Archive for July 2013
Stainless Steel Prices – Summer Recap
Steel mills in Europe are attempting to implement price hikes nation wide that could affect USA sales of raw metal. However, if outputs are cut more sufficiently, supply then could rise causing an increase in price for raw metal. Any pickup in activity is likely to be short lived and only temporarily. Producers may also…
Read MoreValve Terms and Definitions
ACTUATOR: A fluid-powered or electrically powered device that supplies force and motion to a VALVE CLOSURE MEMBER. AIR SET: Also SUPPLY PRESSURE REGULATOR. A device used to reduce plant air supply to valve POSITIONERS and other control equipment. Common reduced air supply pressures are 20 and 35 psig. AIR-TO-CLOSE: An increase in air pressure to the ACTUATOR is…
Read MoreBENEFITS OF A BALL VALVE OVER A BUTTERFLY VALVE
Among the two most common types of rotary valves are the ball valves and butterfly valves. Both valves have a 90 degree turn and are mainly used to control the flow of gases and liquids. There are certain features which make the ball valves better than the butterfly valves. For a start, a ball valve…
Read MoreHANDWHEEL OPERATORS AND TORQUE
What is torque? Torque is a force tending to rotate a body about an axis. (Example): force on a wrench tending to rotate a nut around a bolt. How is Torque expressed? Torque always has two parts, force and distance, and is expressed as the product of the two. (Example): Torque = force x distance. …
Read MoreHOW DOES A BUTTERFLY VALVE WORK?
A butterfly valve is a type of quarter turn valve. A quarter turn valve can open or close whenever the handle is turned 90 degrees (a quarter of a turn). The main function of these valves is to control the flow of liquids through a section of pipe. Butterfly valves are mainly used in waste…
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