A three-piece ball valve is a common ball valve design. Its body is cleverly divided into three sections: the left and right auxiliary valve bodies and the center main valve body. These three components are tightly bolted together, making installation and disassembly extremely convenient. This structure is used not only in floating ball valves but also in fixed ball valves.
Three-piece ball valves offer a variety of connection methods, including flanges, threads, welding, and clamps and ferrules. Materials include WCB cast steel, 304 stainless steel, and 316 stainless steel. Due to their ease of disassembly, three-piece ball valves are particularly popular among welded ball valves. After welding the left and right auxiliary valve bodies, the seat seals can be easily replaced, making them ideal for applications with frequent operation and severe wear.
Performance Advantages of Three-Piece Ball Valves
- Low Flow Resistance: The resistance coefficient of a three-piece ball valve is comparable to that of a pipe section of the same length, ensuring smooth flow.
- Compact Structure: Its simple design, compact size, and light weight save space and make it easy to carry.
- Reliable Sealing: The sealing surface of a ball valve is typically made of plastic, offering excellent sealing properties and suitable for vacuum systems.
- Easy Operation: A simple 90° rotation allows for quick switching from fully open to fully closed, facilitating remote control.
- Easy Maintenance: The ball valve's removable sealing ring is easily removed and replaced, reducing maintenance costs.
- Media Isolation: In the fully open or fully closed position, the ball and seat sealing surfaces are isolated from the media, effectively protecting the valve sealing surfaces from corrosion.
- Wide Application: Three-piece ball valves are suitable for a wide range of diameters, from a few millimeters to several meters, and for a wide range of operating conditions, from high vacuum to high pressure.
