Flow control systems are essential in a variety of industries and rely on components like needle valves to operate efficiently. These components have many different applications across several sectors. If you’re looking for quality needle valves for your worksite’s flow control system, keep reading to learn how these vital parts from Hy-Lok play into the operation of Canada’s essential services!
What Are Needle Valves, and How Do They Work?
Needle valves are designed with a tapered needle-shaped disc and a matching orifice. When installed into fluid systems, these valves provide excellent flow control, enabling you to stick-handle the flow rate with precision.
One of their core functions is the secure seal they provide, which prevents liquids and gases from leaking during operations or maintenance. This makes needle valves essential for systems and equipment that control the flow of liquids and gases, which is particularly crucial for industries that work with sensitive or dangerous substances, where a leak could be detrimental.
At Hy-Lok, our NV Series features an integral bonnet needle valve. The bonnet acts like a barrier to protect the valve’s internal parts from pressure surges.
Our bonnets have a pressure rating of up to 5,000 psig (340 bar), enabling their use in medium- to high-pressure applications, common in sectors such as oil refineries and instrumentation.
Essential Industries that Rely on Needle Valves
Needle valves have practical applications across several sectors, including essential industries like oil and gas, chemical processing, and water treatment. Let’s break down how these valves are used in these applications:
Oil and Gas
One of the first things that likely comes to mind with hydraulic valves is their application in the oil and gas sector. Needle valves are essential parts for several of these operations, including:
- Regulating pressure in pipelines
- Instrument isolation and line shut-off
- Accurate metering for liquids in oil refineries
- Leak control
- Maintaining flow rates during extraction and transportation
- Filling gas cylinders
Chemical Processing
In chemical plants and processing operations, needle valves are essential for providing accurate reactant dosing. Without this mechanism, the lack of controlled dosage could create an unintended, hazardous chemical reaction.
During processing and manufacturing, a needle valve made from stainless steel or alloy 400 can be used in applications running corrosive substances.
Water Systems and Facilities
There are many water systems and facilities that use needle valves to regulate flow and maintain safety during operations. Some of these systems include:
- Water purification systems: Needle valves are installed to regulate the flow of chemicals used in the purification process.
- Municipal water supply systems: Needle valves maintain system pressure control during operation.
- Water heating systems: In addition to providing flow control, needle valves are also used in HVAC systems to regulate temperature. Our needle valves from Hy-Lok can withstand temperatures from -65°F to 450°F (-54°C to 232°C) with standard PTFE packing and up to 600°F (315°C) with additional PEEK packing.
Get Needle Valves for Your Industrial Operation from Hy-Lok Canada
Needle valves are one of the best options for flow control and leak protection for many essential industries. If you’re looking for quality components that you can rely on, partner with Hy-Lok Canada for durable and reliable hydraulic valves and fittings.
View our Products page to learn which other industrial components we have in our catalogue.