Valve Test Scope Configurator: Valve, Size, Standard, Test Pressures
Specifying a valve test bench comes down to three answers: which valve, which standard, and which items you must prove. Once those are fixed, the test pressure, hold time and number of machines follow. The configurator below turns those three answers into numbers and a bench list you can copy or email to us.
Valve test scope configurator
Figures are derived from the standards for quick sizing. A formal quotation follows an engineer’s review of your drawing and contract clauses.
How to use the three steps
Valve type and size set the fixture and clamping; pressure class sets the pump range — remember PN and Class are different scales, so PN16 at 1.6 MPa and Class 150 at 285 psig (about 1.96 MPa) are not the same thing; the standard then decides the multiplier, and switching standards can move test pressure by 40%.
The number most often overlooked is the third card: hold time. ASME B16.34 sets 15 / 60 / 120 / 300 s by size, while EN and GB use a different table. Get this wrong and a third-party retest will mark the report as not per standard.
Quick rules
| Standard | Shell | Seat | What comes on top |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB/T 13927-2022 / EN 12266-1 / API 598 | 1.5x | 1.1x | The leakage rate letter (A to G) must appear in the report |
| ASME B16.34 | 1.5x of the 38 °C rating | 1.1x | Rounded up to 25 psi |
| AWWA C515 / C509 | 2.5x | 2x | Plus 500 pressurised cycles (proof of design) |
| EN 1074 water supply | max(1.5x PFA, PEA) | 0.5 bar + 1.1x PFA | Endurance at 250 / 2,500 cycles by operation |
| EN 13774 gas distribution | 1.5x | 1.1x | Tightness at 6 mbar and 1.1x pmax |
Three specification errors
Sizing the bench by PN, then quoting a US order. A PN16 valve needs 2.4 MPa at the shell under EN, but 3.45 MPa under AWWA C515. Size the pump by PN and you discover the gap mid-run.
Fitting the high tier only. 6 mbar and 0.5 bar are the tiers that find micro-leaks; high pressure presses the sealing faces shut and hides them. A leak bench and a pressure bench are not the same machine.
Forcing many tests onto one machine. Pressure, flow and torque make different demands on clamping and data. Past three items, a comprehensive bench plus dedicated tooling is usually less trouble than a universal machine.
Continue by test item
- Pressure and tightness — shell, seat and air tightness
- Flow and control performance — Cv/Kv, PRVs, TMVs
- Life, torque and fatigue — fix the conditions first
- Special and safety tests — fire, cryogenic, emissions, type test
- Certification and market access — EU, US and China
Related test equipment
The benches the configurator returns, with their capability limits:
- Valve pressure test machine — shell at 1.5x, seat at 1.1x, report per valve
- Pipe and connection leak test bench — pressure decay and helium
- Valve flow test system — flow and Δp per opening to derive Cv/Kv
- Valve torque test machine — full open and close torque curves
- Valve life-cycle test bench — pressurised cycling with automatic counting
- Valve comprehensive test bench — five tests on one frame
- Valve testing equipment range — browse all models