Electric or Pneumatic Actuator?

In today’s world of increasing technology, there is a greater need for valve automation via actuators and AVCO caters for almost every scenario.

We offer a wide range of pneumatic & electric actuators, positioners, limit switches, manual overrides and associated accessories, all made to the highest standards and easily mounted to most of our valve products.  This gives the ability to automate many of today’s processes for essential services, from basic remote open/close operations in harsh environments to precise flow control and metering.

The most common actuator used for valve actuation is the pneumatic actuator and AVCO supplies a ‘C’ series which is a quarter-turn double acting or spring return with the added feature of fail-safe in either open or closed positions.  Pneumatic actuators provide high speed operation and high torque for their size and are often repairable on-site to minimize down-time, due to their ‘mechanical’ nature.  They need additional accessories to give full functionality depending upon their operation, such as a solenoid valve to control air supply switching, a limit switch for basic open and close position feedback and control, or a positioner to give dynamic feedback for flow control.  Pneumatic actuators are also very useful when coupled with diverter valves as the speed of diversion can be as low as 0.3 seconds.  The need for accessories on a pneumatic actuator is far from a hindrance as they can be easily adapted to provide almost any type of feedback to a central monitoring station.  The advent of the computer age has led to the emergence of digital positioners bringing pneumatic actuators into the microprocessor based, intelligent instrumentation market.

Electric actuators are becoming very popular as their general reliability has improved over the years and the fact that they tend to be slightly more compact due to having built-in accessories.  AVCO always keeps up with modern technology and our electric actuators are no exception.  The AVCO electric actuators are available with or without integral manual overrides, spring return fail-safe options and a multitude of feedback and logic control systems.  NEMA 4 enclosures provide excellent resistance to harsh environments and integral heaters give rise to greater operating temperature ranges.  Additional accessories are rarely required for an electric actuator as the use of modular ‘plug-in’ control cards allow for quick and easy conversion of the logic system.  This gives electric actuators their compactness and often just one connection point.

The choice of actuator is really dependant upon what conditions exist at the site and how it is to be integrated into the management system – There really is no right or wrong solution in most applications; it is a choice!

AVCO’s friendly staff are always available to give advice and guidance regarding actuator choice, having many years experience in all industries.

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The AVCO 1500 series Cryo ball valve performs in the Cryogenic market

The Alloy Valves and Control (AVCO) 1500 series cryogenic ball valve is designed and engineered to handle extreme low temperatures for cryogenic fluids such as liquid oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen  to -320oF (-196oC).  Gas Separation plants, Food Processing, Aerospace and Petrochemical plants are just a few industries where this unique valve is used.  The AVCO Cryo valve is versatile in design and able to isolate, control and divert liquid and gaseous media for terminal, storage, transportation or process piping facilities.

The AVCO Cryogenic ball valve is superior in design due to the dual stem seal, extended bonnet in a bolt-on construction.  The extension varies in size from 6” (150mm) to any customer specified length and the stem shaft consists of a live-loaded stem assembly with packing at the base of the bonnet and the top where the handle is located.  It is the “dual stem seal” technology for cryogenic service which separates us from our competitors.  The 316SS stem shaft has an Anti-Static (grounded) feature to overcome any electrical charge of non-grounded equipment and maintain stem contact with the valve body at all times due to it being spring loaded.  The valve also comes in fire safe design with graphite sealing material to conform to API 607.  The bonnet has an ISO 5211 mount pad for easier automation by way of manual, pneumatic or electric actuation for on/off and modulating applications.

The 1500 series has a three (3) piece valve body which allows maintenance to be performed on the seats, seals and ball whilst the end caps are in-line.  The ball is unidirectional due to vented relief on the upstream side of flow to eliminate pressure build up in the ball cavity due to thermal expansion.   Anti-vibration washers are provided on the body bolts of the valve to control expansion and contraction motion due to temperature variations and thereby maintain bolt tightness, thus preventing potential leakage.  The valve body construction is made of cast 316 stainless steel (CF8M) and we offer pressure ranges of ASME class 150 through 600 with any end connection design for standard or specialty type request, for example, tube connection are offered.  Typically the valve is offered with butt weld, socket weld, NPT, BSP and flush bottom tank pad end styles.

The AVCO 1500 series adheres to the industry standards of ASME B16.34, API 598 and API 607 4th edition, thus leading to high quality products of which the cryogenic market demands.  Due to the increasing demand of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) nationally and globally and the increase in Ultra High Purity cryo systems for the semiconductor market, our cryogenic ball valves are available to ship in less than a week due to AVCO’s abundant stock in California.  Industrial gas producers such as Linde (BOC), Air Products and Chemicals and Praxair are just some of the companies who have inquired or purchased from AVCO.

Upon request, AVCO offers “Oxygen cleaning” to clean and degrease valve components and eliminate potential residue that may cause contamination in piping circuits.  The cleaning removes oil, grease, paint, particulates, inorganic or organic contaminates.  Furthermore, to maintain cleanliness of the valve or valve components, it is individually bagged, tagged and documented to ensure traceability.

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AVCO’s 1100 Series High Performance Ball Valve is versatile, in stock and can be custom ordered!

1100 Series

The Alloy Valves and Control (AVCO) Series 1100 is a high performance ball valve that is designed and engineered in a three-piece construction. It is able to handle a wide array of fluid flow conditions due to its versatility of interchangeable components; while still meeting or exceeding industry standards.  It provides the ability to engineer new features and services to the valve to meet different specifications or increase the operational cycle life.

This advanced engineered product has a floating ball design in the cavity of the valve body which is independent from the stem (not integral).  It has the ability to seal bi-directionally when pressurized.  The ball is fully spherical and machined full port to meet a high coefficient flow without restriction to the flow.  In case of over pressurization due to thermal expansion in the cavity of the ball or the orifice, the ball is slotted or vented for relief on the upstream side of fluid flow.  This quarter-turn valve is designed to meet vacuum service, high pressure and the ability to meet cryogenic to high temperature services.

AVCO is continually improving this series by developing and engineering quality components, making the final product even more efficient and reliable as manufacturing and material enhancements allow.  The development of the encapsulation of the seats and body seals with stainless steel retainers is just one feature of this valve.  In case of a fire, the retainers act as a back-up seat while the valve is in the closed position.  The body bolts are fully enclosed in the cast body to allow chemical wash downs, eliminating any corrosion on the bolts due to the harsh effects in a corrosive environment. The valve is designed to meet ASME 16.34, 2009 standards and conforms to API 607 4th edition, as well as pressure class ASME 600 and below with bubble tight shut-off.

The valve design allows for interchangeability of seats, seals and packing options in materials of polymer, elastomeric and cobalt alloy (metal).  This mixture of material handles a wide array of corrosive media, temperature, pressure fluctuation, velocity and abrasiveness. These sealing materials ensure leak-proof shut-off and are used in a variety of alloys offered by AVCO.  The valve bodies and balls are available in WCB Carbon Steel and CF8M Stainless Steel as standard and when higher strength alloys are needed to fight against erosive-corrosive media, CN7M Alloy 20, CW-7M Hastelloy C and Monel 400 are part of AVCO’s exotic alloy offering for the alloy market.

Modern processes controlled by computers, programmable logic controllers or other electric or pneumatic control equipment, are able to communicate to our devices by mounting hardware to the valve’s ISO 5211 mounting pad for actuation packages.  The types of actuators that are used with this product include pneumatic, electric or manual design for on-off or modulating control applications. The ISO 5211 mount pad also allows the valve to be adapted for bolted-bonnet assemblies such as the Fugitive Emission and Cryogenic bonnets for certain types of services.

AVCO is proud to offer this high performance valve during the 21st Century innovation and will continue to meet and exceed expectations for all fluid flow conditions.  With high quality machining, testing and complying with agencies such as ASTM, the 1100 series is a proven leader and a reliable product for the industrial market for years to come.  Thank you for choosing the AVCO series 1100.

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AVCO 1000 Series Metal Seated Ball Valves with shorter lead times!

The metal seated ball valve is a versatile and high performance product. It’s used in such services as chemical, food processing, steam, thermal fluids, and water/oil/gas. The metal seated ball valve is Class 600 to two inches. The valve is rated to class V. The metal seated valve is engineered to withstand high temperatures and function in abrasive services. This product is bi-directional and has a full port, an important feature of the valve which allows no restriction through the ball orifice and with the ability to open and close in 90 degree rotation. The ball and seat can be used independent of each other and features include the ability to be automated as well as a replaceable seat, ball, and stem. Valve body materials include carbon steel, chrome moly, 316 stainless steel, Monel, and Hastelloy C. Ball materials are 316 stainless steel, hardened, and lapped; stem materials are 17-4 stainless steel and K-Monel; seat material is cobalt/nickel. The metal valve end connections are NPT, SW, BW, 150, 300, and 600 flange. Stainless steel body bolts and stainless steel lockable levers are standard. Please contact us for more information on AVCO Metal Seated Ball Valves and how it can apply to your needs.

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1500 Series Cryogenic Ball Valve Applications

The cryogenic full port ball valve is a high performance product engineered to withstand extreme conditions. It’s used in such services as aerospace, cryogenic, food processing, liquid hydrogen, liquid nitrogen, and petro-chemical. End connections are NPT, butt weld, socket weld, flanged (150#, 300#, 600#) and seat materials are Teflon (PTFE), carbon filled Teflon, and Kel-F (PCTFE). This product has a full port ball, a critical component of the valve which allows no restriction through the ball orifice and the ability to open and close with 90 degree rotation. Features include optional extended/shortened bonnet lengths, bottom entry stem to prevent blow-out, a vent hole to relieve pressure in ball cavity, inter-changeable end connections, and encapsulated seats, seals, and body bolts with DOT approved washers. Stainless steel body bolts and stainless steel lockable levers are standard. Please contact us for more information on a cryogenic full port ball valve and how it can apply to your needs.

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Automated Ball Valves for all applications!

Spring return electric actuators are used for applications that require an automatic shut-down in case of a catastrophic power loss. Spring return electric actuators are used in such industries as chemical, food processing, hydraulic, oil/gas, pharmaceutical, and steam. Features of this product include an extruded aluminum body, die cast aluminum end caps, position indicator with NAMUR slot for simplified accessory mounting, blow-out proof pinion for corrosion protection, dual opposed rack pistons with low friction bearings, and adjustable travel stops to facilitate exact valve alignment.  Depending upon model size the operation speed is between 0.3 and 6 seconds. Supply pressure ranges from 35 psig minimum to 150 psig maximum. Stainless steel body bolts and stainless steel lockable levers are standard. Please contact us for more information on a spring return electric actuator and how it can apply to your needs.

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AVCO 2000 Series High Purity Ball Valves!

The 2000 Series pharmaceutical grade ball valve is a high performance and versatile product. Pharmaceutical grade valves are used in services such as biotech, clean steam, cleaning solutions, detergents, gas and air delivery, high purity gases, high purity water/oils, pharmaceutical, vacuum, and waxes. This product is ASME-BPE compliant and features include inter-changeable ends, ISO 5211 mounting pad, three piece design, tube OD bore, as well as 316L stainless steel body, ball, stem, and ends. The end connections are extended tube OD, short tube OD, socket weld tube OD, clamp ends, flush bottom tank pad, compression fitting (AVCO-LOK), and vacuum fitting. Options include cavity filled seats, purge ports, electro-polish, and mechanical polish to 10 Ra. Stainless steel body bolts and stainless steel lockable levers are standard. Please contact us for more information on pharmaceutical grade valves and how they can apply to your needs.

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AVCO V-Port Ball Valves

1900 Series Vee-Por Ball ValveAVCO’s V-Port Ball Valve

The v-port ball valve is designed to meet the highest industry standards for dynamic performance. It is designed to have either a v-shaped ball or a v-shaped seat, this allows the orifice to be opened and closed in a more controlled manner with a closer to linear flow characteristic. V-port ball valves are used in such services as chemical, dry/liquid chlorine, food processing, hydraulic, oxygen, steam, thermal fluids, vacuum, and water/oil/gas. This product has a full port, a critical component of the valve which allows no restriction through the ball orifice and the ability to open and close with 90 degree rotation. This product also has ANSI Class shutoff to prevent leakage and the end connections are NPT, butt weld, socket weld, and flanged (150#, 300#, 600#). Stainless steel body bolts and stainless steel lockable levers are standard. Please contact us for more information on our v-port ball valve and how it can apply to your application.

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