The team at Roto-Disc has continued to improve our products over the years. One of those innovations is the Roto-Disc® heavy-duty spherical valve, which can be customized to meet your specific requirements. Read more with our guide to this piece of machinery that can work well for your manufacturing or transportation needs.
Overview of Roto-Disc
Roto-Disc, Inc. designs and manufactures custom valves, airlocks, and diverters tailored to the needs of companies with dry and slurry material handling lines across hundreds of industries around the globe. What sets our products apart are the customization options and precision engineering built to withstand abrasive and demanding environments, including chemical environments and a wide range of temperatures.
We have been in business for more than 40 years and have thousands of happy customers. All products are designed and manufactured in the United States.
What Is the Roto-Disc® Heavy-Duty Spherical Valve?
Our Roto-Disc® heavy-duty spherical valve combines durable construction with a direct-drive system that cuts through sticky, abrasive, or gummy substances while preventing build-up and product leaks. It’s ideal for industries with challenging materials that process powders, pellets, and granules, and where various temperatures are needed.
For instance, the Roto-Disc® heavy-duty spherical valve would be highly useful in the cement manufacturing industry. Cement plants handle abrasive materials such as clinker, gypsum, and raw limestone, which can cause wear and blockages in conventional valves. This spherical valve’s robust design, featuring high-strength shafts and corrosion-resistant materials, handles these items easily of these materials, preventing leaks and ensuring smooth flow even under high pressures, whether the plant uses wet or dry mixing during the manufacturing process for regulating material flow in silos, conveyors, and mixers.
The pressure range for this valve is a full vacuum to 150psig below the valve and full vacuum to one bar above the valve. Temperature ranges go from -40°F to 1200°F (-40°C to 650°C).
Another advantage of the Roto-Disc® heavy-duty spherical valve over others comes from the direct-drive system and a simple seat replacement process. The direct-drive system maintains a steady movement for the cutting action. The seat replacement process makes it simple to switch to another product or when it’s cleaning time.
Industries That Use Roto-Disc® Heavy-Duty Spherical Valves
The Roto-Disc® heavy-duty spherical valve excels in industries that require handling abrasive, sticky, or dense materials, including environments with high pressure and high temperatures. So, if you have challenging substances at room temperature, ordinary substances that need to go through a process that includes hotter temperatures or higher pressures, or substances that need colder temperatures, this valve can help you optimize your industrial processes.
Industries that could benefit from this valve include:
- Cement
- Mining
- Power Generation
- Chemical Processing
- Plastics
- Pharmaceuticals
- Food Processing
- Steel & Metals Production
- Pulp & Paper
- Agriculture
- Waste Management
- Ceramics Manufacturing
- And more
Roto-Disc® Heavy-Duty Spherical Valves vs Similar Valves
If your company uses ball valves, knifegate/slidegate valves, or butterfly valves, Roto-Disc® heavy-duty spherical valves offer significant advantages.
Roto-Disc® Heavy-Duty Spherical Valves vs. Ball Valves
Roto-Disc valves offer significant advantages over traditional ball valves, particularly in handling abrasive and sticky materials. Ball valves are prone to wear when exposed to harsh substances, leading to leakage and performance issues. While ball valves work well for general applications, they struggle in high-pressure or abrasive material handling, where the Roto-Disc excels.
Roto-Disc® Heavy-Duty Spherical Valves vs. Knife Gate/Slide Gate Valves
Knife gate or slide gate valves often experience issues with sealing and material buildup, especially when managing sticky or dense substances. These valves can struggle to provide a consistent seal, leading to leaks or operational failure. The features of Roto-Disc® heavy-duty spherical valves are superior in situations where reliable flow control and long-term durability are essential, while knife gates and slide gates may need more frequent servicing.
Roto-Disc® Heavy-Duty Spherical Valves vs. Butterfly Valves
While butterfly valves are commonly used for flow control in less abrasive environments, they can have difficulty sealing properly when dealing with highly abrasive or sticky materials, causing premature wear and reduced efficiency. In industries with high particulate or viscous flow requirements, the Roto-Disc valve provides greater longevity and reliability compared to butterfly valves, which may suffer from erosion and poor sealing over time.
Common Applications
Pharmaceutical manufacturers use the Roto-Disc valve in handling powders and granules. The valve’s ability to slice through sticky materials while maintaining a secure seal ensures cleanliness and prevents contamination in a pure environment that also has high regulatory threshold..
The food processing industry also benefits from this valve, particularly in handling bulk ingredients like sugar, flour, and grains, either wet or dry. Its high-strength, corrosion-resistant materials ensure hygiene and smooth operation, preventing clogs and contamination while processing sticky or dense substances. This enhances product quality and reduces costly maintenance or production delays.
The Roto-Disc® heavy-duty spherical valve is vital in the glass manufacturing industry. Molten glass and silica particles can be extremely abrasive, requiring a valve that can withstand high temperatures and rough materials. The Roto-Disc valve’s durability and ability to handle these extreme conditions ensure precise control, minimizing wear and tear, and prolonging the system’s lifespan.
Another widespread example of the Roto-Disc® heavy-duty spherical valve can be found in the paper and pulp industry. This sector frequently processes thick, fibrous materials that can be abrasive and difficult to handle. The Roto-Disc valve’s robust design allows it to efficiently manage slurries and pulp mixtures, ensuring smooth flow and preventing blockages. Its reliability in such demanding conditions reduces maintenance downtime, helping to maintain production efficiency while ensuring the quality of the final paper products.
Benefits of Roto-Disc® Heavy-Duty Spherical Valves
Your industrial processes will see three main benefits of using this valve.
Optimizes Material Flow
The Roto-Disc® heavy-duty spherical valve optimizes material flow through the direct-drive system but also precise timing. The flow sensors tell the equipment when to open and close. The tight seal, due to the exact fittings and precise movements, reduces the risk of leaks and clogs. This reliability minimizes downtime for maintenance and repairs, leading to smoother operations.
Durable Design
The durable design encompasses several types of materials, including:
- Stainless Steel
- Carbon Steel
- Hastelloy-C
- Inconel
- Monel
- Ductile Iron
- Abrasion-Resistant Steel
- Other alloys on request
Coatings for the metal can be made of:
- Electroless Nickel
- Stellite
- Hard Chrome
- Thin-Dense Chrome
- Tungsten Carbide
- Teflon®/PFA
- Others on request
Soft seats can be comprised of the following:
- Reinforced PTFE
- PEEK
- Ertalyte
- UHMW
- Other engineered plastics on request
CIP Compatible
The Roto-Disc® heavy-duty spherical valve is designed to be CIP (clean-in-place) compatible, facilitating efficient cleaning without disassembly. Its smooth, corrosion-resistant surfaces minimize the risk of contamination, ensuring hygiene in industries like food processing and pharmaceuticals. The valve’s unique design allows cleaning solutions to flow effectively through the system, reaching all necessary areas. It also needs minimal parts removal when cleaning.
Contact Roto-Disc
Is your team ready to explore heavy-duty spherical valve options? Contact us today to see if our team can help solve your production line problems or make your processes more efficient.