WHY USE A KNIFE GATE VALVE?
Knife gate valves are widely used across many industries that process very thick media, such as in pulp and paper, slurry and mining, water treatment, power generation and many more industrial applications. The question is why use a knife gate valve instead of another type of valve? In this article, we will be discussing the function of a knife gate valve and showcase different types of knife gate valves available from BME.

FUNCTION OF A KNIFE GATE VALVE
Knife gate valves are so-called because of their ability to cut through media containing solids. They work by lifting a round or rectangular gate out of the path of the media. The sealing surfaces between the gate and seats are planar, so knife gate valves are often used when a straight-line flow of fluid and minimum restriction is needed.

Knife gate valves were designed for specific use in the pulp and paper industry. This was due to stringy pulp impinging between the wedge and seat of a normal gate valve and preventing flow shut-off.

HOW DOES A KNIFE GATE VALVE WORK?
A knife gate valve works by allowing thick media to easily flow over soft seals with no interference. They work by chopping up the media as it passes through the valve. Today knife gate valves are used in numerous processing plants all over the world and come in large sizes. This makes it easier for the valve to handle thick flows of media including grease, oils, slurry, waste water and paper pulp. Due to this, knife gate valves have low-pressure limitations and are designed to seat the blade into a soft seal with no disruption.

WHY USE A KNIFE GATE VALVE?
The main reason for choosing a knife gate valve is that they are cost-effective, easy to actuate and light. They are also extremely effective in many industries and processes. Knife gate valves were designed with a sharp edge to cut through the pulp and seal. With this type of useful attribute, the knife gate valve has become invaluable in applications involving slurry, viscous fluids and other systems where impingement is an issue.
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