PTFE ball valves for mixed fleets
PHS Magnum has been servicing silo trailer fleets of various brands since 1990 — and that is precisely what sets the magnumchorula.pl hub apart. From one workshop and one warehouse in Chorula near Opole we match valve gear to Spitzer, Feldbinder and Kässbohrer trailers and to designs from other European manufacturers. Air ball valves with PTFE (Teflon) seals are a component common to all these brands: they are the shut-off valve gear in the pneumatic system which, by fully opening or closing with a quarter-turn of the handle, determines which tank section the operator controls during discharge.
For a haulier with a mixed fleet this means one source instead of several: rather than running separate supply channels for each trailer brand, they stock one proven valve type and match it to the specific connection. In everyday operation, where the valve is switched many times on every trip, what matters most is tightness in the closed position and low turning resistance — and those depend on materials, not the trailer brand.
Technical specification
The PTFE-sealed air ball valve comes in two versions: standard (classic and stainless steel) and heavy-duty acid-resistant steel.
Standard version (classic and stainless steel)
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Body material | nickel-plated brass |
| Ball material | chrome-plated steel |
| Seal | PTFE (Teflon) |
| Handle lock | none |
| Operating temperature range | -40°C to 120°C |
Heavy-duty acid-resistant version (V4A, direct supply)
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Material | acid-resistant steel (V4A) |
| Working pressure | up to 63 bar |
| Operating temperature | up to 180°C |
| Availability | regular direct supply |
The valves are selected by four parameters: DN size (mm), internal thread (inches), length (mm) and working pressure (bar):
| DN size (mm) | Internal thread (inches) | Length (mm) | Working pressure (bar) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1/4 | 44.4 | 50 |
| 10 | 3/8 | 44.4 | 50 |
| 15 | 1/2 | 50.5 | 50 |
| 20 | 3/4 | 57.5 | 40 |
| 25 | 1 | 70 | 40 |
| 32 | 1 1/4 | 80.5 | 30 |
| 40 | 1 1/2 | 94.5 | 30 |
| 50 | 2 | 112.5 | 25 |
| 64 | 2 1/2 | 135 | 15 |
| 80 | 3 | 158 | 16 |
The working pressure values apply to the standard version (nickel-plated brass); we match the specific size to the thread and pressure of the connection on the trailer in question.
In both versions, the PTFE (Teflon) seal is responsible for reliable closure and low ball turning resistance; PTFE does not become brittle at sub-zero temperatures and does not soften within the system’s typical operating range. Nickel-plated brass in the standard version is light and economical, while V4A acid-resistant steel in the heavy-duty version withstands higher pressure and aggressive media — which is why it is chosen for the most heavily loaded points.
Compatibility with silo trailer brands
The greatest strength of the multi-brand approach is that valve selection follows from the connection parameters (DN, thread, pressure, temperature), not the trailer type — the same catalogue covers designs from different manufacturers:
- Spitzer (SF/SK) — aluminium silo trailers in non-tipping (SF) and tipping (SK) versions; air ball valves cluster around the pneumatic distributor and on the branches to the chambers.
- Feldbinder (EUT/KIP) — the horizontal non-tipping line (EUT) and the tipping KIP pressure silo (Kippsilo); in multi-chamber versions each chamber has its own branch, and therefore its own shut-off valves.
- Kässbohrer (K.SSK/K.SSL) — silo trailers in tipping (K.SSK) and non-tipping (K.SSL) versions, with the same principle of selecting air valve gear by line parameters.
- Other European manufacturers — PTFE-sealed air ball valves are a standardised component, so we also match them to silo trailers of other brands based on connection dimensions and pressure-temperature requirements.
Wherever a line runs above 120°C or at pressures close to the upper limit, regardless of trailer brand, the right choice from the outset is the heavy-duty V4A version — this avoids premature degradation of classic valve gear.
Chorula warehouse
We supply PTFE ball valves in classic and stainless steel versions from the PHS Magnum warehouse in Chorula near Opole, 4 km from the A4 motorway junction. The location by the A4 shortens delivery times both across Poland and to markets throughout the EU, and collection in person lets you match the valve gear on site, with the trailer at hand. The heavy-duty V4A acid-resistant version and non-standard sizes are fulfilled via regular direct supply.
We run the warehouse around what actually moves in mixed-fleet service, not a full “shelf-filler” catalogue — the most frequently selected sizes are kept off the shelf, and every delivery comes with material documentation. When matching a valve, please state the trailer brand and series along with the connection parameters; if your fleet is mixed, one enquiry covers several different designs at once.
Selecting parts for mixed-brand fleets
An air ball valve is a piece of valve gear that behaves comparably in a mixed fleet regardless of brand — what differs is the number and placement of valves, which follows from the tank design. In Spitzer SF/SK aluminium trailers the valves cluster around the pneumatic distributor and on the branches to the chambers; in a densely packed frame, handle access and clearance for the quarter-turn can matter. In Feldbinder EUT horizontal tanks each chamber has its own branch, so in multi-chamber versions the number of shut-off valves grows in proportion to the number of chambers; in the tipping KIP silo, the pneumatics assist the discharge of poorly flowing materials, where a positive, clearly readable valve position counts. On Kässbohrer K.SSK/K.SSL silo trailers, selection follows the same principle — by line parameters, not trailer type.
By comparison: with a mixed fleet it is most convenient to standardise one valve pattern across the whole fleet and match it to the specific connection (DN, thread, pressure, temperature). That way, the valve fitting a branch on a Spitzer and the aeration line on a Feldbinder is the same component, differing only in size — which simplifies both inspections and spare parts management in a fleet made up of several brands.
The role of the central warehouse in the network
For a fleet combining several manufacturers, the central warehouse in Chorula means one source instead of several parallel brand channels. The most frequently selected sizes in the classic and stainless steel versions are kept off the shelf, and the heavy-duty V4A version for the most heavily loaded points comes via direct supply — regardless of which brand it ends up on. The location by the A4 shortens delivery across the country and to markets throughout the EU, and one enquiry covers trailers of different manufacturers at once, because selection comes down to the connection parameters anyway.
What to watch for across brands
- Number of valve points — multi-chamber horizontal tanks have more valves; it pays to inventory them chamber by chamber, because wear is not distributed evenly.
- Installation space and handle access — in a tight aluminium frame, valve length and orientation are chosen so the quarter-turn stays convenient despite the lack of a handle lock.
- The hottest branches — valves closest to the compressor run at the highest temperatures; with recurring problems there, consider the heavy-duty V4A version straight away.
- Condensate at the lowest points — regardless of brand, regular draining of the line noticeably extends the life of the chrome-plated ball and PTFE seat.
- A shared index for the fleet — in a fleet combining Spitzer SF/SK, Feldbinder EUT/KIP and Kässbohrer K.SSK/K.SSL, the same air ball valve type is often shared across several vehicles, letting procurement rest on a single reference.
- Selection by medium and installation — the choice of version is driven by branch temperature and frame tightness, not the trailer manufacturer; this perspective distinguishes the hub catalogue from brand catalogues.
Specialist portals
The magnumchorula.pl hub is a good starting point for mixed fleets. If, however, you run a uniform single-brand fleet and need the full brand catalogue, we operate dedicated specialist portals:
- Catalogue for Spitzer silo trailers: Spitzer — PTFE ball valves
- Catalogue for Feldbinder silo trailers: Feldbinder — PTFE ball valves
The full range of service work for all brands we support: magnumchorula.pl/serwis/. To match size and version to your system: PHS Magnum service, tel. +48 602 716 551.
Related categories
- Segmented ball valves — air ball valves of segmented design (Type ZR)
- Prokosch product ball valves — aluminium product ball valves Type Prokosch
- Ball seals — PTFE ball seals and seats as a replaceable component
- Full catalogue: /en/czesci-zamienne/
Author: Aleksy Pasternak — Managing Partner at PHS Magnum, 20 years in the industry, internal auditor ISO 9001:2015 (DEKRA).
