Product innovation Ballostar KHA: Some like it hot

Approximately 35,000 of the new KLINGER Ballostar KHA valves were manufactured in Gumpoldskirchen in 2022. The ball valve for industrial processes stands out with its durability and special protective shield.

Abrasive. The word sounds unpleasant, corrosive and even dangerous. That’s true too, because in technical jargon, everything that attacks and wears down pipes and containers is called “abrasive media”. This is particularly the case with liquid and gaseous media in energy-intensive processes, as is the order of the day in paper or steel mills. Coke gas, for example, causes damage to the pipes over time, as well as the ball valves that regulate its flow. This is exactly where the new KLINGER Ballostar KHA shines because it feels right at home in extreme environments.

Simple maintenance

The KLINGER Ballostar KHA does its job between -196 °C and +400 °C. “In addition to the high temperature fluctuations that it has to withstand, there is also the fact that it is often turned on and off. That also places stress on the valves,” explains Xaver Gruber, Managing Director of KLINGER Fluid Control (KFC). The company has thus brought a product innovation to the market that is precisely tailored to meet the increasingly high demands of the industry: For instance, the internal workings of the KLINGER Ballostar KHA can be replaced without substituting the entire valve. It is also easy to maintain because the center section of the ball valve can be opened after removing three screws. Gruber: “We also call the Ballostar KHA the ‘Swiss Army Knife for the industry’ because it can be used in countless configurations with a variety of gaskets and is of extremely high quality.”

Just like its Swiss counterpart, the KLINGER Ballostar KHA is not only handy, but can also be used universally. The modular design makes it possible to use the ball valve with custom connections of any nominal diameter. “The end piece is a standard part in which we either turn a thread, prepare a weld seam or weld it with different flanges according to the customer’s requirements,” says Gruber. “With little additional effort, we can also design the same valve as a double-seated ball valve with a test connection for extreme safety requirements.” This puts the company in a position to cover the entire breadth of the market and to draw on the existing KFC resources.

Ball valve with corrosion protection

Ballostar KHA surpasses the standards of previous KLINGER ball valves in other respects as well. The option “fire-safe”, which was previously only available as an extra, is now standard. In addition, the ball valve was given a new surface coating for rust protection. The KACP, KLINGER Advanced Corrosion Protection, coating shields the valve from external influences. The gas tightness to the outside on the flanged side is also a new standard feature of the KLINGER Ballostar KHA, making it perfect for today’s demands: