Ball valve non-metallic

Every day at Allflow Sales Consultant Jacob Lewis sells Hansen fittings to customers.

"We've been told we have the largest selection by far in our region," a claim customers have also made about Allflow's stock of galvanised fittings. "Hansen products have been on the shelves in our shop ever since we have owned it and the prior owners stocked it for years too.

"In fact, one of the Hansen sales reps told me Allflow stocks more than many shops in Christchurch."

Where other fittings are just called fittings, Hansen fittings are known as Hansen Fittings. Their distinctive black colouring is indicative of a New Zealand owned and operated company. They've been designing, manufacturing and distributing pipe fittings and valves since the 1950s.

Jacob says, "We have a great relationship with the sales team and the product information they supply is outstanding, really. They have a detailed product catalogue that covers everything anyone would ever need to know about the Hansen products. I'm pretty sure we carry nearly all of the products Hansen makes in our store. Customers can always get whatever they need."

General Manager Amos Lewis says he stocks the whole range for one simple reason: customers ask for it.

“We keep so much on stock because our customers want to buy everything they need in one go, they don’t want to have to come back or wait for a shipment. So we keep a large supply of most of the Hansen line in stock all the time. Our customers need to get their jobs done right now, and we make sure they don’t have to wait.”

Amos says customers don’t just buy one Hansen fitting, they’ll take five or 10 or more.

“They tell us they can’t get that quantity at any other local shop.”

Hansen’s Regional Market Manager David Highsted says, “Allflow sells the vast majority of the Hansen fittings line. Every year their sales grow and we definitely stay on top of stock to make sure Allflow’s customers can always find our fittings at their shop.”

“The team at Allflow are a great bunch of guys,” David says. “They are very experienced with our products and in the industry. I don’t have to recommend what products they should sell, they know their customer base very well and they have a deep knowledge of our entire product range.”

National sales manager Angela Wallace says she loves working with Allflow, "they are a fantastic team and store."

With the worldwide pandemic affecting Allflow's customers and supply chains from some overseas companies, it's a great opportunity to support and sell products from a New Zealand owned company.

“We've always focused our product line on the best products,” Amos says. “Hansen is absolutely the best at what they do. If you need a plastic fitting, Hansen is tops. But now that we want to help our customers support local and NZ companies, we've been more vocal about supporting local businesses.

"We appreciate when our customers shop locally with us and so we're paying it forward and making sure we take care of good businesses."

From a business perspective, the supply chain much more secure with New Zealand made products as well. Amos says Allflow can get any Kiwi-made product they need usually the next day. For customers ordering online, the same principle applies to quantity: buy as much as you need and it will be shipped out usually the next day.

Check out the selection of Hansen fittings now.

The basic function of pneumatic tubing and hose is to convey pressurized air to actuators, valves, tools and other devices.

The only tubing to be used with nylon airline fittings is nylon (funny that!) and polyurethane tubing (PU tube).

Nylon tubing is tough, light and dimensionally stable. It can be used for instrument lines, irrigation control and vacuum systems, and will accommodate most chemicals including gases, oils, herbicides, alcohols and hydrocarbons.

Our nylon tube is available in sizes from 4mm to 12mm and has a working pressure of 600 Psi / 40 Bar.

Customers can also use our polyurethane tubing with nylon airline fittings as well. It's extremely flexible and can withstand a very tight bend. FDA approved, it is highly resistant to abrasion and has glass like clarity for good visibility.

Main applications include air control systems where space is limited, pnuematic lines where high fatigue resistance is required and high vibration environments.

Our PU airline tube has a max working pressure of 300 Psi / 20 Bar and comes in a range of sizes.

There are countless types and sizes of tubing and hose available, so if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask us.

Ball valves and butterfly valves have several characteristics in common and so can be used for many similar applications. So why choose one over the other?

Pretty much everyone knows that a ball valve consists of a ball with a hole through it. A butterfly valve consists of a disk mounted on a rotating shaft.

They’re both quarter-turn rotary valves, requiring a 90-degree turn from open to close. Both are typically made from a combination of cast iron, stainless steel and brass. Each is effective for regulating the flow of most types of gas and liquid at a wide range of temperatures. And they're both relatively inexpensive, long-lasting and dependable.

Why choose ball valves?

One of the advantages of a ball valve is that it will almost always turn, regardless of the amount of pressure being placed on it from the supply side. Once open, there is rarely a drop in pressure because the hole in the ball allows 100 percent of the gas or liquid to flow.

Butterfly valves are built so that part of the disk is always interfering with the flow of the liquid or gas. This means there will always be a pressure drop when using a butterfly valve. It also means that butterfly valves can be difficult to open and a bypass valve may be necessary to create balance in the lines before large butterfly valves can properly operate. Ball valves seal more effectively than butterfly valves, so ball valves are generally better for projects involving the flow of gas.

Why choose butterfly valves

Butterfly valves are small and, when actuated pneumatically, open and close very quickly. The disc is lighter than a ball, and the valve requires less structural support than a ball valve of comparable diameter. Butterfly valves are very precise, which makes them advantageous in industrial applications in particular. They are also reliable and require very little maintenance.

Butterfly valves are generally less expensive to build and maintain, so they’re frequently used in large-scale municipal water and sewer projects. They are also common for projects that control the flow of river or stream water.

Ball valves and butterfly valves are both versatile, relatively inexpensive and able to stand the test of time. Selecting the right one depends on the size and scope of the task. For help determining whether a project calls for a ball valve or butterfly valve, or another type of valve, we're always here to help.