Ball Valve Welding Tool for Uniform Seams and Low Heat Input
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional ball valve manufacturing methods are cost-intensive and time-consuming due to the use of expensive brass alloys, and they often result in incomplete welding seams that can lead to crevice corrosion and damage to temperature-sensitive components like the ball and valve seats.
Innovation Solution
A method for producing ball valves with a single central welding seam using laser welding or cold metal transfer, where the valve housing parts are pre-shaped and assembled with a welding tool that maintains the ball in a fixed position, allowing for minimal material usage and automated, high-quality welding with reduced heat input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional casting and machining methods are used to produce valve housings, then the valve housing can be manufactured with complex geometry, but the production process becomes time-consuming and cost-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple housing parts into a single integrated valve housing component that is produced by injection molding. This eliminates the need for separate casting and machining operations for each part, and removes the need for assembly operations, thereby reducing production time and costs while maintaining the required geometric complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical manufacturing methods (casting and machining) with injection molding technology. This allows the valve housing to be produced directly from a single piece with complex internal geometry, eliminating time-consuming machining operations and reducing production costs
2Productivity
If plasma welding is used to join valve housing parts, then welding can be performed at high speed, but the high temperatures damage temperature-sensitive components like the ball and valve seats
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the ball and valve seats directly into the molded valve housing as built-in features, eliminating the need for separate welding operations entirely. This avoids thermal damage to components while maintaining production efficiency, as the housing is produced as a single integrated piece through injection molding
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the problematic welding operation from the manufacturing process by designing the valve housing to be produced as a single integrated component through injection molding. This removes the source of thermal damage while preserving the structural integrity and functionality of the valve assembly
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective band is used during welding to protect internal components, then components are protected from heat, but the band must be extracted through limited space which is difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the protective band entirely by removing the welding operation through integrated housing design. Since no welding is performed, no protective band is needed, and thus no extraction time is required, resolving both the protection need and the time consumption issue
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates protective features directly into the molded housing structure during the injection molding process itself. The housing geometry is designed to inherently protect internal components during assembly and operation, eliminating the need for separate protective measures that would require later removal
4Reliability
If incomplete welding seams occur in the valve housing, then welding can be performed with added material, but cavities and crevice corrosion develop in the interior
Solution Approach 1:
The patent produces the valve housing as a single integrated component through injection molding, eliminating welding seams entirely. This removes the source of cavities and crevice corrosion while ensuring complete structural integrity and reliability of the housing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the welding operation from the manufacturing process by using integrated housing design produced through injection molding. This eliminates incomplete welding seams, cavities, and the risk of crevice corrosion, resulting in a reliable structure without harmful internal defects
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach minimizes welding operations, reduces material costs, and ensures strong, uniform welding seams while protecting sensitive components, enabling faster, more efficient production with 100% video inspection for quality verification.
Implementation Method 1
A method for producing ball valves with a single central welding seam using laser welding or cold metal transfer
Implementation Method 2
laser welding or cold metal transfer
Implementation Method 3
a welding tool that maintains the ball in a fixed position
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a method for producing a ball valve for regulating a fluid. In one example embodiment, the method includes the steps of: providing first and second housing parts of the valve housing, said first and second housing parts each including at least a central housing part and a connection end; providing a valve element shaped as a ball with at least one through-going aperture; arranging the first and second housing parts with the respective central part ends facing towards each other, and further arranging the ball at a position inside an inner space defined by the respective central parts; and welding the first and second housing parts together using a welding tool while performing an interrelated rotation about an axial rotation axis between the position of the first and second housing parts and the position of the ball.