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Ball Valve Overhaul Procedure

Provider: PETRO ARSAM Co.

Author: Armin Morshed

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1) Introduction
Metal-seated or soft-seated ball valves are industrial process valves commonly specified for use
in mining, chemical plants and non-refinery settings. These valves are used in applications that
demand critical isolation, high temperature, high pressure, corrosion, erosion/abrasion and solids
(slurry or otherwise). It is these processes that drive the need for metal-seated quarter-turn
valves. End users who choose metal-seated ball valves require quick actuation and reparability.
The ball and seat set can be repaired in several types of ball valves including: floating ball
valves, trunnion ball valves and spring-loaded floating ball valves.
2) Repairing or Replacement
First of all, when repairing issue raises, the operators should consider if repairing is economical
or not, sometimes it would be better if the valve been replaced by a new one. It is dependent on
various factors which should be considered when making a decision to repair or replace a valve
include: economics, plant maintenance planning and corrosion/erosion failures.
The first step is defining objectives and defining what success means when considering the
technical aspects of the valve’s design. Valve repairing takes more time in comparison with
replacement process, so you want to make sure it is the right solution and a user will not consider
repair unless it’s an economical option. So, before performing a repair, consider other valve
styles that could be used. Also, determine if the valve is the right style for its particular location?
Is it a severe service application? These and other factors should be considered before starting
the repair process.
Valve repair is helpful for plant maintenance/shutdown planning and allows for preventative
maintenance programs. In many cases repairs can be turned around in 2 to 6 weeks or less.
3) Repairing Evaluation
There are several steps involved in metal or soft seated ball valve repair. This article will
consider the evaluation of scrapped, replaced and repairable components, and then look at parts
manufacturing and repair including mounting and dismounting, coating (Nickle Plated or thermal
spray), welding, grinding and lapping processes.
Scrapped components: Typical scrapped components include one-time-use soft goods such as
packing, body gasket, thrust washer, seat gaskets, any severely damaged components and seats.
What you can and can’t re-use heavily depends on your valve concept. Items # 4, 5 (in soft-
seated valves), 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 24. (See figure 1)
Repairable components: Typically, these include the ball, stem, body and end piece, and
metallic parts with minor damage. That minor damage can be repaired by welding/machining or
undercut/coating to rebuild them back to size. Items # 3, 4, 5 (in metal-seated valves), 6, 7, 8,
and all the small metal components (See figure 1)
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Figure 1. Ball Valve Exploded View

After valve cleaning, a dimensional check is performed to evaluate its actual reparability. Some
might see a severely damaged valve which is not affordable If that ball is made out of costly
material such as titanium grade 12 or Hastelloy C276, and it’s a high price for the user to bear. In
terms of repair economics, a lot of what’s driving the decision-making process is the expensive
materials that are needed and used in these services.
In most severe service design concepts, there is a straight-thru flow port. Normally the amount of
damage to the body and end piece is not severe, unless there is a high-velocity leakage situation
occurring. Any leakage found around the OD (outside diameter) of the seat can cause other
erosive phenomenon to occur. If this is the case, find out what damage it can bear and if it can be
welded. Massive welding can cause distortion. With large weld depths you will need to consider
the applicable valve standards and pressure vessel codes.
4) Repairing Procedure
Here is going a procedure for a standard trunnion ball valve which could be either metal or
soft seated.
After evaluation the valve damages which should be took into account prior to taking any
action, disassembling the valve would be the first step because regardless which part of the
valve has been damaged, the valve needs to be dismounted and the part should be took out.
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4-1) Valve Disassembling

In case the valve body is spilt type, the valve would be disassembled from one side, if it is
two pieces, first the cover’s bolts (2) should be loosen and the cover (1) of the body should
be divided from the body (3) (See figure 2)

Figure 2. Two Pcs ball valve

After dismounting the cover, wetted parts of the valve would be reachable to replace or repair.

The same would be follow for three-piece body valves, in which at the first one of the enclosures (2)
should be disassembled from the body (1), then the trim (inner parts) and finally the other enclosure.
(See figure 1)

4-2) Ball de-coating

In case the ball of the valve is damaged, and if the ball is coated, the first step of repairing is stripping
for Nickle plated surfaces and/or de-coating for the HVOF balls with machining process. (See figure 3)

Figure 3. Nickel Plated Ball which needs de-coating (Electroless de-coating)

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4-3) Ball Welding

If the ball has got deep erosion/corrosion which needs to be filled, welding is the most
popular solution. Choosing compatible fillers, welding process and suitable rectifiers are
sufficient and necessary. NDT(s) such as Penetration, Radiography, Ultrasonic tests should
be applied to the welded surfaces to avoid any welding defects.
If the ball’s damages weren’t serious and deep, they will be remove after coating removal or
in lapping process, so, since this process would may cause a huge amount of cost, it should
be applied only for those valves which have deep holes on their balls.

Figure 4. Welded Ball

4-4) Ball Grinding

The next step after de-coating or welding would be ball grinding. This process is a part of
machining, in which ball will fasten on a suitable fixture embedded on a grinding machine,
and then machining process will go on until the ball reaches a smooth surface without any
ups and downs and its face.
The most important point of this stage which has to be considered is that keeping the ball’s
shape spherically during the machining. To reach this, after each part of grinding process, the
ball’s shape is to be controlled.
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Figure 5. Ball Grinding

4-5) Seat Ring Repairing

Soft-seated valves: in the most of the cases, soft-seated valve which is associated with seat
insert (Soft) damages in their seat insert holders side and their springs. However, the seat
rings are the parts of the valves which are not that much expensive and could be easily
machined or replaced by a new one. Though, after replacing or repairing the ring, the soft
seat (insert) will be placed on its position and the will be completely matched with the ball’s
shape. The most important part of this stage is copying the shape and the curve of the ball on
the seat insert to avoid any potential internal leakage (passing) (See figure 6)

Figure 6. Soft-seated (seat insert)

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Metal-seated valves: when the working temperature is high, soft material for seat will not be
applicable because of its melt point, so valve manufacturers should use metal materials for
seat instead of soft ones. In case, the metal seat ring needs to be repaired, after all machining
process which applied on it, the last step is to be lapping, the most important step of metal
seated valves repairing procedure. Lapping process is using a special cream between two
metallic surfaces to shape the all ups and downs of the surfaces together. It’s a lengthy
process of overhaul.
4-6) Re-assembling
After all the steps, the last one is to be re-assembling, which is the part that the soft goods
such as packing, o-ring or metallic replaceable parts such as springs, pins, keys, etc. should
be replaced by new one, in case they are damaged. In re-assembling process, it should be
considered that using appropriate tools such as crane, wrench, etc. will ease this step and will
save time, unless, it would be caused waste of time and money.

Figure 7. Re-assembling

4-7) Testing
Ball valve testing includes; shell, seat and functional tests acc. to API 598 which is attached.
4-8) Painting
Based on various available painting procedures and/or according to the costumer’s demand,
painting will be applied on the valve’s surfaces after test.