Steam Valve for Tire Curing Press

Curing is an important step in tire manufacturing, where the green tire is formed to the proper shape and the material is converted to its final properties for optimum performance. The tire curing press uses high steam pressure that requires valves with precision control and robust design to handle extreme process conditions.

Sliding gate valves stand up to demanding steam service

Tire forming applications tend to damage the internal workings of the valve which fill the forming bladders with 240 – 250psi steam. This filling process starts out slowly and then rapidly increases. Once the bladder is filled, the valves must hold a set pressure, even under possible vacuum conditions, for a specified number of minutes while the tire cures. This process is repeated every 10 – 15 minutes, 24 hours a day. In addition to the demanding fill rate and potential vacuum conditions, many tire manufacturing plants have very dirty steam systems. The combination of these extreme conditions can cause most “ordinary” valves to fail in a matter of months.

Jordan Valve sliding gate seats, with their advanced Jorcote coating, have demonstrated minimal wear for over one million cycles in high-pressure steam service. The sliding gate opens, exposing multiple passages simultaneously. The steam travels straight through multiple openings, reducing the damaging exposure of steam on each surface. This reduces the possibility of wire draw which often occurs in traditional steam valve designs.

The disc and plate are lapped to light band flatness and have a slight overlap of the openings to give the sliding gate seat valves a shut-off rating of ANSI Class IV. The seat overlap in the sliding gate design is a critical advantage. Any damage to the leading edge of the valve seat due to erosive nature of steam will be covered when the sliding gate closes, ensuring full shut-off.

The short stem stroke minimizes wear and packing leakage, while increasing response speed. This is particularly useful in the rapid cycling environment of tire forming applications.