By: Jillian Chisefsky

Anix Valve USA is an industrial and fittings manufacturer for importers, distributors, and OEM customers. Anix has a proven track record of delivering high quality, reliable and effective products along with personable customer support, a team of technical experts, competitive pricing, and proper certifications. Trusted since 1988 to meet the needs of a wide range of industries including oil, gas, electricity, biology, pharmaceutical, textile, fiber, military, water supply, commercial plumbing and more.

Table of Contents:

Choosing the Right Control Valve Manufacturer

Quality

Product Variety

Industry Standards

Technical Expertise

Availability

Customer Service

Quality

Consider a control valve manufacturer based on their high quality and reliable products. Quality control valves start with basic product design and the sourcing of raw materials, to the manufacturing process, product testing and certifications. Also take into consideration the manufacturer’s quality of customer service and reputation.

What determines quality?

Materials: The raw materials used are high quality and durable to ensure the longevity and reliability of the final product. Anix uses premium quality materials such as carbon steel, stainless steel, brass and cast iron.

Testing: Testing may include performance, durability, safety, and compliance testing. Testing is used to ensure the products are not only safe to use, but they perform correctly, are durable and comply with industry standards.Anix ensures the quality and safety of its products by performing these tests.

Design: Design factors include functionality, ergonomics, durability, simplicity, aesthetics, and innovation.  Anix designs products with the end-user in mind, ensuring the preferences and needs of the customer. Anix makes sure the design is durable and adheres to wear and tear during long-term use.

Quality Control: Quality control includes material and component inspections, process control, and product inspections. Anix inspects the raw materials used to create the product to ensure they meet high standards; there are strict procedures used to monitor and control each manufacturing process.

Continuous Improvement: The manufacturer strives to create and provide products that satisfy customer needs and expectations. Anix regularly reviews its products and services by taking customer feedback, adopting the latest technology, and providing ongoing training and development to employees.

Product Variety

A good manufacturer will offer a wide array of products. There should be a range of valves to meet various application requirements and industry needs.

Anix Valve USA offers control, ball, gate, globe, check and trunnion valves, Y strainers, pipe fittings and more. Anix can meet the diverse needs of customers by offering several categories of products such as electrical, security lighting and HVAC valves.                                                                        

Full Product list could be found here

Cost

Find a manufacturer that gives you the best value for your money. Anix offers competitive pricing for its customers, making an affordable option for those looking for a cost-conscious solution.

Manufacturers should have:

Lean manufacturing: Focusing on limiting waste through the manufacturing process while still maximizing efficiency. This helps reduce the costs of product without trading off quality.

Strategic Sourcing: Carefully source raw materials from trusted and reliable suppliers at a favorable cost to ensure the product is affordable.

Economies of Scale: Companies can reduce the cost per unit by producing a high volume of products at one time. Because of this, Anix customers could save by buying in larger volumes.

Automation: Using advanced technology to push efficiency in the workplace and continuously improve work processes.

Industry Standards

Look for manufacturers that meet relevant industry certifications, such as API, ISO, ASME, and NACE. Industry standards and certifications are crucial for a manufacturer to provide high quality products that are safe, perform well and can withstand wear and tear.

Some Key Certifications for the Control Valve Industry Include:

API (The American Petroleum Institute): Widely recognized as the benchmark for high quality and performance of the oil and gas industry.

ISO (The International Organization for Standardization): An international quality recognition system that ensures a company can meet customer needs properly.

ASME (The American Society of Mechanical Engineers): Sets the standards for pressure vessel design, construction, and inspection.

NACE (The National Association of Corrosion Engineers): Standards for protection from corrosion.

Click for full Anix USA certification List

Technical Expertise

The manufacturer should have a team of advanced expertise for proper technical support to help with choosing the right valve for your needs and helping you after the sale. They should create a customer relationship ensuring that you are satisfied with their product.

Anix has a team of expertly trained engineers and staff that will provide knowledge of design, function, and repair of products for the electrical, lighting, HVAC and many more industries. The team is knowledgeable of the latest technological and industry trends. The company invests in intellectual research and development to stay on top of competitors and constantly improve the quality of their products.

Availability

Consider the convenience of the manufacturer. You want one that will have your item in stock and deliver your order on time. Choose a manufacturer that will adhere to your desired timeframe.

As a globalized brand, Anix provides products and services through a number of distributors around the world. Products are readily accessible to customers with reliable delivery and after sale support. Anix provides quick response time to customers looking for help.

Customer Service

Find a manufacturer that offers support from choosing a product to installation, maintenance, and repair services. The manufacturer should be personable and available to assist your every need.

Anix USA is committed to offering exceptional customer service that includes product training, maintenance, customization, warranty, quick response time and support after the sale. Anix ensures that customers get the value for the cost by providing these extra services before and after the sale.

Click here for Anix contact

Read our blog to learn more about Anix and our product offers

Anix Valve USA is a manufacturer of industrial stainless, carbon and cast steel valves. For more information, visit our homepage https://anixusa.com/

Petrochemical valves are essential to a large project. Choosing the wrong valve would result in a major disaster and huge loss for petrochemical companies. Therefore, it is important to choose high quality valves from a reputable manufacturer like ANIX. A large number of companies buy valves regularly in the utility sector. If you want a smooth implementation of your project plans, it is vital choosing the right valves. A good research and knowledge on certain necessary protocols and manufacturers helps to a great extent with your procurement process.

There are a wide range of valves available in the market such as the ball valve, non return valve, globe valve and gate valve casting.

A few prominent petrochemical valves

• Gate valve casting is used predominantly with fluids that are non-corrosive, steam, water, gas and air. These valves are designed specifically to withstand very high pressure and temperature. They are highly suitable for regulating and controlling the flow of fluid.
• Globe valve castings are used in petrochemical, chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
• Non Return Valves are provide enhanced performance and are highly durable. They are available in standard sizes and are also customized according to customer requirements. They are widely used in the pneumatic system.
• The Ball Valve Castings are made from steel of superior quality. They are very strong and used predominantly in petrochemical, oil, chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Before venturing procuring petrochemical valves for your valued projects, it is important to know the exact specifications. What is used by one company may not be the same as the other. It is absolutely necessary for valves to meet different quality standards.

There are various reputed and reliable companies supplying top quality, high standard petrochemical valves customized to your requirements. You can browse online through sites that provide you with a list of verified suppliers. You can also refer online directories that provide you with contact information and links to petrochemical valve suppliers. Valves can be ordered online by companies as these sites offer secure payment options.

Companies can be contacted online. If you are sourcing valves for your company project requirements, these companies will be happy to send their sales representative with their brochure to your office where you can have discussions. You can even contact a couple or more petrochemical valve suppliers and ask them to send their representative for discussions. After comparing their services and price offered, it is easy to make an informed decision. Contact ANIX today!

By Lauryn B.

Anix Valve USA is a manufacturing company based in the United States. Contact us today at https://anixusa.com/ContactUs to find out about the wide range of valves and fittings that we carry!

With a wide range of stainless steel and cast steel valves available, Anix is primed to serve its customers. The company is looking for its stocking distribution partners.

Introduction

Have you ever wondered how and why valves are made, processed and then delivered to your door? Well, that’s what I’m here to tell you. Valves are important items used in our everyday life. Without it we wouldn't have things such as heat or water. Valves are used in the basic mechanical functions in our life. It’s essential for all manufacturing processes and every energy production and supply system. There are various steps to make the right valve function for your needs. The basic steps for it to be functionally ready are the design, plastic moulding, mechanical processing, assembly and testing, and quality. The process for it to be manufactured is a complex and long process. It needs to be manufactured for perfect efficiency, and undergo various tests so it's in perfect functioning order befitting our customers.

Did you know that all the supply pipeline systems we rely on so much would be faulty without formidable valves? Read on to discover facts behind the making of industrial valves.

Valves control the flow of liquid or gas in the various supply system. For instance, a valve controls the water flow in your kitchen sink and shower! For steady and efficient supply, industrial valves are used by gas, water, and oil supply utilities. Industrial valves must be built to withstand high pressure. These valves must also be high-quality to withstand years of service and exposure to extreme environments. The manufacturing process of industrial valves is a complex process that requires great care to deliver quality continually. This article contains details on the production process and methods used.

Manufacturing Checklist

The manufacturing department will find the necessary materials needed to cast the valve best suited for your needs, such as the materials needed to build the valve and the type of material to design the casting of the valve. Will also look for the raw materials needed to build the valve such as the stem, spool, body, disc, and bonnet, making sure that the materials are compliant.  After getting all the materials the team will go over the checklist to make sure everything is done and complete, and to have the final draft of the design completed. Once the design is completed and finalized, it’s time to manufacture them. There are 2 common methods that are used to manufacture the valves, the cast method and forged method.

When all the materials are available, the production process begins. A valve has four components: The stem, body, spool and bonnet. All these parts are made independently. The company employs either the casting or forging method in production.

Cast methods and Assembly

Before we start with the cast methods, we would have to create the ideal valve shape. Once you have defined your ideal valve shape, you print out multiple copies of the pattern using your computer’s laser printer. You then cut out each separate part using tin snips or razor blades. The various parts from this initial step are finally put together to form the finished check pump.

This formation method produces an exact copy of the designed pattern. However, it is slower than other methods, so for small runs (50-100 pieces) wire forming is recommended. For larger quantities (1000+ pieces), flexible manufacturing is still preferred over the printing and cutting approach. Weighing is one of the most important parts of producing check valves. This helps determine their strength and how much pressure they can withstand before failing. You may notice that even with the same opening, some will be heavier than others. This is because the lighter ones are often made of cast iron while the heaver ones are light metals.

The cast method body is when the pre-shape is cleaned, the body is put on the turning machine, so the single cutter can cut the desired shape needed. Then a coating material is added over the entire body.  Then the next step is to polish the whole body, create the threads over the body, so attachments can be installed to the body. Each hole would be a different size depending on the valve size requirement. Then it’s painted and baked with elastomer. For the seat, it goes through the same process as the body.  It needs to be aligned perfectly to the body. The stem does not need a lot of manufacturing, it just needs to be cut into the right dimensions.

After choosing the material, it is cut into a specific length and width. Then it’s forged, each body is heated to a certain degree then the excess material is trimmed from the body. While it’s still hot, it’s molded into the correct shape and then sandblasted, which makes the valve smooth and clean. Machining enhances the size and thread and shapes depending on the design of the valve.

When all the materials are ready, then it is time to put them all together. The technicians attach all the components together by hand. 

Product Testing

Then when everything is ready it undergoes the testing stage to make sure it works and there is no leakage when the fluid goes through. It could range from a couple hours to a day, depending on the valve size. If there is leakage, it’s repaired so it works correctly, otherwise the valve shall move onto the next step, to see if it can handle water pressure. If it can withstand the high pressure, then it passes the test and is ready for the last phase.

After the product passes all the tests, the QA inspector checks the valves for leaks and to make sure there are no production errors. Quality assurance personnel conduct a thorough inspection of the valves to identify deformity, leaks and other possible production errors. Once the valves pass this stage, they can be released to the customer. This last inspection is to make sure the quality of the product meets the company’s standards. The product is now ready for consumers to purchase and use.

At this stage, experts fill the valves with 6-8 bar pressure for a few hours a day. If any leaks are detected, the valves will be repaired. When all valves pass the pressure test, they proceed to the next stage.

Bringing it to the Consumer

When the company receives an order from the customer, they will discuss and agree on the design and price. Once an agreement is made, the company begins creating the valves by gathering the required raw materials. The manufacturing team does a countercheck to confirm that all materials required are available. The materials must be high-quality.

The customer can view our catalogue and based on the design and function required, choose the one that best fits the criteria needed for the job. Using our webpage, click on the product and it will give you the information of the product such as the material it’s made from, specs, and a downloadable information sheet. Join now to get the benefits our company offers.

Anix is a Top Supplier of Valves in the United States. Below are the variety of products Anix offers:

1. Ball Valves

2. Gate Valves

3. Globe Valves

4. Sanitary Valves

5. Check Valves

6. Butterfly Valves

7. Actuators, Fittings, and many more

What Are Industrial Valves?

Industrial valves are devices used to control the flow of water, gas, oil or slurry. Plumbers fit industrial valves in strategic points along the pipeline supply chains to control the flow of materials.

The valves regulate the flow of substances by opening, closing or causing a partial obstruction.

There are different types of valves depending on the application. The types include butterfly, globe, gate, check and ball valves.

Without valves, our supply systems would be a mess. We would experience endless cases of spills and blockages within different supply chain systems.

Different Methods Used to Manufacture Industrial Valves

Industrial valves are manufactured in one of two methods: Forging or Casting. It is important to know the differences and discover what type of valve best suits your application.

Forging Method

In this method, solid metals or alloys are shaped under high heat. Various industrial-size tools apply compressive forces on the metals to bend them into the desired designs. Dies cut the material to make specific valves.

The temperature at which this process takes place depends on the type of metal or alloy in use. Since these valves are shaped in one piece, little to no material is wasted by the forging method.

Industrial valves made this way can withstand high levels of pressure and temperature. These valves will have a well-defined grain structure. 

Additional Details on the Casting Method

This method employs the use of liquid metal to make valves. The raw metal is subjected to high temperatures, where it melts into a molten liquid. The molten liquid is then poured into molds. After cooling and solidifying, the cast is removed from the mold.

Casting gives the potential to make valves of all designs, shapes, sizes and patterns. You can also make valves using a combination of metals or alloys.

Conclusion

Industrial valves are indispensable in the supply industry. These valves are often exposed to high temperatures and extreme pressure. It is therefore essential that high-quality materials are used during production. This article sheds light on how these valves are created.

Since they are a mechanical part, valves have a level of engineering to them. There are several factors you should know about how these devices function before you decide to own one. The first is durability. Unlike past technologies, modern valves can be easily repaired or replaced if they fail. This is because they’re made from many components which work together to control water flow.If any piece fails, another one takes its place. You can also buy spare parts at official manufacturers websites for emergencies.

Another concern is longevity. While valve failure is less common than other components in plumbing systems, their ability to withstand pressure and temperature changes is still relatively low.

By being aware of what your valves are capable of, you will know when it's time to replace them. It is always best to avoid emergency repairs as much as possible.

FAQs

1. What metals are used in valve production?

Various metals are used, including cast iron, brass, bronze, special alloy steel and stainless steel. Some commercial valve manufacturers use polymeric composites for their casing parts. These composite items provide many advantages, including low-cost production, excellent dimensional stability, durability, and flexible design options (simply attach one component or blend several components together).

2. What is the lifetime of a valve?

Most valves will remain in perfect working conditions for 10-20 years, or longer.

By: Lauryn B.

Anix Valve USA is a valve manufacturer based in Texas, United States. Find out about our wide selection of camlocks at https://anixusa.com/camlock-ss316

What is a camlock?

A camlock fitting, also called a cam and groove coupling, is used to connect two hoses and/or pipes together in a variety of industries, so that goods from one can be transferred to the other. They are extremely useful due to their simplicity and reliability, with the ease of connecting and disconnecting without tools. They are used in homebrew, agricultural, military, and industrial environments but are used mostly in industrial environments, since the hoses tend to be larger in diameters and the cam lock being a heavy duty.

Camlock Materials

The camlocks are great for transferring dry and flowing materials. There are various materials of camlocks that are used for different purposes, stainless steel, polypropylene, and nylon, brass, and aluminum alloy. depending on the industry. The materials used are dependent on the type of elements that will be going through the camlock. A stainless steel camlock is used for acid, alkali, and corrosive substances. Polypropylene and nylon camlocks are used in the chemical industry, for transmitting liquid, and for irrigation in the agricultural industry. A brass camlock is mostly used for acid and alkali substances, but can be used for transmitting saltwater. Aluminum alloy camlocks are good for freshwater and/or for mixing oil and water together. When using camlocks they should not be used for steam applications. If it was used in a steam situation it would be very dangerous and could result in an explosion. 

Camlock Styles

There are various styles as there are materials.The type of styles that they have are male adapter with a female thread,  female coupler with a male thread, coupler with a shank (hose barb), coupler with a female thread, adapter with a shank, adapter with a male thread, dust cap, and dust plug. It's important to know what each style is so you know which type is right for the job. 

Benefits of camlock fittings

There are many benefits to using camlocks, besides the cost effectiveness. One benefit is durability, since they come in various materials it's easy to choose the correct one for your situation. Another is that it is quick to set up and use. They are designed to be easy to connect to pipes or hoses.  It’s designed so there’s no need for more attachments except the camlock.  Just simply lock in the camlock in place and it's ready to use. It's versatile which means it can be used in any application. They are also reliable-by choosing the correct size, material, and pressure rating, for any application.

There are various types of camlocks such as a snaplock camlock, saflok camlock, and an eco camlock  A snaplock is used for carrying liquids, powders, and granules but shouldn't be used for compressed air. It’s usually used in agricultural or manufacturing industries due to the safe, clean transfer of various fluids. These are good for coupling systems of low and medium pressures and for connecting hose lines quickly and swiftly. A saflok camlock is an automatic camlock. It has locking arms which is designed to prevent any spillage. The automatic lock system is built into the camlock arms. It's just like a standard camlock, except it can't be easily opened by accident. An eco camlock is more cost effective and lightweight. It’s used for light duties, limited to certain applications that have less mechanical stress.

By: Lauryn B.

Anix Valve USA is a valve manufacturer based in Houston, Texas. Find out about our wide selection of butterfly valves at https://anixusa.com/butterfly-valves-2

What is a butterfly valve?

A butterfly quarter is a quarter-turn valve, allowing for a quick shut off making it cost efficient. The “butterfly” is a metal disc positioned in the center of the pipe with a rod passing through the disc to an actuator on the outside of the valve. It is in the shape of a gear, that is usually referred to as a gearbox, while the handwheel is connected to the stem. Rotating the actuator turns the disc either parallel or perpendicular to the flow.  The valve is fully opened or closed when the disc is rotated a quarter turn, to stop, regulate, or start the flow. They are suited for handling large flows of liquid and gas at low pressures.

Types of Butterfly Valves

The most common body types of the butterfly valves manufactured are short, circular body, a round disc, metal-to-metal or soft seats, top and bottom shaft bearings, and a stuffing box. Each design for the valve varies depending on the use.  One type is the wafer type that fits in between 2 flanges. Another type is the lug wafer type, where it's held between 2 flanges by bolts, and that pass through the valve casing. They are an advantage to the gate, globe, plug, and ball valves, since the maintenance cost to fix is low and there are a lot of moving parts which allow any fluid to flow freely.

Advantages of Butterfly Valves

It's used for different fluid services and is best in slurry situations. One advantage is that it is compressed so it doesn't need a lot of space , compared to the other valves. It's not heavy, it's lightweight. It's quick to use the handle and it does not require a lot of time to open or close. It is audible in different sizes, from small to very large. It also has a low pressure drop but a high pressure recovery.

Actuation method

Butterfly valves come in various operated handles, such as manually by handles and gears or automatically by electric, pneumatic or hydraulic actuators. Manual actuations are easy to operate and inexpensive, and are made as either a hand lever or a gear. The handlebar is the most common of butterfly valves and is capable of being open, partially closed, and fully closed. The gears are designed for much bigger valves, in which it increases the torque but decreases the speed for the opening and closing of the valve. These are self locking, and have position indicators. Automatic actuations are the most reliable since you can use it in any remote location. It is designed to fail open(it stays open if actuator fails) and or fail closed ( it stays open if actuator fails). One type is electric which uses an electric motor at the stem. Another is pneumatic which compresses the air so it can open and or close. And lastly, there is the hydraulic which uses a hydraulic pressure to move a piston or diaphragm to open/close the valve.

Butterfly valve vs ball valve

Butterfly valves are cheaper, easier to install, and is a small installation footprint compared to ball valves. Butterfly valves don’t have a complicated design so they don't have a lot of moving parts which means it is easier to repair and cheaper to produce. But, butterfly valve discs can not be cleaned due to their position and location. Ball valves are more suited for high pressure small applications, since they don't cause a lot of pressure to the system. 

Anix Valve is a wholesale sanitary valve manufacturer based in Houston, TX. Check out our selection at https://anixusa.com/sanitary-stainless-steel-valve

By: Lauryn B.

What is a sanitary valve?

Sanitary valves are used for applications that require cleaning or sterile processes. In order for a valve to be considered sanitary it must not have crevices or cavities that can trap media which bacteria can feed on and multiply. They can be used in dairy, food, pharmaceutical, medical, and chemical applications. Common features that it can do is easy cleaning, it will keep it crevice free, and polish contact surfaces. High quality materials are used so they won’t have corrosion building up. They are also easy to clean and some types are hydraulic, electric, or manual.

Specifications

There are very important specs when dealing with the sanitary valves and what they do, such as diameter, working pressure, and operating temperature. The diameter is measured for the across the inlet and the outlet port. While the working pressure is the pressure gate in which it is able to operate. The operating temperature is the full-required range of ambient operating temperature. For the media types, sanitary valves are constructed so that gases, liquids, and liquids with suspended solids can pass through. 

Materials

The type of materials that sanitary valves are made from are either metal or plastic. Metals such as brass, bronze, copper, cast iron, ductile iron, stainless steel, and steel. While for plastic, they come in PVC (PolyVinyl Chloride) and CPVC. The type of end connections that are installed to the valve are threaded, socket-weld or buttweld, push on, solder end, clamp, grooved end, flangeless wafer-style, lugged, mechanical joint, and flanged. While for the anucated sanitary valves depending on if it's going to be manual or automatic have electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, and manual.

By: Lauryn B.

Anix Valve USA is a valve manufacturer based in Houston, Texas. Find out about our wide selection of check valves at https://anixusa.com/globe-valve

A globe valve and its uses

A globe valve is used for regulating flow in a pipeline, consisting of a movable plug or disc element and a stationary ring seat in a generally spherical body. It gets its name  from their global shaped design. It can be used for manual and automatic operations, for regulating flow or pressure, or for complete shutoffs. When it is fully opened it has a higher pressure loss compared to a ball valve due to the flow of the fluid changing direction in the valve. Most of the time it has a handwheel operation. They are the most common out of all the valves. 

Globe valve vs gate valve

There are quite a few differences between a globe valve and gate valve so this would help with choosing which fits your needs. Globe valves are smaller than a gate valve, with a smaller body compared to its length. Gate valves are more prone to have their disc wear out compared to globe valves due to it frequently closing and opening and the amount of flow resistance coming through. Another difference between the two is that a globe valve can only be installed in one direction while a gate valve can be installed in various directions. Globe valves are used for flow regulation while the gate valves are used for on-off control. The globe valve will have a fluid trapped due to the direction of the flow while the gate valve will have little to no fluid trapped inside. Lastly, gate valves are cheaper than globe valves.

Globe valve vs ball valve

Deciding on a globe valve or ball valve? This section will help. The difference between the two valves is the way they close: globe valves close using a plug (stem) to close and stop the flow, but a ball valve has a gate (ball) that closes and opens the flow. Gate valves are good for letting the fluid flow through, while globe valves are for on and off pressure drops. Globe valves are called stroke valves due to the stem and plug going straight and ball valves are given the name of rotational valves due to the stem and ball turning horizontally.  Ball valves are very durable and usually have excellent shut off even after years of use and are generally preferred over globe valves in shutoff applications. The main limitation for ball valves is proportional control because of the large amount of flow that the ball allows. 

Applications

Globe valves are used in wastewater plants, power plants, and process plants. Those valves are usually put in steam lines, coolant loops, lubrication systems, etc. They are used for shut off and regulation protocols to control how much fluid goes through the valve. There are different types of materials that are used to make the valve, such as cast iron or brass/bronze. These types of materials are used for low pressure settings. While stainless steel is used for higher pressures and temperatures. Usually globes valves are rising stems and those are the most common. The seats and dics can be replaced inside the valve, while bonnets can be removed so you can check them out.

By: Lauryn B.

Check out https://anixusa.com/stainless-steel-ball-valve for Anix Valve USA's wide range of wholesale ball valves.

What is a ball valve?

Have you ever gotten confused about which is the right valve for the task at hand? Frustrated and confused since there are so many of them? Or even wondered what they are used for? Well we are going to talk about one specific value today, the ball valve. What a ball valve does is it controls the flow of liquid and/or gas, by having the ball revolving around the bore. When rotating the lever 90 degrees, the internal ball will allow the liquid or gas to either stop or flow. The ball valve is deemed as the most popular valve to use.

Fundamentals of ball valves

There are 5 main ball valve parts and 2 different operation types. The valve stem is connected to the ball and is supported and sealed by the ball valve seat and there are O-rings around the stem. Everything is sealed inside the valve housing. The function of the valves and all operations (manual or automatic) are what keeps the gas and water flooding through or stopping it.

Circuit function

There are various ports, which can range from 2 to 4. Most ball valves have 2 ports with a manually operated lever function. When the valve is closed it is aligned with the pipe, when turned, it is perpendicular to the pipe. Valves that are manually functioned are quick to close, but there is a risk of water flowing through the media. Ones that have 3-way ports tend to be shaped like an L or a T shape. This could result in getting mixed flows, with air and/or water flowing through simultaneously. 

Valve materials

There are different types of materials used for manufacturing valves, but some materials have more distinctive uses. Brass ball valves are used for water, gas, oil, air and many other media. Stainless steel valves are used for corrosive media and aggressive environments, like seawater, swimming pools, osmosis installations, with high temperatures, and many chemicals. PVC valves are cheaper, but they're usually used for irrigation, water supply and drainage or corrosive media.  The materials that house the ball are made out of brass, stainless steel,  or pvc (polyvinyl chloride). Usually the ball is made out of chrome plated steel, chrome plated brass, stainless steel, or pvc. The seats of the valves are made out of teflon but it could also be made out of manufactured materials or metals. 

Why are ball valves more popular?

They are more popular since they are more durable, perform well during cycles, more reliable, and are more secure when closed for long periods of time, even in disuse. They are usually popular for shutoff applications. They are also popular since there are so many material options, and you have options to pick for the right job. They are also pretty easy to clean, since the ball inside the valve self cleans itself. By having the ball rotate the seat, it wipes itself and doesn't cause any build up. It has no internal components, and therefore lacks maintenance. They are also very easy to monitor. They can even be used for a differing area of applications. The best part is that it is worthwhile and reliable.