring is generally movable, and it is more convenient to disassemble and replace. Due to the wiping properties of the brass ball valve during opening and closing, it can be used in media with suspended solid particles.

6. Classification of Brass Ball Valves

6.1 According to the pressure, brass ball valves can be divided into:

▶ Low pressure: (nominal pressure)≤1.6MPa

▶ Medium pressure: (nominal pressure) 2.5~6.4MPa

▶ High pressure: (nominal pressure) 10~80MPa

▶ Ultra-high pressure: (nominal pressure)≥100MPa

6.2 According to the working temperature, brass ball valves can be divided into:

▶ Ultra low temperature

▶ Low temperature -100℃~ -40℃

▶ Normal temperature -40℃~120℃

▶ Medium temperature 120℃~450℃

▶ High temperature>450℃

6.3 According to the medium, it can be divided into:

▶ water brass ball valve

▶ oil brass ball valve

▶ gas brass ball valve

NAFCO current production is civil water-passing brass ball valve and civil air-passing brass ball valve. Air valves are generally EN331 certified.

6.4 According to the middle hole structure, the brass ball valve can be divided into

▶ Packing gland structure brass ball valve

▶ O-ring structure brass ball valve

Packing gland structure brass ball valve: In particular, the stem seal is made of PTFE, PTFE Seat seal; the advantages and disadvantages of this structure are opposite to those of the O-ring structure, with higher safety and suitable for relatively high pressure environments.

The packing gland structure brass ball valve can bear high workng pressure, the packing nut can prevent the stem from blown out in high pressure evnironments.

O-ring structure brass ball valve: In particular, the seal on the valve stem is sealed with a black rubber seal; the advantage of this structure is that the assembly is relatively simple; the cost is relatively low; the disadvantage is that it cannot be repaired and the operating temperature range is low, sasy to age.

O-ring structure brass ball valve is more used for nutural gas pipelines, with its good safety performance, because the o-ring is free of stastic electricity during handle rotates.

6.5 According to the connection method, brass ball valves can be divided into:

▶ Threaded connection brass ball valve

▶ Welding brass ball valve

▶ Union connection brass ball valve

▶ Flange brass ball valve

▶ Clamp connection brass ball valve

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7. Manufacturing Process of Brass Ball Valve

1.Hot forging workshop: Use a cutting machine to cut the copper rod into various copper rods of different lengths according to the amount of copper required by the product → put the required mold in the punching machine, and stamp (forge) the copper rod heated at high temperature, Thereby, the brass ball valve blank is obtained → the blank with flash is put into the punch and the edge is cut off.

2. Sand blasting workshop: Put the cut brass ball valve blanks into the sand blasting machine for blasting with different specifications of sand according to customer requirements. The surface of the sandblasted products should be inspected one by one, and those that are not good should be repaired, selected and scrapped.

3. Metalworking workshop: For the body: a. Drilling water hole b. Metric end c. Imperial end d. Middle hole. For caps: a. Drilling water holes b. Metric end c. Inch end; the machines for drilling and threading include CNC machine tools and instrument lathes, ordinary large lathes (C6132). Large-scale (more than 1 inch, 4 inches, 6 inches) are generally processed by CNC lathes. The machined product is designated as semi-finished brass ball valve.

4. Outsourcing electroplating: Brass ball valves are nickel-plated or chrome-plated according to customer requirements.

5. Assembly and packaging workshop: transport all kinds of accessories purchased from outsourcing that have been tested to the assembly workshop and the valve body, brass ball valve bonnet produced by our factory for assembly and packaging.

Video: How brass ball valve assembled (Source: youtube.com)

8. Main Material and Grade of Brass Ball Valve

Brass ball valves are made of copper alloys with zinc as the main additive element, and have a beautiful yellow color. They are often used in the manufacture of valves, water pipes, connecting pipes for internal and external air conditioners, and radiators. Brass with different mechanical properties can be obtained by changing the zinc content in brass. The higher the zinc content in brass, the higher the strength and the lower the plasticity. The zinc content of brass used in the industry does not exceed 45%. No matter how high the zinc content is, it will cause brittleness and deteriorate the alloy properties. In order to improve certain properties of brass, the brass that adds other alloying elements on the basis of one-dimensional brass is called special brass. Commonly used alloying elements are silicon, aluminum, tin, lead, manganese, iron and nickel. Adding aluminum to brass can improve the yield strength and corrosion resistance of brass, and slightly reduce the plasticity. Brass containing less than 4% aluminum has good comprehensive properties such as processing and casting. Adding 1% tin to brass can significantly improve the resistance of brass to seawater and marine atmospheric corrosion, so it is called "navy brass". Tin also improves the machinability of brass. The main purpose of adding lead to brass is to improve machinability and wear resistance, and lead has little effect on the strength of brass. Manganese brass has good mechanical properties, thermal stability and corrosion resistance; adding aluminum to manganese brass can also improve its performance and obtain castings with a smooth surface. Brass can be divided into two categories: cast and press-worked products.

Depending on the copper and zinc content of the brass material, we assign brass numbers to form industry norms.

The commonly used brass grades and components are as follows:

For General Market: HPb57-3, HPb58-3, HPb59-1, HPb59-3 brass

For European Market: CW614N and CW617N brass

For USA Market: C46500 and C3700 brass

For sea and salty water, DZR brass:

Dezincification of duplex brass, which is a form of corrosion, may occur when in contact with certain aggressive waters. Dezincification selectively removes zinc from the alloy, leaving behind a porous, copper-rich structure that has little mechanical strength. An in-service valve suffering from Dezincification has a white powdery substance or mineral stains on its exterior surface.

To overcome the problem, DZR brass contain an inhibitor and undergo heat treatment, have been developed which are resistant to corrosion by dezincification.

9. Port Size of Brass Ball Valve

The diameter tolerance of full bore and reduced bore should not be greater than ±1%.

1. Full bore brass ball valve

The bore diameters of full bore valves are shown in table below:

DN 8 10 15 20 25 32 40 50 65 80 100

Min 8 10 15 20 25 32 40 50 65 80 100

2. Reduced bore brass ball valve

The diameter of the reduced-bore valve is shown in table below:.

DN 8 10 15 20 25 32 40 50 65 80 100

Min 6 8 10 15 20 25 32 40 50 65 80

3. Standard bore brass ball valve

The size of the standard bore is between the full bore and the reduced bore.

10. Connection Methods Brass Ball Valve

The main connection methods of brass ball valve are:

1) Threaded connection: Internal thread and external thread Non-sealing thread (55°) G

2) Welding: including socket welding: the welding port of the ball valve is inserted into the pipe; butt welding: the welding port of the ball valve and the port of the pipe are butted to EN1254-1

4) Union connection: quick connection to pipes

6) Flange connection: mostly used for industrial applications and big sized brass ball valves

11.Quality Factors of Brass Ball Valve

1. Machining size: The sealing depth of the brass ball valve body and bonnet, and the size of the center hole center distance will affect the connection sealing performance and working pressure strength of the brass ball valve body.

2. Valve ball: including ellipse, deformation, burr, symmetry, etc., burr, ball outer diameter tolerance zone, will affect the sealing performance of brass ball valve

3. PTFE Seat: including size, outer diameter, flash, etc., will affect the sealing performance of the brass ball valve

4. Handle: the horizontal angle is too high or not in place, the valve body cannot be sealed, and the square hole size is too large or too small will also affect the sealing performance of the product.

5. Whether the sealing glue is applied evenly, the size of the gap between the metric threads of the body cap, and the quality of the glue itself. If the glue on the nut is applied unevenly, it will cause plane leakage.

6. Assembly: The assembly of the brass ball valve requires workers to strictly follow the operating procedures and indicators. Improper assembly operations will lead to and affect the safety and sealing of the brass ball valve.

12.Quality Inspection Brass Ball Valve

The inspection of brass ball valves is the fundamental guarantee to ensure high-quality products, and QC personnel are required to inspect and control the products in every proccess of production. Product inspection usually includes: xxxx

ISI. . . .

After the production of the brass ball valve is completed, the finished product inspection needs to be carried out. The inspection items mainly include:

a) Thread and thread length

b) Leakage test (gas test 6-8kgf/cm2=6-8BAR)

c) Weight, switch torque

d) Handle angle and surface treatment

e) Dimensions after assembly

f) Starting torque

g) Rotational torque

h) Bonnet resistance

i) Bonnet tightening capacity

j) Bonnet Tightening Breaking Force

k) handle capacity

l) Stem bearing force

Among them, the tests of 6-12 are type tests, and the inspection of finished products generally requires 1 to 5 inspections.

13.Lab Tests of Brass Ball Valve

Brass ball valve laboratory test, also known as formal test, is mainly tested by laboratory test equipment in accordance with the brass ball valve test standard. The test items mainly include:

a) Opening and closing torque test: It is very important for users to test whether the torque of the brass ball valve when opening and closing meets the standard.

b) Torsion and bending force test: test the pressure range that the brass ball valve can withstand under the twisting and bending environment.

c) Water pressure test: test whether the tightness and pressure bearing range of the brass ball valve meet the standard.

d) Noise test and requirements: test the noise of brass ball valves in use, mainly for brass ball valves with DN 8 to 32.

e) Service life test: to test whether the opening and closing times of the brass ball valve meet the standard, usually 5000 times for DN8~DN15, 2500 times for DN20-DN25, 1000 times for DN32-DN50, and 500 times for DN65-DN100.

f) High and low temperature test: test the working temperature range of the brass ball valve to meet the standard requirements.

Image: Lab tests for brass ball valves

Video: Torque test of ball valve (Source: youtube.com)

14.Certifications For Brass Ball Valves

14.1 European Market

14.1.1 CE

CE (CONFORMITE EUROPEENNE) certification is limited to the basic safety requirements that the product does not endanger the safety of humans, animals and goods, rather than general quality requirements. The coordination directive only specifies the main requirements, and the general directive requirements are the standard tasks. Therefore, the precise meaning is: the CE mark is a safety mark of brass ball valve rather than a quality mark, and it is the "main requirement" that constitutes the core of the European Directive. The "CE" mark is a safety certification mark and is regarded as a passport for brass ball valve manufacturers to open and enter the European market.

CE certificate for brass ball valves based on following two standards:

14.1.1.1 EN13828

EN13828 is the main European manufacturing and testing standard for brass ball valves, mainly used for brass ball valves for drinking water supply in buildings, with sizes from DN8 to DN100, with a maximum working pressure of PN10 and a maximum working temperature of 65°C, occasionally reaching 90°C ℃, but the maximum time is not more than one hour, and it is also suitable for other connecting parts of the ball valve.

14.1.1.2 EN331

EN331 is the current complete industry standard for gas brass ball valves, updated and changed in 2011. The EN 331 standard covers approved gas brass, up to and including 50mm (2”) nominal bore. Mainly for brass ball valve material , Mechanism, tightness, and safety are tested.

14.1.2 Rohs

Rohs, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union passed the RoHS Directive in January 2003. The full name is The Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment. Called Directive 2002/95/EC, it clearly defines the maximum limit values for six hazardous substances. For brass ball valves, it is mainly the test of lead content.

14.1.3 ACS

ACS is a French health certification body, the full name is (Academia constiintei de sine), mainly according to the standards issued by AFNOR (Association Francaise de Normalisation) (such as XP P41-251) for brass ball valve testing. There are related laboratories in Paris and Lille. The test contents include component analysis; according to the requirements of "Profile"; storage test (microbiological analysis)) component test; component group test; physical and chemical material test; toxicology and microbiology test (by different applications); extraction test; hot water test, etc.

14.1.4 DVGW

DVGW certification is a certification developed by the German Gas and Water Industry Association. It should be regarded as the most authoritative certification in Germany for products such as faucets, brass ball valves and pipe fittings, which need to pass the KTW standard chemical test. KTW (Testing Test Approval of Non-metallic Parts in German Drinking Water Industry) represents the authority of the drinking water system material selection and health assessment of the German Federal Ministry of Health, requiring suppliers to comply with DVGW (German Gas and Water Association) Regulation W270 "Microorganisms in non- Propagation on Metal Materials". This standard primarily protects drinking water from contamination by biological impurities. All drinking water systems and accessories (such as drinking water pipes, brass ball valves, brass fittings, etc.) exported to Europe must be certified by KTW.

14.1.5 WRAS

WRAS (Water Research Advisory Scheme) certification refers to the water regulations consultation plan, WRAS is the certification of drinking water safety in the UK. The main objective of the program is to avoid water: waste, misuse, abuse, improper consumption, incorrect measurement or contamination. WRAS certification includes material certification and product certification. All tap water equipment, plastic pipes and brass ball valves that have passed the relevant certification will be given a unique reference number and a certificate will be issued to prove that they have passed the relevant certification.

14.2 North American Market

14.2.1 UPC

UPC refers to uniform plumbing code, a unified sanitary plumbing product standard, and is the authoritative certification for brass ball valves entering the American market, and adding "c" refers to the Canadian market, cUPC is the authority of sanitary ware products in the North American market Certification, the product range of cUPC certification is the plumbing and sanitary products exported to the North American market. The cUPC certification evaluates the certified products according to the unified plumbing specifications of the United States and Canada, and the specific certificate is issued by the IAPMO (International Association Plumbing and Mechanical Offcials) in the United States. institution.

14.2.2 NSF

NSF Certification (NSF International) is an independent, not-for-profit non-governmental organization established in 1944. NSF specializes in standard setting, product testing and certification services in the fields of public health, safety and environmental protection, and is an authority in the field of public health and safety. The scope of certification includes public health, food safety, water quality and the environment.

NSF for brass ball valve related to AB1953 test. AB1953 is a legal certification, which was approved by the California government on September 20, 2006, and adjusted the lead-free standards for the original drinking water supply and related products. The definition of lead-free: pipeline products, brass ball valves and fittings, add and sum the lead content of each water-passing part and the product of the percentage of the water-passing area in the total water-passing area. The resulting calculated value must not be greater than 0.25.

14.2.3 UL

UL certification is a non-mandatory certification in the United States, mainly for the testing and certification of the safety performance of brass ball valves. The scope of certification does not include the EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) characteristics of the product. UL is an independent, not-for-profit, professional organization that tests for public safety. UL was founded in 1894. In the initial stage, UL mainly relied on the funds provided by the fire insurance department to maintain its operation. It was not until 1916 that UL was completely independent. After nearly a hundred years of development, UL has become a world-renowned certification body with a set of strict organizational management systems, standard development and product certification procedures.

14.2.4 CSA

CSA is the abbreviation of Canadian Standards Association (Canadian Standards Association). Founded in 1919, it was Canada's first not-for-profit organization dedicated to setting industry standards. Electronic, electrical, sanitary, gas brass ball valves and other products sold in the North American market need to obtain safety certification. CSA is Canada's largest safety certification body and one of the most well-known safety certification bodies in the world. It can provide safety certification for all types of products in machinery, building materials, electrical appliances, computer equipment, office equipment, environmental protection, medical fire safety, sports and brass ball valves, etc.

15.Markings of Brass Ball Valve

Brass ball valve bodies and handles often have forged markings, but what do these markings mean? Actually these markings are symbols of brass ball valve prameters that indicate to the users basic techinical informations during purchase, installation of brass ball valves, let's take a look in detail:

▶ PN: 10, 16, 25, 30 etc.----- indicates working pressure of brass ball valve (PN =1/10 of the nominal pressure)

▶ DN: 8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 100 etc.---- indicates Nominal Diameter of brass ball valve, from DN8 to DN100.

▶ 1/2, 2", 3", etc.----indicates the connection size of brass ball valve

▶ MOP0.2, MOP5---Maximum working pressure of brass ball valve 0.2bar and 5bar

▶ CE1115------- CE number of CE certified of brass ball valve

▶ 125CWP: cold water working pressure of brass ball valve is 125PSI

▶ 600WOG: indicates the brass ball valve suitable for water, oil and gas medium, the pressure is 600psi (1bar=14.5psi)

▶ CW617N: indicates brass ball valve made of German material standard (abolished) equivalent to CuZn40Pb2.

▶ MS58: indicates the brass material code brass ball valve, such as HPb57-3, CW614N, CW617N.

▶ CR DZR: indicates brass ball valve made of CR is CZ212, CW602N brass

16.Cost Factors of Brass Ball Valve

16.1 Price of brass raw materials: The valve body, bonnet, and ball of brass ball valves are all made of brass, which account for 85% of the total product weight. Therefore, the price of brass raw materials has the greatest impact on the price of brass ball valves. Reach 70%~75% of the production cost of brass ball valve. Therefore, when considering and analyzing the price of brass ball valves, it is necessary to refer to the price level of brass raw materials at the time of quotation.

16.2 Workers' wages: mainly include: hourly wages, piece-rate wages, overtime wages, social security, bonuses, etc., which are important factors in production costs. In recent years, with the gradual disappearance of China's demographic dividend, the relative reduction in the number of workers, and the increase in the overall economic inflation rate, workers' wages have also gradually increased. At present, many brass ball valve manufacturers have started to upgrade production and manufacturing productivity, increase investment in equipment and machines, reduce dependence on labor, improve efficiency and reduce costs.

16.3 Accessories price: It mainly includes seals, handles, valve stems, nuts, electroplating and other supporting components and processes. Due to the changes in the above two main costs, the price of accessories will also fluctuate.

16.4 Administrative expenses: Administrative expenses generally refer to various expenses incurred by brass ball valve manufacturers for organizing and managing production and business activities. The specific items included are: 1. The daily management expenses incurred by the management department of the enterprise; 2. The wages and benefits of the management personnel in the enterprise; 3. Other miscellaneous expenses incurred during the operation and management of the enterprise; 4. Various corporate taxes that have been paid 5. The start-up expenses incurred by the enterprise during the preparation period; 6. The company expenses that the enterprise uniformly bears, etc.

16.5 Quality control cost: refers to the cost of brass ball valve manufacturers to ensure that the brass ball valve meets the specified requirements and the loss caused by failure to meet the specified requirements, which is an integral part of the total production cost of the enterprise. Including the investment in inspection equipment and inspection equipment, the salary of inspectors, etc.

16.6 Exchange rate: At present, most brass ball valve exporters use US dollars to settle the payment. After receiving the US dollar, they need to convert the currency into RMB before they can be used in China, which involves the exchange rate issue. The devaluation of RMB is more beneficial for brass ball valve suppliers, because more RMB can be exchanged. Otherwise, the cost will rise.

Image: PTFE seat production for brass ball valves

17.Selection of Brass Ball Valve

Brass ball valves are mainly used to connect or block the pipeline medium, especially in the parts that require rapid opening and closing, such as emergency unloading and so on. Because of its simple structure, few parts, light weight and good sealing performance, it is widely used in petroleum, chemical industry, liquefied gas, water supply and drainage, food, pharmaceutical, power generation, papermaking, urban construction, mining, boiler steam system, municipal , atomic energy, aviation, rockets and other departments, as well as people's daily life can use brass ball valves, since brass ball valves are so widely used, how to choose a suitable brass ball valve?

Below we will understand from several aspects:

1. For oil and natural gas transmission main lines, those that need to be cleaned and buried underground, choose a brass ball valve with a full-bore and full-welded structure; for those buried on the ground, choose a full-bore welded connection or flange connection Brass ball valve; branch pipe, choose flange connection, welded connection, full-bore or reduced-bore brass ball valve.

2. Brass ball valves with flange connection are selected for the pipelines and storage equipment of refined oil.

3. On the pipeline of city gas and natural gas, use the floating brass ball valve with flange connection and internal thread connection.

4. In the oxygen pipeline system in the metallurgical system, the fixed ball brass ball valve with flange connection after strict degreasing treatment should be selected.5. In the pipeline system and device of low temperature medium, low temperature brass ball valve with valve cover should be selected.

6. On the pipeline system of the catalytic cracking unit of the oil refining unit, a lifting rod type brass ball valve can be selected.

9. In the devices and pipeline systems of corrosive media such as acid and alkali in chemical systems, all stainless steel brass ball valves made of austenitic stainless steel and PTFE as the valve seat sealing ring should be selected.

10. Metal-to-metal sealing brass ball valves can be used in pipeline systems or devices of high temperature medium in metallurgical systems, power systems, petrochemical plants, and urban heating systems.

11. When flow adjustment is required, a worm gear driven, pneumatic or electric adjustable brass ball valve with V-shaped opening can be selected.

18.Installation of Brass Ball Valve

18.1 Brass ball valve installation instruction:

Compare the rated parameters required by the equipment with the rated parameters marked on the product to ensure that the product meets the required requirements;

The installation personnel must be trained and experienced to ensure the smooth completion of the installation work;

After the installation is completed, a thorough inspection is required to ensure that the installation is correct;

In order to ensure that there are no accidents in the installation work, the piping system should be thoroughly cleaned before the product is installed (chemical reagents are used if necessary) to ensure that the piping system is clean, free of rust and dirt, and it needs to be removed before flushing. go to all filtration devices to make sure the pipes are clear;

It is recommended to install a temporary pipeline at the equipment installation pipeline during the initial cleaning of the system, and then install the equipment on the pipeline after the flushing work is completed;

Note that the equipment should not be used in places where the medium contains more grease, mineral oil and other places with high viscosity or corrosiveness;

18.2 Brass ball valve installation steps:

Apply a good quality PTFE thread tape to wrap the male ends of pipes or brass ball valves.

Connect the brass ball valve to the pipelines. The brass ball valve operated by the handle can be installed at any position on the pipeline. But the brass ball valve and gear box or pneumatic actuator should be installed upright, that is, in a horizontal pipeline, the transmission device is located in the pipeline,

Install gaskets for brass ball valve threads and pipeline threads according to pipeline design requirements

Tightened the brass ball valves with wrench symmetrically, continuously and evenly.

Tighten till the joint starting to the seat and the pipes,

Slightly adjust the brass ball valve handle position to favorable direction.

Don't over tighten the brass ball valves, otherwise it may cause damage to the pipeline system.

Video: How To Install A Crane Fluid Systems Ball Valve (Source: youtube.com)

19.Use Instruction of Brass Ball Valve

1. Brass ball valve is a control component in the pipeline system that can quickly cut off and connect the medium flow. During use, the brass ball valve must be fully open or fully closed, and cannot be used to adjust the flow.

2. Brass ball valve has internal and external threads, ferrules, and hot melt connection. The valve body and bonnet adopt constant temperature hot forging and tempering process, which greatly improves the mechanical performance and safety factor of the brass ball valve. Brass ball valve pressure test is strictly carried out in accordance with the "General Brass Ball Valve Pressure Test" standard, and 100% of the test is qualified before leaving the factory.

3. The installation of the brass ball valve must be carried out by professionals with relevant qualifications. The deviation of the different axial degrees of the pipelines at both ends should not be too large, otherwise excessive pipeline installation stress will occur, resulting in damage to the brass ball valve. When installing and tightening, the hexagonal or octagonal part on the same side of the thread should be wrenched, and the hexagonal or octagonal part of the other end of the brass ball valve should not be wrenched to avoid deformation of the brass ball valve.

4. The thread accuracy and effective length of the brass ball valve are strictly in accordance with the relevant standards. When installing and tightening, a wrench or pipe wrench with the corresponding torque must be selected, and the effective thread length can be screwed in. Do not cause excessive pressure on the inner end face and cause yellowing. The copper ball valve is deformed, the sealing surface is damaged and leaks.

5. To ensure the normal use of the brass ball valve, install a filter at the inlet of the pipeline as much as possible. In order to avoid frequent fluctuations in pipeline pressure or temperature and reduce the service life of brass ball valves, corresponding preventive measures should be designed.

6. The handle of the brass ball valve is designed according to the operating environment of the brass ball valve and the corresponding torque. Do not use a larger force arm instead to avoid damage to the brass ball valve due to excessive operating torque. In the process of use, the speed of closing the brass ball valve should not be too large, otherwise the water hammer effect of instantaneous pressure multiplication will occur.

7. The sealing packing of the valve stem of the brass ball valve is polytetrachloroethylene. If there is corrosion and leakage, the pressure cap can be tightened to compensate the packing. To replace the packing, the medium pressure must be removed.

20.Common Problems and Solutions of Brass Ball Valves

20.1 Difficulty operating the switch

First of all, you need to check the external reasons: check whether the brass ball valve components are damaged, whether the lubrication is good, whether the bolts are loose, and if there is no brass ball valve, you need to check whether the actuator is working properly.

After eliminating external factors, the brass ball valve should be drained to check whether there is ice or debris. If there is no ice or debris, it can be confirmed that the ball and the valve seat are locked. It is not that the ball and the valve seat are too tight, but There is a serious lack of grease on the surface of the sphere, resulting in a loss of lubrication on the surface of the sphere. At this time, the brass ball valve should be opened and closed while adding grease, and it will be found that the opening is getting larger and larger. Continue to add some grease to consolidate it to ensure that the surface of the ball is fully lubricated.

20.2 Brass ball valve internal leakage

The accumulation of debris between the valve seat and the valve ball will cause internal leakage; after cleaning, the brass ball valve can be moved and injected with lubricating and sealing grease;

Damaged or damaged ball and/or seat will cause internal leakage: after cleaning, move the brass ball valve and inject sealing grease. Once the ball or valve seat has a gap, it needs to be injected with sealing grease every time it needs to be sealed. Each time the brass ball valve is operated, part of the sealing grease will be lost. According to different leakage, the sealing grease must be replenished periodically.

The brass ball valve is best to drain the valve cavity in the fully closed position. After the brass ball valve is drained, open the drain valve again after an interval of 10 minutes to check the internal leakage. For the ball valve with slight internal leakage, after filling the grease, check whether the brass ball valve still has internal leakage. For ball valves that still have internal leakage and serious internal leakage after inspection, first observe whether the limit position of the brass ball valve is accurately in the fully open or fully closed position, and then manually adjust the limit position of the brass ball valve to observe whether the internal leakage is alleviated. Otherwise, a quantitative amount of brass ball valve sealing grease needs to be injected.

20.3 Brass ball valve stem leakage

Most brass ball valves are designed with upper and lower stem seals. The seal at the stem of the brass ball valve is nothing more than O-ring, T-seal and other shape seals. If a leak is found at the stem, it can be determined that the lower stem seal is leaking and thus leaks to the upper stem seal. If there is a leak at the valve stem, check if there is a grease port that can be filled with grease for a temporary seal. The filling of the sealing grease should be slow, and the filling should be stopped when the leakage is stopped, so as to avoid the difficulty in operating the brass ball valve caused by too much filling.

20.4 Brass ball valve body connection leakage

To deal with the leakage of the external joint of the brass ball valve, it is necessary to know whether there is an internal check valve inside the joint. The leakage of the grease injection nozzle can be solved by injecting grease, and the leakage at the threaded connection needs to be tightened with an explosion-proof wrench.

If it still can't be solved, at the joint without a check valve inside, the pressure on the upstream and downstream sides corresponding to the external joint must be released before replacement; at the joint with a check valve inside, the external joint can be removed for replacement. During operation, slowly unscrew the joint to prevent the inner check valve from leaking high pressure and ejecting the outer joint.

21.Other Precautions For Brass Ball Valve

(1) The disassembly and decomposition operation must be carried out only after it is confirmed that the upper and downstream pipes of the brass ball valve have been depressurized.

(2) Non-metal parts should be removed from the cleaning agent immediately after cleaning, and should not be soaked for a long time.

(3) The bolts on the flange must be tightened symmetrically, gradually and evenly during assembly.

(4) The cleaning agent should be compatible with the rubber parts, plastic parts, metal parts and working medium (such as gas) in the brass ball valve. When the working medium is gas, gasoline (GB484-89) can be used to clean metal parts. Clean non-metallic parts with pure water or alcohol.

(5) Each single brass ball valve part decomposed can be cleaned by dipping. The metal parts with undecomposed non-metal parts can be scrubbed with a clean and fine silk cloth impregnated with cleaning agent (to prevent the fibers from falling off and adhering to the parts). When cleaning, all grease, dirt, glue, dust, etc. adhering to the wall must be removed.

(6) When disassembling and reassembling the brass ball valve, care must be taken to prevent damage to the sealing surface of the parts, especially non-metallic parts, and tools should be used when taking out the O-ring.

(7) After cleaning, it needs to be assembled after the cleaning agent on the wall to be washed has evaporated (it can be wiped with a silk cloth not soaked in the cleaning agent), but it should not be left for a long time, otherwise it will rust and be polluted by dust.

(8) New parts also need to be cleaned before assembly.

(9) Lubricate with grease. Grease should be compatible with brass ball valve metal material, rubber parts, plastic parts and working medium. When the working medium is gas, for example, special 221 grease can be used. Apply a thin layer of grease on the surface of the seal installation groove, apply a thin layer of grease on the rubber seal, and apply a thin layer of grease on the sealing surface and friction surface of the valve stem.

(10) Metal chips, fibers, grease (except those specified for use), dust, other impurities, foreign objects, etc. should not be allowed to contaminate, adhere or stay on the surface of the parts or enter the inner cavity during assembly.

(11) Use standard threaded joints to connect;

Image: Machining of brass ball valves

22.Advantages and Disadvantages of Brass Ball Valves

22.1 The advantages of brass ball valve

▶ Brass ball valve has the lowest flow resistance (actually 0);

▶ Because brass ball valve will not get stuck during work (when there is no lubricant), it can be reliably used in corrosive media and low boiling point liquids;

▶ In a wide range of pressure and temperature, brass ball valve can achieve complete sealing;

vBrass ball valve can realize rapid opening and closing, and the opening and closing time of some structures is only 0.05~0.1s, so as to ensure that it can be used in the automation system of the test bench. When the valve is opened and closed quickly, the operation has no impact;

▶ The working medium is reliably sealed on both sides of brass ball valve;

▶ When fully open and fully closed, the sealing surface of the ball and valve seat is isolated from the medium, so the medium passing through the brass ball valve at high speed will not cause erosion of the sealing surface;

▶ Compact structure and light weight, brass ball valve can be considered as the most reasonable valve structure for low temperature medium system;

▶ The brass ball valve body is symmetrical, especially the welded valve body structure, which can well withstand the stress from the pipeline;

▶ The brass ballvalve with fully welded valve body can be directly buried in the ground, so that the valve internals are not corroded, and the maximum service life can reach 30 years. It is the most ideal valve for oil and natural gas pipelines.

22.2 Disadvantages of brass ball valve

▶ Because the most important valve seat sealing ring material of the brass ball valve is PTFE, it is inert to almost all chemical substances, and has a small friction coefficient, stable performance, not easy to age, wide temperature range and excellent sealing performance comprehensive characteristics. But the physical properties of PTFE, including high coefficient of expansion, susceptibility to cold flow, and poor thermal conductivity, require that seat seal designs must be built around these properties. Therefore, when the sealing material becomes hard, the reliability of the sealing is damaged. Moreover, PTFE has a low temperature resistance grade and can only be used below 180°C. Above this temperature, the sealing material will degrade. In the case of long-term use, it is generally not used at 120 °C.

▶ Its adjustment performance is worse than that of globe valve, especially pneumatic valve (or electric valve).

23.The Difference Between Brass Ball Valve and Other Brass Valves

23.1 The working principle is different

the brass ball valve uses an open sphere as the valve core, and the rotating sphere controls the opening and closing of the valve. There is a gate or valve core in the valve body of other brass valves, and the height of the gate is adjusted to adjust the flow of the fluid.

23.2 Different operation modes:

Brass ball valve controls the switch of fluid medium through the horizontal rotation of the valve ball; other brass valves usually control the switch of fluid medium through the up and down vertical movement of the baffle or the valve core.

23.3 Different sealing methods:

the seal of brass ball valve is PTFE base, and other brass valves are sealed by hard seal or plastic gasket. Relatively speaking, brass ball valve has more reliable sealing performance and higher safety.

23.4 The temperature of the medium used is different:

The working range of the brass ball valve is between -20-180 degrees Celsius, and the temperature range of the hard-sealed brass valve can reach -50•250 degrees Celsius.

23.5 The switching speed is different:

The valve ball of the brass ball valve is a horizontal switch, the fluid resistance is small, and the switch is relatively fast. Other brass valves usually need to turn the handwheel to open the flapper or valve core up and down, the fluid resistance is large, and the switch is relatively slow.

23.6 Different maintenance:

Brass ball valves generally do not need maintenance, especially the valve ball and valve seat, due to small wear, generally do not need to be replaced within 5 years. Other brass valves require regular maintenance due to high seat wear.

24. World-Renowned Brass Ball Valve Brand

1. Watts

Joseph Watts founded our company in 1874 on the belief that water boilers in textile mills shouldn’t explode, involved to world first class brass ball valve manufacturer today. What started with a pressure relief valve in a tiny New England machine shop, has paved the way for today’s high-quality, worldwide water solution technologies. From melting ice on entire city blocks from the ground up to filtering safe drinking water in isolated, weather disaster zones, you need water and water needs Watts.

2. Tecofi

Founded in 1985 in the Rhône-Alpes region, we design, manufacture and distribute brass ball valves in France and throughout the world. As a member of the French Fab, we are a key player in the field of water and industry.

3. KSB

As most professional brass ball valve manufacturer in the world, each year KSB manufactures almost a million valves. The range of valves on offer caters to numerous applications and is a perfect addition to KSB's comprehensive pump range. As well as manufacturing at its European locations, pump and valve producer KSB also operates plants in Asia and the Americas. This production network ensures that local customer support is always on hand when required. All products comply with the latest safety regulations and operate with excellent energy efficiency.

4. Arco

ARCO is a leading Spanish industrial company engaged in the design and manufacture of regulation and control systems for the professional of water, gas and heating installation.

They create solutions that improve brass ball valve manufacturer performance and help professionals with their work, giving them confidence and ensuring proper product functioning in the most difficult conditions.

5. Itap

ITAP Spa, founded in Lumezzane (Brescia) in 1972, is currently one of the leading manufacturer in Italy of valves, fittings and distribution manifolds for plumbing and heating systems. ITAP Spa is proud to offer brass ball valve bearing the approval of numerous international certifying bodies.

6. Pegler

The Pegler brand has been a major force in valves for over 100 years and is continuing development in today's markets by offering brass ball valves with heat free end connections. Pegler is a comprehensive brass ball valve manufacturer, providing compact, easy to operate, quarter turn ball valves with long trouble free service.

7. Kitz

KITZ is one of the few top brass ball valve manufacturers in the world. Founded in 1951, it has nearly half a century of brass ball valve manufacturing history. With rich experience and strong technical force, KITZ provides customers with a variety of brass ball valves for construction equipment, industrial water, air, oil and other fluid pipeline equipment

8. NAFCO

Ningbo Alpha Fluid Control Co., Ltd. (NAFCO) has been specializing in brass ball valve manufacture and export since its establishment. NAFCO is located in Ningbo Zhejiang, China - one of the plumbing valve production bases of China, we have a comprehensive industry chain of brass materials and spare parts, as well as abundant technical and industrial resources, accomplished with mature producing processes, meticulous quality control and diverse product lines.

9. Zoloto

Founded in the year 1966 India, Zoloto has turned into a world class brass ball valve manufacturer, with manufacturing state of the art quality brass ball valves and having a well-established ultra-modern research & development facility.

10. Duyar

Continuing its investments in line with its goal of becoming a world brand in brass ball valve field of business, Duyar Vana put its fully automatic molding and casting a line into service in its new facilities, with aim to be one of top brass ball valve manufacturers in the world.

Further Reading:

Top 10 Brass Ball Valve Manufacturers in World 2022

25. How NAFCO Brass Ball Valves Can Help Your Business

NAFCO is a professional brass ball valve manufacturer and exporter in China, and its products are exported to more than 50 countries around the world, winning the trust and support of many customers, because we have six advantages to help your business:

1. Reliable Quality

Production process is quality checked by QC workers with traceable records,, each brass valve body is inspected and picked up the defect before trimming,100% leakage tightness test for every brass valves, lab test from mass production as per standards.

2. Favorable Price

Reduce costs for brass material and spare parts from reliable local suppliers. High-efficient machines and equipments to increase producing capacity, production process control to reduce defect rate. Annual 5 million brass valve production reduces unit product costs.

3. Fast Delivery

Optimize material and spare part supply chain for shorter time. Utimize automatic multi-axis machineries that can machine brass valves in seconds.Employ skilled workers with more efficiency. Give priority to urgent orders to finish within 35 days.

4. OEM/ODM Production

Using our perfect modern management mode, complete supply chain and perfect production capacity, we can manufacture high-quality brass valves for you according to your samples or drawings, and you can also stamp your trademark on the products and packaging.

5. Complete Product Line

Full brass valve product line for brass ball valves, brass gate valves, brass angle valves, brass check valves, brass radiator valves, brass fittings, sizes from DN8 to DN100, pressures from PN10 to PN40, which widely used for water, gas, oil and heating systems.

6. Excellent After Sales Service

All our brass valves come with a three-year quality warranty. Spare parts and components are available for replacements to all our brass valves. Our sales team is always at your service with prompt response. Free technical support for installation and repair.

Contact Our Sales Team now！

Image: Inspection for brass ball valves

26. Conclusion

The above is all the content of the professional guide for brass ball valves. We start with the definition of brass ball valves, the structure of brass ball valves, the working principle of brass ball valves, the classification of brass ball valves, the manufacture of brass ball valves, and the installation and use of brass ball valves. The relevant information of brass ball valve is comprehensively introduced from different angles. Through this article, you can learn more about brass ball valve knowledge, which will help you to purchase brass ball valve and choose China brass ball valve supplier.

As a professional brass ball valve manufacturer in China, NAFCO can provide you with better products, better prices and better services. We always welcome your contact us and inquiries.