Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Outsource your control valves education and training

Whether you need to train your employees on proper air control valve maintenance and operations or are looking for an overall water control valve course, there are many online options. Look for materials that cover your specific needs from installation or maintenance to finding problems and correcting them.

I recommend: Hire Emerson Process Management to educate your maintenance department or your entire workforce. They offer control valve engineering overview courses, maintenance and diagnostic courses. IDC Technologies offers several valve training materials including books, online courses and conferences.

Use training materials, product manuals or other information on control valves for training

Control valve manufacturers often offer product training or other information free of charge. If you don't find what you are looking for on their websites, contact them for any training materials they might be able to provide. If you don't need brand specific valve information, consider using guides that are more general in your engineering and maintenance-training program.

I recommend: Find a listing of valve training resources at the Plant Maintenance Resource Center. Use ChemicalProcessing.com for a resource of information on control valves. Their articles talk about maintenance issues, production and how it relates to your valve use and many other important control valve issues.

Join an engineering or industrial organization for good flow control valves information

Network with your peers to find countless resources from shared training materials to conferences and on-site training by companies that have proved their effectiveness with others. Other users of control valves could prove to be valuable resources in your continued education and training on these parts as they share experiences with you and your employees.

I recommend: The National Association of Manufacturers is a big organization to join with a membership that includes small and medium manufacturers, multinational firms and 350 other associations. Joining the National Society of Professional Engineers allows you access to federal, state and local groups that share your interests and involvements. Ask the Valve Manufacturers Association of America for help. They represent about 100 valve manufacturers in the U.S.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  An industrial control valve is prone to corrosion, which makes proper maintenance and operation training very important. Make sure your maintenance crew is properly inspecting and caring for the valves by keeping your workforce trained.

1. Do they provide online ordering?
2. How fast can they ship the item?
3. Do they provide spec sheets right on their website or do you have to contact a sales associate to get specifications?
4. Are sales associates friendly, knowledgeable and ready to help meet the needs of your facility or project?
5. If you need a custom flow control valve now or by a specific date, does this company provide solutions?
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Narrow down your selection of control valves by specification

With so many options available, it would be nice to narrow down your search by the specifications you need. Whether you need a gas control valve, a pneumatic control valve, a pressure control valve or a water control valve, it would be nice to only search through companies catalogs with type and control your design is calling for.

I recommend: ThomasNet and GlobalSpec make finding the right valve easy. ThomasNet has the ability to search parts from geographic location, and gives a description of what the company specializes in supplying, while GlobalSpec provides easy clickable specs that narrow your listings instantly. You'll need to complete free registration to use GlobalSpec.

Find flow control valve suppliers with which you can build a long term relationship

You want a company that you can build a relationship with, so when the unexpected happens you are ready. A flow control valve suppler that puts your needs first is priceless in an emergency.

I recommend: M&M Control Service has that personal touch. Not only do they have personal sales professionals serving your needs, they go out of their way to build relationships with their customers. Jordan Valve, a division of Richards Industries, has an instant call back system and direct access to customer service.

Look for quick shipping and easy online ordering capabilities to get your flow control valves fast

Online ordering makes the whole process easy if you know exactly what you need or are replacing an existing control valve. Companies that supply this service to their customers enable faster valve delivery in emergency situations so you can keep things running.

I recommend: F.W. Webb Company has a free inventory inquiry and order service available directly through a login at their website. Dwyer Instruments has easy online ordering capabilities and carries pneumatic and temperature control valves and control valve bodies.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be sure to know where and by whom your control valves are manufactured. Although most overseas manufacturing is of reliable quality, you may want to go with a domestic manufacturer to limit freight fuel costs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Globe valves

A globe valve is a linear motion valve that is useful for metering or regulating the fluid flow. For applications with high operating pressures, globe valves can be used.

I recommend: For detailed information about the construction, application and specification of a globe valve, read through the globe valve description at GlobalSpec.

Ball valves

A ball valve is a valve with a spherical closure member. These valves are on/off valves useful for applications where reliability of the valve is critical.

I recommend: To learn more about ball valves, read through the glossary of technical terms at Crane Supply (PDF), a distributor of valves, fittings and piping accessories.

Butterfly valves

A butterfly valve has a circular disc or vane with its pivot axes at right angles to the direction of the fluid flow. When rotated on a shaft, the circular disc seals against the seat in the valve body and restricts the fluid flow.

I recommend: Valve World, a magazine for the valve industry, provides a glossary that explains various technical terms, such as ball valve and butterfly valve.

Actuator

An actuator is an important component in a valve assembly as it controls the movement of the closure member of the valve.

I recommend: For descriptions of actuators and actuator assembly, read through the process control valve terminology at Emerson Electric Co. (PDF).

NC or NC position

The position of a control valve is specified as normally closed (NC) or normally open (NO). As the name indicates, a normally closed valve is closed in routine application and is opened as required. For a normally open valve, the case is the opposite.

I recommend: Plast-O-Matic Valves, a supplier of industrial valves, offers a glossary that explains valve terms and abbreviations, including NC and NO.

Flow characteristics

The flow characteristics of a control valve define the relationship between the valve opening and the fluid flow rate at constant operating pressure.

I recommend: You can browse through the control valve tutorial at Spirax-Sarco, an expert in steam system solutions.