While most of the posts on this blog have focused on Waukesha’s industry leading Positive Displacement Pumps (the Universal 1, Universal 2, Universal 3, and Universal Twin Screw Pumps), today we’re going to pivot and provide an overview of another product SPXFlow and Waukesha are industry leaders in- sanitary single seat valves, specifically, the W60 series. Within the W60 series we have the W61, W62, W63, W64, W65, W68, and W262/W265. But what does each valve do? Let’s dig a little deeper.
W61 & W63- General Purpose & Reverse Acting Shut Off Valves
Let’s start with the numerically lowest, most common W60 series valve- the W61 general purpose shut off valve. Most commonly specified with a “T” body, the W61 series valve features a machined from bar stock body for simple on/off operation where cleanability is essential. The most common seat type is a Tef-flow seat with available PEEK seat and Tri Ring seat options.
The W63 is the reverse acting version of the W61 general purpose shut off valve. From a best piping practice standpoint, we always want to close against the fluid flow to prevent water hammer. With some piping layouts, this is best accomplished with a reverse acting valve, with the stem pulling into the valve body seat.
W62 & W65- Divert Valve & Non-Slamming Divert Valves
For applications where we want to divert flow or converge flow, as opposed to simply shutting off flow, we use a W62 valve. The W62 valves are most commonly available in the “TT” body style and feature a dual seated stem- one seat for each flow position.
For non-slamming applications, where we want to be sure to always be closing against flow, we have the W65 series non-slamming divert valves. In order to always close against flow, the W65 features a center inlet and two independent valve seats that are raised and lowered to control flow direction.
W64 Tank Bottom Valve
The W64 valve is similar to the W61 and W63 valves in that it is a shutoff valve. Unlike the W61 and W63 (which we do occasionally see on tanks), the W64 valve is designed specifically for tank bottom applications. Featuring a weld in flange, you’ll find W64 valves are great for high viscosity applications and ca be found at the bottom of many mixing and blending tanks in food processing facilities.
W68- Throttling Valve
While the previously mentioned valves have been either on/off or divert valves, the W68 valve is a tapered seat valve used specifically for throttling and flow control applications. The tapered plug is the biggest differentiator between the W68 and W61 series valve. With standard T, C, TD, TS, CD, and CS body styles, this tapered plug creates a variable orifice to control how much flow passes through the valve. Available with both electropneumatic and 3-15 psi Moore positioner, flow is always into the tapered valve seat.
W262/265- HTST Flow Diversion
Our last W60 series valve is actually a combination of 2 W62 or W65 divert valves used specifically in legal dairy pasteurization flow diversion applications. The 3A requirement for pasteurizer divert applications specifies that a leak escape shall be provided on the forward flow side of the valve seat to prevent raw or unpasteurized milk from contaminating good milk downstream. Presently, the W262 and W265 valves are the only valves in the SPXFlow/Waukesha portfolio to meet this requirement.
So to close out this post, let’s do a brief recap. For shut off applications, we have the W61 and W63 valves. For flow divert, we have the W62 and W65 for non-slamming divert applications. For tank bottom valves, we have the W64 valve, and for throttling and control applications, we have the W68 valve. And finally, in legal dairy pasteurization applications, we have the W262 and W265 valves for safe separation of raw and pasteurized milk. As always, if you have any questions about W60 valves or any of your process control needs, contact a Triplex Sales Engineer today!
