For years, many have overlooked the importance of the mounting bracket and often called it “just a piece of bent metal” or “just a piece of square tubing. Vanaire and other industry leaders understand that without the solid structure of a robust mounting bracket, the entire valve assembly is at risk for not functioning properly.
The design of the mounting bracket should consider not only the stresses and strains developed from the applied torque, but also deflection (angular twist or bending). Excessive deflections could prevent the valve and actuator from functioning properly. “Deflections of the mounting kit shall not prevent the valve closure member from reaching the fully closed or fully open position or restrict actuator functionality” (API 6DX, 2020). Except for special circumstances (e.g., extended mounting heights with horizontal stem orientations, small bolting patterns, and so on), mounting kits should be able to be installed in any orientation without additional support.