Hi PipelineDeptTME,
Align with Gerhardl, that the answer is rely on customer (risk, experience, cost over lifetime, is this engineered valves or standard item, etc.) in conjunction with manufacturer motives whether they are comfortable to supply integrated parts (that meet client leakage specification) and are they into selling spare parts/maintenance strategy?
Plus whether the effort to install new parts and its supporting activities is more expensive in comparison with buying and installing new valves
For example:
Case: Pure hydrogen high pressure system, to be blocked by single isolation wedge gate valve size 24”. To be conservative no leakage allowed through downstream (ISO 5208 Class B)
For standard carbon steel body with Stainless steel trim
As an end user, one might think that Hydrogen might passed the gap between the non-integrated Seat and body from downstream – cavity and upstream. Hence, end user will prefer integrated Seat
As a manufacturer with relatively minimum experiences, they would think whether the Seat against Body welding process can be done in one go and whether the end pressure test result will be for sure ok. If not, they must open the welding again and re-do the whole thing
But if this is for very expensive Hastelloy or Duplex body with duplex trim, then the story might be different.
Maybe End user will avoid to buy the whole valve in the future and only stock the interchangeable Seat and or back seat, spindle and gate. And make it flange instead of butt welded
I would say similar assessment for back seat. Is the function only for back-seat or also as anti-extrusion packing? Does the precision machining or tolerance can be met if it is integrated or not? Etc.
Kind regards,
MR
All valves will last for years, except the ones that were poorly manufactured; are still wrongly operated and or were wrongly selected