EKINSUN LTD is a custom parts manufacturer that makes valve bodies to drawing or from a sample: pressure reducing valve bodies like the DN15 G1/2 body in the photographs, gate, globe, check, butterfly and ball valve bodies, bonnets and Y-strainer bodies, in brass, DZR brass, lead-free brass, ductile iron, WCB cast steel, CF8M and 316L stainless, from 1 piece. The route follows size and quantity: a body that fits in a bar is machined from solid, a large or cored body is sand cast, a small stainless body with fine passages is investment cast, and every one is machined on the ports, seats and bonnet thread afterwards. For other cast parts — pump casings, bearing housings, gearbox housings — see cast parts made to order.
A pressure reducing valve body — catalogue or machined
The valve in the photographs is a DN15 compensated-piston pressure reducing valve as the supplier specifies it: G1/2 female ports to ISO 228 at both ends, a nickel-plated brass body, inlet up to 20 bar, outlet adjustable from 1 to 7 bar and set at 3 bar, for water, compressed air and glycol at 0–80 °C, with no gauge port. The right-hand column is what changes when the body is made to order; the piston, spring and seat design stay the valve maker’s.
| Feature | Catalogue body (photographs) | Body made to order |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | G1/2 female both ends, ISO 228 parallel | NPT, R, metric fine, 15 mm compression, garden hose thread or union; inlet and outlet can differ |
| Body material | nickel-plated brass | brass as delivered — nickel plated or plain — in CW614N, CW602N DZR or CW724R lead-free; or 304 (1.4301), 316L (1.4404) |
| Gauge port | none | G1/4 boss on the outlet side, or on both sides |
| Face-to-face length | as catalogued | to the pipe gap, or to the valve being replaced |
| Working principle | compensated piston | unchanged — the bores are machined for the piston, seat and spring used |
| Inlet pressure | up to 20 bar (valve maker’s figure) | stated by the valve maker for the complete valve; not claimed for a machined body |
| Outlet setting | 1–7 bar, set at 3 bar | set by the spring and the adjusting screw |
| Media and temperature | water, compressed air, glycol; 0–80 °C | the body material is chosen for the medium |
| Marking | flow arrow and 1/2 cast in | arrow, size, range, logo or part number laser-engraved or stamped |
Need valve bodies in a size, thread or material no catalogue lists? EKINSUN is a custom parts manufacturer: we make valve bodies to your drawing, sketch or sample — brass, 304 or 316L stainless steel, ductile iron or cast steel — from 1 piece, quoted in 12 hours and shipped duties paid. Standard sizes can often be supplied from stock; the more pieces, the lower the unit price. How ordering without CAD works →
A body that only needs another port is often cheaper as a catalogue valve with a machined adapter on each end — the valve fittings page shows the same valve on eight different lines. The body itself is made when the adapters would make the assembly too long, when a gauge boss is needed, or when the material has to change.
Valve bodies by valve type — how each one is made
| Valve body | Sizes and ends | Usual route | Usual materials | What changes in a custom body |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure reducing valve body (PRV, pressure regulator body) | DN15–DN50 threaded; larger flanged | hot-forged brass, machined; large sizes cast | CW617N brass, nickel plated; bronze; ductile iron | ports, gauge boss, length, 316L |
| Gate valve body (wedge gate, knife gate) | DN15–DN50 threaded; DN50 and up flanged | sand cast; small steel valves forged | bronze, ductile iron, WCB, CF8M; A105 forged | face-to-face to fit an old gap, end connection |
| Globe valve body | threaded and flanged | sand cast; small steel valves forged | WCB, CF8M, bronze; A105 | seat size, ends, bonnet flange |
| Check valve body (swing, lift, in-line spring) | threaded small; flanged large | swing: sand cast; in-line spring: machined from bar | ductile iron, WCB, bronze, brass, 316 | cracking-spring pocket, ends, length |
| Dual-plate (wafer) check valve body | wafer between flanges | sand cast | ductile iron, WCB, CF8M | face width, hinge-pin bores |
| Butterfly valve body (wafer, lug, double-flanged) | DN40 and up | sand cast | ductile iron EN-GJS-400-15, CF8M, aluminium bronze | lug tapping, stem bores, liner seat |
| Ball valve body and end cap (1-, 2-, 3-piece; flanged) | DN8–DN50 threaded; flanged larger | forged brass; investment-cast CF8M; sand-cast WCB | CW617N, CF8M, WCB | end cap with another port, 316L body, actuator pad |
| Needle and instrument valve body | 1/8–1/2 in | machined from bar | 316, brass | ports, panel-nut thread, gauge ports |
| Solenoid valve body | DN8–DN25 | forged brass or machined from bar | CW617N, 303, 304, 316 | port thread, orifice, manifold mounting |
| Y-strainer and basket strainer body | threaded and flanged | sand cast; small ones forged | ductile iron, WCB, CF8M, bronze, brass | screen seat, blow-off port, ends |
| Bonnet, yoke, gland, cover | with the body | same route as the body | same as the body | stem bore, packing, bolt circle |
Typical practice, not a rule: small bodies move to bar machining at low quantity; the same body can be forged, cast or machined depending on how many are needed.
Valve body material chart — ASTM, EN and JIS
How can you tell what a valve body is made of?
Most valve bodies carry their material cast or stamped on the body, with the nominal size, the pressure class and a flow arrow (EN 19 in Europe, MSS SP-25 in the US): GG-25 or EN-GJL for grey iron, GGG-40, EN-GJS or DI for ductile iron, WCB for cast carbon steel, CF8M or 1.4408 for cast 316 stainless. Without marks, a magnet sticks firmly to iron and carbon steel, weakly or not at all to cast stainless, and not at all to brass or bronze; under nickel plating, brass shows yellow and bronze reddish at a scratch.
Valve drawings and data sheets name the body material in one standard; the grade letters below are the nearest equivalents in the other two. CF8M on a valve body is cast 316 stainless to ASTM A351; WCB is weldable cast carbon steel to ASTM A216.
| Material | ASTM | EN (number) | JIS | Where it is used in valves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cast carbon steel | A216 WCB | GP240GH (1.0619) | SCPH2 | gate, globe and check valves; water, steam, oil |
| Cast carbon steel, low temperature | A352 LCB | G20Mn5 (1.0622) | SCPL1 | valves below −29 °C |
| Cast stainless 304 | A351 CF8 | GX5CrNi19-10 (1.4308) | SCS13 | water and food valves |
| Cast stainless 316 | A351 CF8M | GX5CrNiMo19-11-2 (1.4408) | SCS14 | chemicals, seawater, ball valve bodies |
| Cast stainless 316L | A351 CF3M | GX2CrNiMo19-11-2 (1.4409) | SCS16 | welded ends, chloride service |
| Ductile iron | A536 60-40-18 | EN-GJS-400-15 (GGG-40) | FCD400 | butterfly, gate and check valves on water |
| Ductile iron, higher strength | A536 65-45-12 | EN-GJS-450-10 (GGG-45) | FCD450 | the same valves at higher load |
| Grey iron | A48 Class 35 (valves: A126 Class B) | EN-GJL-250 (GG-25) | FC250 | low-pressure water valves and strainers |
| Bronze (gunmetal) | B62 C83600 | CuSn5Zn5Pb5-C (CC491K) | — | water valves, marine valves |
| Aluminium bronze | B148 C95800 | CuAl10Fe5Ni5-C (CC333G) | — | seawater butterfly discs and bodies |
| Forging brass | C37700 | CuZn40Pb2 (CW617N) | C3771 | small forged PRV, ball and gate bodies |
| Forged carbon steel | A105 | P250GH / C22.8 (1.0460) | — | small forged gate, globe and check valves |
| Bar for machined bodies | 304 / 316L; C36000 brass | 1.4301 / 1.4404; CW614N | SUS304 / SUS316L | bodies machined from solid, 1 piece to small batches |
Nearest equivalents, not identical chemistries; the order names one standard. Cast and wrought stainless differ: a 316L body machined from bar (1.4404) replaces a CF3M (1.4409) casting without porosity.
Cast iron or ductile iron valve body?
Grey cast iron (EN-GJL-250, ASTM A48 Class 35) has a tensile strength of 250 MPa and almost no elongation, so it cracks rather than bends; it is used for low-pressure water valves and strainers and machines well. Ductile iron (EN-GJS-400-15 or EN-GJS-450-10, ASTM A536) has its graphite in spheres instead of flakes, 400–450 MPa and 10–15 % elongation, and is the standard body material for butterfly and gate valves on water mains. A cracked grey-iron body is replaced in ductile iron when the flange bolting or water hammer broke it. Every grey and ductile grade with its old DIN, JIS, GB and ASTM names: cast iron vs ductile iron.
| Grade | Tensile strength, min | Elongation, min | Typical valve use |
|---|---|---|---|
| EN-GJL-250 / A48 Class 35 / FC250 / HT250 | 250 MPa | under 1 % | strainers, low-pressure water valves, covers |
| EN-GJS-400-15 / A536 60-40-18 / FCD400 / QT400-15 | 400 MPa | 15 % | butterfly, gate and check valve bodies |
| EN-GJS-450-10 / A536 65-45-12 / FCD450 / QT450-10 | 450 MPa | 10 % | higher-load bodies and discs |
Valve body ports by nominal size — DN, G, NPT and copper tube
| DN | G (ISO 228), major Ø mm | NPT, pipe OD mm | Threads per inch | Copper tube, mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DN15 | G1/2 — 20.955 | 1/2 NPT — 21.34 | 14 | 15 |
| DN20 | G3/4 — 26.441 | 3/4 NPT — 26.67 | 14 | 22 |
| DN25 | G1 — 33.249 | 1 NPT — 33.40 | 11 (G) / 11.5 (NPT) | 28 |
| DN32 | G1-1/4 — 41.910 | 1-1/4 NPT — 42.16 | 11 / 11.5 | 35 |
| DN40 | G1-1/2 — 47.803 | 1-1/2 NPT — 48.26 | 11 / 11.5 | 42 |
| DN50 | G2 — 59.614 | 2 NPT — 60.33 | 11 / 11.5 | 54 |
G is parallel and seals on a washer at the port face; NPT is tapered and seals on the thread. A body can carry a different standard on each port; the fitting thread identification chart reads an unknown port.
Valve body parts in other languages
| English | German | French | Spanish | Italian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| valve body | Ventilgehäuse, Ventilkörper | corps de vanne, corps de robinet | cuerpo de válvula | corpo valvola |
| pressure reducing valve | Druckminderer | réducteur de pression, détendeur | válvula reductora de presión | riduttore di pressione |
| bonnet, spring housing | Federhaube, Oberteil | chapeau | bonete | cappello |
| gate valve / butterfly valve | Schieber / Absperrklappe | robinet-vanne / vanne papillon | válvula de compuerta / de mariposa | saracinesca / valvola a farfalla |
| check valve / Y-strainer | Rückschlagventil / Schmutzfänger | clapet anti-retour / filtre en Y | válvula de retención / filtro en Y | valvola di ritegno / filtro a Y |
What to send for a valve body
- The valve being replaced, or a photo of it with a caliper across each port, and its nominal size (DN15 = 1/2 in).
- The drawing, if there is one; a sketch with the ports, length and the bores the internals need is enough to quote.
- Each port: thread standard and size, male or female; or the tube or flange it has to meet.
- The medium and temperature — cold or hot water, drinking water, air, glycol, seawater, chemicals — so the body material is right.
- Where the internals come from: the original valve maker, your own parts, or metal internals machined with the body.
- Quantity: 1 piece is machined from bar; a series is quoted with the casting or forging route beside it.
Count the threads before you name the port. 14 threads per inch is G1/2, G3/4, 1/2 or 3/4 NPT; 11 per inch is G1 and larger; 11.5 is 1 NPT and larger. A thread that tapers from the first to the fifth turn is NPT or R; a parallel one is G.
Where the valve catalogue stops
| What you need | In the catalogue? | What we make |
|---|---|---|
| A complete valve, DN15–DN50, G or NPT ports, standard setting range or standard pattern | Yes | Buy it from stock; no machined one-off competes on price with a forged or cast catalogue valve. Standard parts: ask us too — we may have them in stock. |
| The same valve with another port on one end | Partly | Often solved with a machined adapter on the catalogue valve (valve fittings); the body is made when the adapters make the assembly too long. |
| A body in 316L (1.4404) for seawater, glycol with chlorides, food or chemical lines | Partly | Stainless valves exist in some sizes; any other size or port is machined from 316L bar. |
| A body with a gauge boss, drain or sensor port the catalogue body lacks | No | Machined in, G1/4 or a metric port, on the side you choose. |
| A body that drops into the gap left by an obsolete valve | No | Made to the old valve’s face-to-face length and ports; send the old valve. |
| A cracked grey-iron gate, check or strainer body with no drawing | No | Measured from the unbroken faces and made in ductile iron or cast steel — see cast parts. |
| An OEM series body with your marking, arrow and setting range | Partly | Laser-engraved or stamped on machined bodies; cast-in lettering needs a pattern or die for the series. |
| Piston, seat insert, spring cap and adjusting screw | Partly | Machined to drawing with the body; springs and seals come from the valve maker or from you. |
| A pressure rating, drinking-water approval or CE marking on the finished valve | Partly | Approvals belong to the complete valve and its maker; a machined body comes with the material certificate for its bar, and we say so before quoting. |
Related pages
- Cast parts made to order — pump casings, bearing housings, gearbox housings and 50 more cast part names
- valve fittings — adapters, extensions and gauge branches for valve ports
- Custom manifold blocks — several valves in one machined block
- Garden hose thread adapters — GHT to NPT and BSP for US equipment
- BSP to NPT adapters — G and R ports to NPT pipe
- Brass machining — CW614N and DZR brass parts
- Stainless steel grade equivalents — 304, 316 and 316L in every standard
- Obsolete parts — parts copied from a sample when the maker is gone
Frequently asked questions
Yes. EKINSUN machines the body - ports, seat, piston bore, bonnet thread and gauge boss - from brass or stainless bar to your drawing or to the valve being replaced, from 1 piece. Metal internals such as the piston, seat insert and adjusting screw can be machined with it; springs and seals come from the valve maker or from you.
Forged bodies are dense and free of porosity and are used for small brass and steel valves; cast bodies allow larger sizes and cored passages and are used for gate, globe, butterfly and flanged valves. For one piece or a small batch the body is machined from solid bar, which has no porosity and needs no pattern or forging die.
Grey cast iron (EN-GJL-250, ASTM A48 Class 35) reaches 250 MPa with almost no elongation and cracks under shock; ductile iron (EN-GJS-400-15 or EN-GJS-450-10, ASTM A536) reaches 400-450 MPa with 10-15 % elongation and is the usual material for butterfly and gate valve bodies on water mains.
WCB is cast carbon steel to ASTM A216 grade WCB, with GP240GH (1.0619) and SCPH2 as the EN and JIS equivalents. CF8M is cast 316 stainless to ASTM A351, equivalent to 1.4408 and SCS14; CF3M is the low-carbon 316L version, 1.4409 and SCS16.
G1/2 (ISO 228, 20.955 mm major diameter, 14 threads per inch) in Europe and most of Asia, 1/2 NPT (21.34 mm pipe, tapered) in North America, and a 15 mm compression end for copper tube. A body made to order can carry a different port on each end.
Yes. Send the old valve or its body; the new body is made to the same face-to-face length and ports so it drops into the same gap, with internals from the original maker if they are still sold, or metal internals machined to the sample if not.
EKINSUN LTD is a custom parts manufacturer that makes pressure reducing, gate, globe, check, butterfly, ball, needle and solenoid valve bodies and Y-strainer bodies in brass, ductile iron, WCB, CF8M and 316L, machined from bar or cast and machined, from 1 piece, with a quote within 12 hours.
No list price, and no machined one-off competes with a catalogue valve on price: when a catalogue valve fits, buy it. A body made to order is priced by route (bar, casting or forging), material, the number of ports and bores, and quantity; a pattern or forging die is a one-time cost that pays back only over a series.
Send the valve or the drawing
The old valve, a photo with a caliper across the ports, or a drawing; ports (thread and size), face-to-face length, gauge boss, material, medium, quantity. From 1 piece, quote within 12 hours.
Not sure of the ports? Give the nominal size (DN15 = 1/2 in), the country the valve comes from, and a photo with a caliper across each port. For a cracked cast body, photos of every face and the pieces.