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FHT Valves - Industrial Guided Ball Valves
Guided ball valves, also known as trunnion mounted ball valves, provide a unique advantage over floating ball valves by anchoring the ball with an additional shaft at the bottom of the shutter. This design prevents the ball from shifting out of its axis, allowing these valves to maintain efficient sealing on both ends simultaneously. These features make them particularly suitable for applications involving three or four-way valves and very low-pressure scenarios where the flow might be insufficient to force the ball against its downstream seat. Guided ball valves perform effectively in both low and high-pressure applications and require less torque than their floating counterparts. Soft seats, constructed from non-metallic thermoplastic materials such as PTFE, Nylon, and PEEK, operate efficiently up to temperatures below 270°C, though this varies depending on the sealing material. However, they are not ideal for corrosive, dirty, or abrasive media, which can degrade the material, leading to leaks.
Guided ball valves work in the same way as floating ball valves, but in this case the ball is anchored by a second shaft at the bottom of the plug, called a trunnion. This prevents the ball from moving off its shaft. Guided ball valves can maintain a proper seal on both sides at once. This is suitable for 3- or 4-way valves and valves in very low pressure applications where the flow is not sufficient to push the ball against its downstream seat.
This guided ball valve is effective in low and high pressure applications, and requires less torque than floating ball valves .
Soft Seat
Soft seated valves have sealing surfaces made of non-metallic thermoplastic materials such as PTFE, Nylon, PEEK and others… They operate for working temperatures below 270°C (depends on the sealing material). Under the right conditions, soft seated valves can offer a very high level of sealing throughout their service life, usually higher than a conventional metal valve.
However, soft-seated valves are not a good match for corrosive media, dirty or abrasive process fluids. These conditions can cause the soft seat to break down and leak. They cannot withstand the same pressures as metal valves. Although soft-seated valves are often less expensive than metal-seated valves, metal-seated valves are generally more suitable when severe service is required.
Find out more about our ball valves .