Today, Clarke Valve announced immediate availability of the ¼” Dilating Disk™ Valve marking the first time in history that a valve this size offers both Class 6 bubble-tight shut off to 3,600 PSI and precise flow control from a fine mist up to full bore.

Previously, customers were forced to use small diameter ball valves which were not designed for flow control in ¼” lines.  Typically, these valves were used for on/off service but usually ended up in a partial open state creating excessive turbulence and cavitation.

The new Dilating Disk™ Valve from Clarke has all of the benefits of previous Dilating Disk™ Valve designs including zero pressure drop across the valve, reduced turbulence, cavitation and water hammer, and a low torque requirement for actuation.   It also features a compact footprint and is easily maintained.

“The ¼” design was a direct response to customer requirements.” said Kyle Daniels, President and CEO of Clarke.   “Many industries make use of this standard size, but the products on the market were adaptations of older valve designs that didn’t lend themselves to precise flow characteristics.  We were able to fix that with this new design. We now offer a full range of Dilating Disk™ Valve products covering the smaller pipe sizes including ¼”, 1”, 2” and 4” versions.”

A major benefit of the new Dilating Disk™ Valve is the enhanced rangability – the ability of the valve to go from a very fine opening to full bore.  In many cases, and especially in high pressure environments, a ball valve needs to be opened 40% or more before it begins to flow.  This makes it very difficult to control the low end of the flow spectrum.  Because of the unique three-petal design of the Dilating Disk™ Valve, flow begins much earlier and with the flow centered in the piping, provides a much more pristine flow pattern.   In testing, the Dilating Disk™ Valve was shown to exhibit up to five times better rangability than its competition

The materials and workmanship of the new Dilating Disk™ Valve are first class.  Using Stainless Steel for the body and components adds to the reliability and maintainability of the new product.