Valve Balls – Heart of a World Renowned Valve

Precision valve balls are a specialty of Hartford Technologies. As the industry leading developer of precision
balls, Hartford designs and produces valve balls for check valves, hydraulic, cartridge style, shuttle ball type,
and shuttle ball valves. The demand for valve balls is consistently high as ball valves are one of the world’s
most widely used types of valves.

Though the ball valve as we know it was first developed in the 1950s, the valve ball concept may have been
used in even earlier mechanisms. Today, ball valves are widely applied in industrial applications because the
design of valve balls is capable of supporting extremely high pressures and temperatures. Valve ball
mechanisms have the added benefit of being simple to operate and easy to repair.

The role of valve balls in the operation of ball valves is critical. Valve balls control liquid flow by providing an
effective barrier when the ball valve mechanisms are closed. When the valves are open, the valve balls are
in alignment with both valve ends, allowing liquid to flow. Important characteristics of valve balls include
the surface finish, the degree of roundness, as well as the materials from which they are made.
Different types of valve balls are specified for particular valve and application demands.

Ball valves are categorized in reference to the bore size of the valve ball mechanism and body type.
Configurations include V-port ball valves, full bore ball valves, reduced bore valves, trunnion ball valves,
and cavity filler ball valves. The function of the valve balls within each design is basically the same,
though the characteristics of the valve balls vary.

The valve ball mechanism used in ball valves offers many advantages including low maintenance and high
versatility. Ball valves are engineered in a broad range of sizes and configurations from a variety of materials
to suit a virtually unlimited list of application needs.

Though ball valves may be available in a vast array of different types, they all rely on valve balls at the
heart of their operation.

Whether your application is automotive components, material handling equipment, or fluid power,
Hartford can supply the valve balls you require, anywhere in the world. Our dual-continent production
capability provides a strong logistics advantage to customers requiring high volumes, and all Hartford
product is governed by US-based quality control systems for tolerance, metallurgy and surface
characteristics. Valve balls from Hartford Technologies are subject to APQP, PFMEA, PPAP, and SPC
quality processes. Hartford Technologies is ISO 9001:2008 and ISO/TS 16949:2002 certified.

Product pages:
carbon steel balls • stainless steel balls • chrome steel balls • miniature balls

Hartford valve balls

Hartford Technologies is a leading American manufacturer of valve balls with manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and China. We provide comprehensive value-added services, including application engineering and inventory management, to a customer base that spans automotive to medical, leisure products to agriculture.

Hartford customers include leading OEMs, and diverse, specialized manufacturers on four continents. Our commitment
is to combine technical innovation with agility, responsiveness and institutional strength - strength that comes from a
conservative management team, global manufacturing and logistics capability, and more than 80 years of leadership.