Robust, reliable and durable: shut-off ball valves from Bürkert are a proven solution for industrial applications, such as in the pharmaceutical or food sectors, in water treatment or energy generation. They ensure safe opening and closing of media flows and impress with high flow rates. Thanks to standardised interfaces, they integrate flexibly into your processes – from single products to automated systems.
What kinds of shut-off ball valves does Bürkert offer?
At Bürkert, you will find shut-off ball valves in a range of materials and variants, depending on the requirements of the medium and the required level of automation:
Manual ball valves are the economical and durable solution for simple shut-off tasks with direct operation on site.
Pneumatically operated ball valves are particularly versatile. The pneumatic actuators can be combined with numerous solutions from our product range.
Electromotive ball valves are robust and powerful, allow for approximate control in some cases, and can be perfectly integrated into automated systems. What’s more, they do not require compressed air for operation.
Why choose ball valves from Bürkert?
Tailored to the industry
The range of our ball valves extends from simple applications to complex industrial requirements: with robust materials, relevant approvals and high levels of tightness, surface quality and pressure resistance.
Automation with a system solution
Whether a single product or automated complete solution: as a system provider, we ensure that everything works together seamlessly. Standardised interfaces connect the ball valves to various actuators and control components.
Solutions for special requirements
We offer you the right product to meet even special challenges: for example, shut-off ball valves for use in high-pressure areas, vacuum applications or potentially explosive atmospheres, as well as special variants such as designs with minimum dead space.
Where are our industrial ball valves used?
Ball valves are used wherever media flows need to be reliably shut off and reopened without precise control. Typical application areas for a Bürkert ball valve include industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food and beverages, and water treatment. Ball valves are frequently used in auxiliary and supply lines. There, they perform shut-off functions for process media, cleaning media or auxiliary materials. In combination with other products – for example, with diaphragm valves for more hygienically sensitive areas – they create a perfectly coordinated complete system.
Ball valve or a different type of shut-off valve?
Ball valves are designed for one clear task: shutting off media. In comparison to other shut-off valves, their flow rate is particularly high. As the media flow is not redirected, the pressure loss is also very low.
For precise control tasks, however, ball valves are only suitable to a limited extent.
At a glance – shut-off ball valves are an ideal choice to meet the following criteria: ✓ Reliable opening and closing of the media flow ✓ Full media flow ✓ High pressure resistance and tightness ✓ Low cost when precise control is not required ✓ Durable, low-maintenance solution
If you require more precise flow control instead, you will find a selection of suitable control valves in our eShop.
How you benefit with Bürkert
Diverse product selection
We offer a wide range of products for measurement, control and regulation technology used with liquids and gases – covering both single components and complete solutions, locally and globally.
Comprehensive services
Our experts are here to help throughout the entire life cycle of your systems if you need them – from selecting the right product through to consultation, design, finalisation and commissioning.
Quick reordering
Do you already know exactly what you need? Our wish lists, shopping baskets for saving your items and quick orders based on article numbers are all there to make the ordering process simpler.
How to find the right solution in our eShop
Simply install, then forget – this principle is made possible by Bürkert’s reliable and durable process valves. Our eShop offers a structured overview of all shut-off ball valves. Search by type or article number, or use the filter function to specifically select the solution that matches your process requirements.
Relevant approvals, data sheets, CAD drawings or operating instructions can be downloaded for the respective product straight away. Find the right ball valve for your industry now!
Are you still unsure what you need?
We are happy to assist you in choosing the right product for your application. Simply contact us by phone or send us a written enquiry.
A ball valve is a shut-off valve in which a rotatable ball with a through bore opens or closes the media flow. A 90° rotation either opens the passage or completely blocks it. This simple principle ensures quick operation, a high level of tightness and low pressure loss in the open state.
Yes, ball valves can be automated using pneumatic and electric rotary actuators. It is important that the ball valve has a mounting flange with a standardised ISO 5211 interface.
Subsequent automation is possible, provided that the ball valve has a suitable ISO 5211 interface for an actuator. Otherwise, retrofitting is generally not possible. Therefore, plan early on and with the future in mind.
The decision depends on the requirements of your system. Manual ball valves are cost-effective and reliable for smaller systems. Automated ball valves, on the other hand, offer advantages when processes need to be monitored or integrated into a control system. When making your choice, consider whether you may wish to incorporate automation later on.
In principle, ball valves are designed for opening and closing a media flow. For precise control applications, we offer valve solutions with higher control accuracy. For applications requiring approximate control, we offer special control ball valves with V-port which optimise the flow depending on the opening angle. These control ball valves feature reinforced seals to minimise wear if they are held in intermediate positions for prolonged periods.
The service life of a ball valve cannot be generally specified in years or switching cycles. It depends on various factors, such as:
Pressure
Temperature
Medium (steam can lead to accelerated seal wear)
Purity of the medium (abrasive media promote seal wear)
Regular maintenance (lubrication, cleaning, seal replacement)
The temperature range depends on the body and seal material of the ball valve. Plastic ball valves are suitable for media with a maximum temperature limit of 80 to 120 °C, while our stainless steel ball valves can typically be used up to 200 °C. Always consider the relationship between temperature and medium pressure, as shown in our pressure/temperature diagrams.
The maximum permissible pressure is dependent on the respective ball valve variant:
Plastic ball valves are often only allowed to be loaded up to 10 or 16 bar.
Stainless steel ball valves are available for applications with up to 16, 40, 63 and 100 bar, depending on the variant.
It is important to consider the pressure in relation to the temperature. Please refer to our pressure/temperature diagrams for details. For high-pressure applications up to 600 bar, we offer customised solutions.
Yes, our ball valves are suitable for vacuum applications.
Yes, special ball valve variants such as the Type 2654 Hygienic are suitable and approved for the food sector. The seal materials meet the requirements of the FDA, EC 1935/2004 and USP Class VI.
Yes, generally the ball valves are minimally oiled to increase the service life and reduce wear. However, we also offer degreased variants.
For oxygen applications, we recommend our oil- and grease-free ball valves, which are appropriately degreased.
Ball valves are not generally suitable for steam. Steam applications promote wear on the seals depending on pressure and temperature, so ball valves with a PTFE seal reinforced with graphite or stainless steel should be used here.
However, even with a reinforced seal, the pressure/temperature diagrams and other technical information from the data sheets must be considered when using steam.
Not all ball valves can be locked or secured. However, there are variants that can be locked using a clip or secured with a bolt and padlock. Further information can be found in our data sheets.
Our stainless steel ball valves are leak-tight in accordance with EN 12266 (6 bar air, leakage rate A) and ANSI B16.104 (leakage class IV). The test medium for this test is air at a test pressure of up to 6 bar. The acceptance criterion is zero visible bubbles, therefore “bubble-tight” according to visual inspection.
We recommend taking the following safety factors into account:
Simple open/close applications: 30% safety
Control application: > 50% safety
Yes, manually operated ball valves can be combined with the end position feedback box Type 1061, for example. This feedback box is also suitable for installation on pneumatic double piston actuators within an automated ball valve application.
If the ball valve is operated by an electric actuator, these actuators usually have electromechanical limit switches integrated for position feedback.
