The floating structure design of the forged steel floating soft seal ball valve achieves sealing and pressure compensation through the free displacement of the ball within the valve body. Its core advantages are reflected in seven aspects: sealing reliability, pressure adaptability, compact structure, easy operation, wear resistance, wide application, and convenient maintenance.
The sealing reliability of the floating structure stems from its dynamic compensation mechanism. When the medium pressure acts on the ball, the ball undergoes a slight displacement towards the valve seat at the outlet end, pressing tightly against the valve seat sealing surface to form a metal-non-metal (such as PTFE) composite seal. This design gives the valve an automatic compensation function: when the pressure increases, the ball displacement increases, resulting in a tighter seal; when the pressure decreases, the ball rebounds, reducing wear. Even after long-term use, when the valve seat experiences slight wear, the ball can still maintain sealing contact through displacement adjustment, avoiding the risk of leakage.
Pressure adaptability is another significant advantage of the floating structure. Its sealing performance does not depend on a fixed support shaft, but rather on the medium pressure driving the ball displacement to form a unilateral seal, making it more suitable for medium and low-pressure conditions. In low-pressure scenarios, the ball's own weight has minimal impact on the seal, maintaining an effective seal. Under medium-pressure conditions, the medium pressure is sufficient to push the ball tightly against the valve seat, ensuring reliable sealing. This characteristic makes it particularly effective in low- and medium-pressure fluid control scenarios such as water supply networks and gas transmission.
Compact structure is a natural advantage of the floating design. The ball has no fixed support shaft, connecting to the valve body only through upper and lower valve stems, simplifying the overall structure and reducing the number of parts. This design not only reduces manufacturing costs but also makes the valve smaller and lighter, facilitating installation in space-constrained piping systems. For example, in residential water supply networks or commercial building HVAC systems, the forged steel floating soft seal ball valve, with its small size and easy installation, has become the preferred choice for flow regulation.
Easy operation stems from the optimized friction of the floating structure. A soft sealing material (such as PTFE) is used between the ball and the valve seat, resulting in a low coefficient of friction. Furthermore, the floating design reduces the contact area between the ball and the valve seat, further reducing operating torque. Users can achieve full opening or full closing simply by rotating the valve stem 90°, resulting in short operation time and facilitating emergency shut-off or flow regulation. This feature is particularly useful in applications requiring frequent opening and closing, such as media flow control in aeration tanks of wastewater treatment plants.
Wear resistance is achieved through a combination of materials and design. The valve seat is made of elastic materials such as PTFE and nylon, which not only withstands temperature fluctuations and pressure shocks but also compensates for manufacturing precision and surface roughness of the ball through elastic-plastic deformation, reducing wear during long-term operation. Some models further enhance reliability under extreme conditions and extend valve life through a double-sealing structure (such as a metal skeleton + soft sealing layer).
Maintenance convenience stems from modular design and the replaceability of vulnerable parts. The floating forged steel floating soft seal ball valve has a simple structure and requires no special tools for disassembly. Users can quickly replace vulnerable parts such as the valve seat and sealing rings, reducing maintenance costs. For example, in urban water supply networks, periodically replacing the valve seat can restore the valve's sealing performance, avoiding the high cost of replacing the entire valve.
