On Demand 3D Production for the Oil&Gas sector
3D printing and optimization of sealing seats for ball valves
The PEEK seats mainly present in floating ball valves mounted on pins for the control of a wide range of aggressive fluids and gases can be made On Demand and Just in Time through Roboze 3D printing systems.
Ball valves are the most frequently used type of flow shut-off device in hydraulic pipes. To ensure closing, opening or reduction of the flow, the valves provide for the 90 ° rotation of a spherical obturator equipped with a cylindrical cavity coaxial to the flow.
The sealing seats are used to ensure perfect isolation of the ball valves when they are in the flow shut-off position. Especially in the Oil&Gas sector, the seats, usually made of metal, can be subjected to high temperatures and pressures. They can come into contact with chemically aggressive liquids which corrode the metal material causing the presence of impurities in the flow. The continuous usage of the seat generates valve leaks, which can provoke an unwanted flow rate which creates an increase of up to 15% of the nominal power of the system. It is therefore necessary to avoid such situations that could compromise its operation.
To overcome these problems, it is possible to obtain a high level of sealing performance or even zero leaks by using a high performance super polymer such as PEEK: a material with high chemical resistance and with a continuous use temperature up to 250 ° C, available on the Roboze 3D printing devices.
The properties of PEEK allow to increase the lifetime of the seat, reducing wear, impurities and the actual leakage of the valve. Furthermore, PEEK is a V0 certified material according to UL94: this certification ensures fire protection in case of leaks at high temperatures.
With Roboze it is possible to replace gaskets, sealing rings and seats by producing 3D printed parts in PEEK or alternatively CARBON PEEK, increasing the efficiency, geometric complexity and life of the seals, ensuring a hermetic seal and reducing leaks as well as downtime and maintenance costs, thanks to the possibility of making parts whenever and wherever needed.
Roboze is committed every day to helping manufacturers optimize their business to cope with rapidly changing market dynamics and win in competitiveness.
Contact one of our experts, we will be happy to support your projects.
#PrintStrongLikeMetal #OnDemand