When it comes to getting automation parts shipped, everyone in our industry wants to receive those parts as quickly as possible—it’s a natural inclination. But often, speed is more than nice—it’s critical.

To be of value, valves must be attached to a piping system. How that attachment occurs has changed over time. For decades, screwed or flanged connections were the only way to go. However, the perfection of fusion welding techniques in the 1930s led the way for new methods of joining piping components, including valves. These new ways are the butt-weld (BWE) (Figure 1) and socket-weld (SW) (Figure 2) end connections.

Soft goods such as rings, gaskets, bushings, washers, seals and packing sets are widely used in valves and actuators. Manufacturers specify fillings and percentages for compounds for these soft goods to ensure they will operate properly with their valve and actuator products.

Belleville springs are used within or adjacent to valves for a variety of purposes—the most common being to maintain load on a seal, gasket or packing. They often are used as machine elements in valve actuators or as a component of the valve mechanism and are designed or arranged to provide useful mechanical properties within small spaces. This means they can be retrofitted into existing valve designs with minimal revisions. Clearly, these mechanisms serve a vital purpose. However, many important factors should be considered in selecting a spring.