Valve Security Seals: Why They Matter And How To Choose The Best Ones

Valve Security Seals: Why They Matter And How To Choose The Best Ones

Posted by Steve Diebold

In various industries, valves play a pivotal role in ensuring safety, maintaining quality control, and optimizing operational efficiency. Confirming valve positions, whether locked closed (LC) or locked open (LO), requires the use of essential seals. Yet, the significance of these seals extends beyond this primary function, serving various other critical purposes.

AC&M, a renowned security seal manufacturer with over a century of expertise, offers an impressive range of over 100 tamper evident sealing devices and their variations. These seals cater to the diverse needs of different valve types, providing unmatched efficiency and reliability on a global scale.

Valve sealing poses its fair share of complexities as industries evolve and innovative designs emerge. Read on to explore the world of valve sealing, where we unveil the manifold roles of seals, the array of valve types, and how our innovative solutions elevate safety and efficiency for industries worldwide.

Versatile Applications of Tamper-Evident Seals for Valves

In petroleum, chemical, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, power plants, and water/sewer plants, valves are indispensable components in manufacturing and processing systems. Regulating the flow of ingredients, coolants, mixtures, transfers, loading, and filling of liquids and gases, valves demand a myriad of seal applications.

While some valves necessitate long-term sealing, others require frequent changes. Refineries alone may employ thousands of seals annually to maintain smooth internal valve operations. Food processors and tank trucks arriving at facilities also rely on countless seals to safeguard their valuable cargo.

Commercial buildings depend on valves to control the water supply for diverse needs. Here, tamper evident seals play a crucial role in deterring unauthorized valve opening or closing, ensuring smooth and tamper-resistant operations. Similarly, in facilities managing the intake and outflow of ingredients or finished products, seals secure the valves, enhancing safety and efficiency.

Tamper evident seals boast customizable features, enabling easy identification of valves and their respective functions through color coding and specific markings. Safety information, barcodes, and other crucial data can be printed on seals, and users can add manual control functions like dates, times, and identity details. When additional information is required, tags can be seamlessly incorporated with the seal.

Transporting valves via tank trucks, rail tankers, or long-distance pipelines demands special considerations. In this regard, tamper evident tape plays a vital role in ensuring the integrity and security of the valuable cargo they carry.

Selecting the Perfect Seal for Valves

The variety of valve types, from small units to robust iron giants with large handles, calls for flexible seals adaptable to varying lengths and bending requirements. In this context, wire seals and cable seals emerge as top contenders, easily pulled through handles or wound around valve bodies, pipes, and fixtures. Wire seals offer almost limitless length options for optimal convenience, while strap seals remain a viable option when the fit is right.

Selecting the ideal seal involves careful consideration of factors like strength requirements, size, working environment, anticipated duration of use, and potential exposure to corrosive substances. Moreover, markings, color coding, and specific coding needs, alongside budget constraints, play significant roles in the decision-making process.

In scenarios demanding physical damage resistance and strength, cable seals shine as the preferred choice. AC&M takes pride in offering an extensive range of cable seals, wire seals, and plastic seals to cater to diverse requirements. In cases where typical mechanical seals prove challenging due to valve shape, adhesive security tape or labels serve as effective alternatives.

Valves on transport vehicles, such as tank trucks and rail tankers, require unique considerations. Tank trucks involved in short-hauling or carrying less sensitive commodities often utilize simple plastic pull-up seals for discharge and filling valves.

Most tank trucks and rail tankers come equipped with provisions for seals on the valves or their corresponding box covers, making adjustable strap seals a suitable choice. The diameter of the seal opening often influences the selection. However, for trucks transporting fuels and high-risk/high-value products, heavy-duty seals, typically cable seals, provide the necessary security. Within AC&M's comprehensive line, there's undoubtedly a seal that fits the job flawlessly.

Get in Touch with Us

Whether you seek tamper evident seals for valves or any other purpose, we're here to assist you. At American Casting & Manufacturing, we take pride in serving a vast clientele, including government, utility, military, and commercial entities worldwide.

With over a century of industry experience and a wealth of expertise, we stand ready to support your sealing needs. Feel free to reach out for guidance, samples, or pricing – we're more than happy to accommodate your requests.

An experienced seal applications expert is available during business hours to address your concerns. Don't hesitate to contact our main office and factory through email at info@seals.com or call toll-free at 1-866-825-3320 within the US or 516-349-7010 from anywhere around the globe.

To explore all our locations and get comprehensive contact information, visit our website at www.seals.com. We look forward to partnering with you and providing top-notch sealing solutions to meet your requirements effectively.