Wholesale butterfly valves offer the most economical method for controlling flow through large diameter pipes. The wholesale butterfly valve is often more complex than any other type of valve because, although two different manufacturers may provide the same nominal size butterfly valve, they may quote radically different prices. For example, one supplier may quote a price of $18 for a 2-inch wafer-pattern valve manufactured from 304 stainless steel with an EPDM seat, while another supplier may quote a price of $400 for a 4-inch lugged body valve manufactured from 316L stainless steel with a PTFE seat, pneumatic actuator, and certification by 3-A. If the buyer compares these two valves only by their sizes, they will have not done anything meaningful.
Quick answer: Wholesale manufacturers' prices for butterfly valves vary from about $18.00 for a 2 inch wafer-style butterfly valve made from 304 stainless steel with an EPDM seat to more than $400.00 for a 4 inch sanitary butterfly valve made from 316L stainless steel and having a pneumatic actuator and complete certification. The specifications that affect the prices of butterfly valves are as follows: body material, seat material, pattern (wafer, lugged, flanged, welded, clamped), pressure class, actuation, and documentation. When purchasing butterfly valves, factory minimum orders are typically 50 to 100 pieces and distributor minimum orders are usually one box. The time required to manufacture butterfly valves is approximately 3 to 7 days for stock, 20 to 35 days for a factory production run, and 45 to 60 days for a custom configuration. Eagle offers the complete sanitary range from stock from 1/2 inch to 12 inch sizes with 316L stainless steel bodies, EPDM, PTFE, and FKM seats, and manual, pneumatic, and electric actuation.
The following sections will provide additional details/guidance related to the products that Eagle supplies and their use in various applications, as well as a comparison of competing suppliers by geographic location and pricing structure, and guidance on selecting the best supplier of wholesale butterfly valves based on the intended application of the valves.
What Products Does A Wholesale Butterfly Valve Order Include?
Patterns for butterfly valves vary for slightly different applications, however, five patterns cover nearly all common applications. Each pattern determines how the butterfly valve connects to the pipe and therefore determines the installation requirements for the butterfly valve.
The Wafer Pattern: The body of the butterfly valve is situated in the centre between two flanges and is secured in place by bolts from the flanges. The wafer pattern of a butterfly valve is the least expensive and also the most compact way of connecting to the pipe. However, this pattern cannot be used as an end-of-line valve because the valve disk does not have pressure to hold it closed when the downstream flange is removed. It is generally used for general isolation in water, HVAC and light process.
The Lugged Pattern: The lugged pattern of a butterfly valve utilises threaded inserts in the body of the valve which enable the valve to be bolted to a flange and be used as an end-of-line isolation valve, as well as providing a means of access for maintenance. A flange valve (also known as a "stop valve") is more expensive than a wafer-style valve. However, because it will isolate a line for pump/filter replacement, it is used whenever a line has to be isolated.
A flanged valve has flanges on its body, and the flange bolts to both pipe flanges. It's more costly and heavier than other types of valves—and is often used on larger pipes or pipes that require a higher-pressure class. Flanged valves are typically used where the valve will be exposed to a lot of stress, such as in high-traffic areas (i.e. the food, beverage, dairy and pharmaceutical industries), so their strength is critical.
Usually there are two ways butt-weld valves are made: welded ends (permanent) and clamped ends (tri-clamp). Welded ends are permanent hygienic installations, while clamped ends allow access to the inside of the line for cleaning during performative or routine use. Clamped butt-welded valves are typically preferred in the food, beverage, dairy and pharmaceutical industries and are offered in larger diameters.
Threaded valves have female threads on both ends; therefore, they are primarily used on small-sized pipes. They are inexpensive, fast to work with and limited to smaller pipe sizes.
A valve's seat material is one-half of its specifications. Its selection depends on the expected temperature and chemical environment the seat will encounter; it does not matter what a valve costs. EPDM covers water and steam at temperatures up to about 120 °C (250 °F) and is the default material. PTFE covers a larger range of temperatures than EPDM (i.e. -100 °C to 260 °C / 150 °F to 500 °F) and is more resistant to chemical attack than EPDM, but costs more (30% - 60% increase in cost) than EPDM. FKM is the proper seat material for applications where the seat will be exposed to hydrocarbons or to higher-temperature processes. Silicone is an appropriate choice of seat material for processes where the process is sensitive to changes in seat material, such as when working with some food and pharmaceutical applications.
The body materials used in the production of valves include 304 and 316L stainless steels for small utility valves; ductile iron is often used for large utility valves and PVC for chemical lines. 316L is essential in all hygienically designed work, with a price differential of 20% to 30% versus 304 for the same seat and pattern.
Why Does Eagle Offer This Suite of Products?
Eagle manufactures this family of sanitary valves and fittings from 304 and 316L with butterfly valves being the largest member of the family of valves. The reason customers come to Eagle rather than a Distributor is that we do not use sub-contracted valves. Our manufactured sanitary valves are positively machined into bodies, ground into discs, moulded into seats, and assembled and pressure-tested in-house, allowing us to produce non-stock seat compounds and actuator configurations as standard, rather than as a special order.
Our product range goes from 1/2" to 12" in size and includes sanitary valves in both clamped and welded patterns. To compliment our valves we use EPDM, PTFE, and FKM seat materials and offer both lever, pneumatic, and electric actuators. All of our sanitary valves are rated at 10 bar, however, higher ratings on welded and flanged valves are also available. The product-contact surfaces are Ra 0.8 µm as standard with an electropolished finish of Ra 0.4 µm available upon request.
For a wholesale order, Eagle offers three key advantages. Stock is readily available in common sizes, so a mixed order of 200 valves across six sizes can ship without taking a production slot. All material certificates and pressure test reports ship with an order and are not available upon request. The actuators we supply come as separate items and it is useful if during any project the actuator type is changed midstream, but the bodies have already been completed.
We do not manufacture large utility butterfly valves in ductile iron or high-performance double-offset valves for use in the oil and gas industries. These are entirely different rate products that utilise entirely different standards. Therefore, any buyer looking for an item in the former category will be better served by one of the suppliers in Section 2. It is cheaper for us to advise this along with the buyer's selection than to have a return shipment. The sanitary butterfly valve range reflects the sizes and configurations of standard to us.
What Determines the Price of a Valve
A variety of factors determine the cost of a valve. Therefore, any quotation that does not state the six items below has not provided an accurate quotation for the product.
Body Material / Grade. With regards to body material and grade, the difference between using 304 versus using 316L will amount to approximately 20-30%. The difference between using a forged body versus a cast body, again, is reflected in wall thickness and the pressure class rating of the valve.
Seat Compound. The baseline for a seat compound will be EPDM. The addition of PTFE will result in approximately 30% - 60% increase in the price because of the additional chemical resistance properties offered by PTFE as well as the expanded range of temperature that may be tolerated by a PTFE seat. FKM is in between the two compounds, and therefore is generally selected for applications involving hydrocarbons rather than for temperatures.
Pattern. The cheapest pricing will be for wafer pattern valves, followed closely by lugged pattern valves (approximately 20% - 35% higher) then flanged pattern valves, which will typically command the highest price. Lastly, for clamped and welded end connections, pricing will be based on the respective connection style, not on the valve pattern.
Comparing a 10 bar sanitary valve to a PN16 industrial valve is impossible, and their tests differ in that the minimum test regime includes a minimum shell test at 1.5x rated pressure and a minimum seat test at 1.1x rated pressure, with a certificate for every batch produced, not per individual valve unless stated otherwise.
Actuators. The base price includes a manual lever. The price of a pneumatic actuator is an extra $120 to $400 depending on the torque and whether it is a spring-return actuator and the price of an electric actuator ranges from $300 to $1,200. The price of the actuator is often 40% of the delivered cost of a small valve; therefore, it is important to quote them separately.
Documentation. The documentation includes Material Test Certificates to EN 10204 3.1, 3-A Certification, Surface Finish Reports and FDA/EC 1935/2004 declarations for elastomers. Each of these documents has its own cost associated with it, and a wholesale price that does not include one or more of these documents represents the price of an unverified document. The Guidelines for Selecting Stainless Steel Butterfly Valves provide information on how these documents are to be used in conjunction with the standards for stainless steel butterfly valves.
Option 1: Top Quality 304 or 316L Materials - Good Fit for Price/Performance
- Body - 304/316L (Other Materials May Require 20-30% Increase in Price)
- Seat - EPDM, PTFE, FKM and Silicone (PTFE May Require 30-60% Increase in Price)
- Lugged - Price Decrease of 20-35%
- Pressure Class: Higher Class Has an Increase in Price of 15-40%
- Actuation-Pneumatic ($120-400)
- Add. Cert. / Documentation 5-12% of Unit Price
How Wholesale Pricing Works
This particular category of wholesale pricing is not necessarily a "discount" from a list price but rather influenced by quantity, design and technical documentation. Therefore, it is beneficial to understand how pricing will scale prior to your initial inquiry.
On the following page you will find two price ranges that are based on size, construction material (316L), and seat type (EPDM). Those price ranges will show the approximate unit price at both the 10-50 pcs order volume and at the 500 pcs order volume.
| Size | Unit price at 10-50 pcs | Unit price at 500 pcs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Inch | $28 - $45 | $18 - $30 |
| 1.5 Inch | $40 - $65 | $28 - $45 |
| 2 Inch | $50 - $85 | $35 - $58 |
| 3 Inch | $75 - $130 | $55 - $92 |
| 4 Inch | $115 - $190 | $85 - $140 |
You will notice the following patterns from this table. First, the price of a fitting will increase with the square of its diameter versus a direct correlation to its linear dimensions. Second, the greatest quantity discount will occur between 10 and 100 pcs, while discounts will flatten thereafter due to the fact that set up and inspection costs are higher than material costs. Actuators are the only components in valve systems not produced in -house and therefore should be priced based on their individual margins. Therefore, the actuator's price will not reflect the same discount structure as the valve.
As an example of the financial impacts that occur when combining multiple sizes of valves from a single supplier, ordering a complete range of valves (size range from the smallest to the largest) as a combined shipment will save you money compared to separating the order into different order sizes, and gaining the best price for the largest valve size. The cost of manufacturing and inspecting a valving product will be incurred for each entire order placed by the customer, rather than on a per-size basis.
When comparing the quality of butterfly valves, you can apply the same quantitative analysis to the price differences between butterfly valves of two different actuator types, when looking at the size of the actuator between the two types of butterfly valves, along with the cost difference between the two actuator types.
The differences in price between the different sizes of butterfly valves using the example of a 2.5 inch butterfly valve is due to the various costs associated with changing from a lever actuator to a pneumatic actuator.
Five Other Suppliers to Consider for Your Shortlist
The market is comprised of three distinct tiers for your consideration: (1) the European hygienic tier, (2) the Japanese and American industrial tier, and (3) the larger low-cost tier. The following five suppliers are all located in the first two tiers and are companies you should add to your supplier shortlist, due to a specific reason.
Swedish company Alfa Laval, located in Lund, is the most recognized brand for hygienic flow equipment. The range of butterfly valves produced by Alfa Laval are considered the benchmark in the dairy and beverage industry, due to the quality of documentation and the comprehensive nature of the global service network. You should expect to pay a premium of between 40-80% more than factory-direct equivalent. Lead times for non-stock items will be between 6-12 weeks, and standard certification includes both 3-A Certification and EHEDG approval. Manufacturer references typically include implementations inside large dairy processing, breweries, and pharmaceutical facilities.
German company GEA has established a strong presence in the hygienic processing market and is well recognized as a leading supplier of complete production line systems in the dairy processing sector. An advantage of this valve is that it is a component of skid or process packages, so there will be no interface work on this. Pricing and lead times are similar to Alfa Laval, and this is the most common reason plants choose one over the other: the existing stock of parts their maintenance team has.
Crane Co. is another American manufacturer who makes resilient-seated and high-performance butterfly valves for industrial service (water, HVAC, process). Its strength is the wide range of sizes available, along with a distribution network for stocking; its pricing ranges from $40 for a 2" resilient-seated valve to several thousand dollars for a large high-performance valve.
Kitz is a Japanese company with highly regarded industrial valves that focus specifically for water and steam. Kitz has a reputation for quality in casting, and it is positioned between European and Chinese manufacturers in pricing. In Asia, Kitz has shorter lead times from stock than elsewhere in the world.
EBRO Armaturen is a German manufacturer of actuated butterfly valves, including a high-performance version called a double-offset butterfly valve for use in the oil and gas industry and high-cycle applications. When there is a need for a valve that will cycle many times (thousands of cycles), EBRO can be considered an option, while many other manufacturers focus on valves that will isolate lines just a couple of times a year.
A commonality between all five manufacturers is that when a plant purchases a premium-priced valve from one of these brands, it buys not only the potential for documentation, availability and a service organization, but also the same basic valve construction as other brands. For a plant that will maintain a valve for 20 years, that additional cost may be worthwhile.
OEMs using warranty-based equipment should prefer to use factory-direct valves that possess the needed certifications in order to get the best commercial value for their money. In addition, prior to having a conversation regarding the brand of valve, one could use the Sanitary Butterfly Valve Types Guide as a reference point to determine which type of sanitary butterfly valve will best match the application's requirements. For example, when deciding which supplier to choose, selecting a supplier by industry will typically lead you to a certification for the type of sanitary butterfly valve that the application requires.
The certification of a sanitary butterfly valve will depend more on the type of industry in which it is used than on the type of sanitary butterfly valve itself, and the certification is what differentiates one supplier from another, assuming they are selling a sanitary butterfly valve for the same price.
The table below shows the ancillary information needed when selecting the correct certification for each industry, as well as the types of suppliers that can provide the necessary sanitary butterfly valves.
| Industry | What needs to be in the valve | Supplier type of sanitary butterfly valve |
|---|---|---|
| Dairy & Beverage | 3-A or EHEDG, 316L, Ra 0.8 µ, clamped ends | Alfa Laval, GEA, Eagle |
| Pharmaceutical | Complete material traceability, FDA compliant elastomers, finish report | Alfa Laval, GEA, documented factory supply |
| Brewing & Distilling | 316L, EPDM or PTFE, CIP tolerant, pneumatic | Eagle, Alfa Laval, GEA |
When looking to purchase a supplier, you'll want to consider the specific types of valves they offer as well as the type of applications they serve. A supplier such as Eagle offers several different types of valves, while companies like Crane offer a wide range of products. It is important to understand the type of container you are purchasing from a supplier, because if you do not have enough product on hand the supplier will likely charge you extra for the container.
Quantities and Inventory
The quantity you order from the manufacturer will affect how much you pay, as will the level of inventory they have in stock. When determining how many units to order, you should keep in mind that most suppliers have minimum order quantities (MOQ) and lead times.
Lead time is how long it takes for you to receive your product once you have placed your order. Generally, stock items take 3 to 7 days to process and ship. MOQ is usually a range of 50-100 pieces per size depending on whether or not the product is standard, and will be significantly greater for non-standard seat materials. You may purchase a box of product from the distributor at an MSRP that reflects the cost of stocking that item, which will mean that you will likely have to purchase multiple boxes to meet the MOQ for each of the sizes. For example, if you ordered 1000 pieces of a particular size and purchased a combination of smaller sizes in the same shipment, you may have enough product to reach the MOQ for the smallest size and not need to order any more.
Also, make sure that you check the company's inventory levels before placing your order to ensure that you have enough product available to fulfill your order.
A standard production run for a factory will be 20 to 35 days for standard sizes of Actuators and 45 to 60 days for non-standard or custom configuration Actuators. In addition, there is an additional 25 to 40 days of sea freight to Europe or North America. Air Freight is only recommended if there is a line-down situation to avoid long shipping delays.
Incoterms - FOB (Factory) is the default and puts the burden of the freight decision on the purchaser. CIF is easier to include freight in the pricing of the unit and does not require a detailed line item for freight. DDP is good for a purchaser without import customs agents as it allows for the ability to have the freight included in the unit price. When a quote is requested, it is very important to obtain the HS Code as the same item could fall under different classifications, and could be subject to different rates of duty. A shipment can sit at customs for up to one week if it is not properly classified.
One very important point to note is that for shipping purposes, a valve with an actuator is considered to be one item, however in several countries, it is classified as an Actuated Valve and will be liable for differing rates of duty. Therefore, it is best to confirm the classification prior to container booking to avoid any misclassification.
To start ordering an item, it is important to have your request contain the following six items: One, Size; Two, Style; Three, Body Material; Four, Seat Material; Five, Actuation; and Six, Documentation required. Everything else about your request and the price will follow from those six items.
When requesting samples, request one sample of each size instead of only one of the largest size. The failure modes can differ by the size of the valve and the area where the new supplier has the most difficulty is likely the fit of the seat to the valve body. If the utility application is not for a hygienic environment, a good sample to request to test the threading on the valve is a 2.5" threaded butterfly valve. The 2.5" valve will give the customer a chance to review the valve thread machining and seat machining.
After requesting samples, the next step is to place a minimum order quantity trial order and inspect the shipment upon arrival versus the certification paperwork and hold the remaining volume for the year, for the first shipment until it has gone through a maintenance cycle. This will add a couple of weeks to the process and ensures that the new supplier will not send a full container of 2000 faulty valves, which would otherwise only be discovered in use.
FAQ'S
What is the minimum quantity that I can order from a wholesale valve supplier for butterfly valves?
In general, the minimum order quantity is typically a range between 50 to 100 pieces per size from a manufacturer and about 200 pieces or more for any material variation or a non-standard seating compound for a certain application. If purchasing via a distributor, you would need to purchase a minimum box size for a higher price per unit. Another practical way to get started is to place a mixed order across all of the different sizes in order to attain a manufacturer minimum without being overstocked on any one particular product line.
What does a wholesale butterfly valve cost?
A 2" sanitary butterfly valve in 316L with an EPDM seat currently retails for between $35 to $85, depending on quantity. Costs for a butterfly valve depend on size. A 1-inch valve typically sells for $18 to $45, while a 3-inch valve ranges from $55 to $130. A 4-inch valve will generally cost between $85 and $190. If an operator wants an actuator to open or close the valve, there will be additional costs. Operator actuators are about $120 to $400 additional, and PTFE seat valves will cost approximately 30% to 60% more. The lower end of the price range for industrial resilient seated valves is typically around $18 to $40, depending on the size of the valve, such as 2 inches.
How long does delivery take?
When ordering a sanitary butterfly valve, there are several factors to take into consideration. Short delivery timeframes (3-7 days) can be obtained from stock for standard sizes. For custom orders (i.e., the type of seat compound or special actuators), delivery time will depend on the production schedule, with lead times from 20 days to over 60 days. Sea freight delivery to Europe and North America will take an additional 25-40 days.
What certifications should a sanitary butterfly valve have?
Sanitary butterfly valves should also have many certifications. The main certification is either the 3-A sanitary standards or EHEDG certification for food and dairy applications. Manufacturers may also have material certificates (EN 10204 3.1) and FDA or EC 1935/2004 certification for the elastomeric seals in their sanitary butterfly valves, along with a surface finish report with the expected Ra value of 0.8µm or less. For the pharmaceutical industry, it is customary for manufacturers to provide a lot traceability and roughness measurement per batch.
References
- Alfa Laval — Hygienic Butterfly Valve and Flow Equipment
- GEA — Process Valves and Hygienic Components
- Crane Co. — Industrial Butterfly Valves
- Kitz Corp. — Valves for Water, Steam and Process
- EBRO Armaturen — Actuated and High-Performance Butterfly Valves
Summary
Before making a purchase, wholesale butterfly valves should be a specification and not just a price. The specifications of a butterfly valve include the body grade, seat compound material, pattern, pressure class and type of actuation, as well as the certification and documentation required. A valve that is quoted without any one of these six specifications cannot be compared to another valve. The majority of customers in the hygienic industries will only require one manufacturer to meet all of the requirements of the plant to ensure that their customers receive the same quality level of product. It is recommended that the user obtain one sample of each size before ordering the complete container. All remaining details, including the discount curve and Incoterms, are negotiable and do not need to be included in the specification. The above-mentioned specifications must always be part of your valve purchasing process.
