As the innovative manufacturer known for introducing the four-offset butterfly valve, Quadax valves’ ability to withstand very high, very low and extreme cyclical temperatures in the most demanding applications, has set the company apart in the industry. Valve World Americas spoke with Scott Moreland, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Quadax, to discuss the company’s growing North American footprint, immense sales growth and value-added operations in the U.S.A.
By Sarah Bradley
Müller Co-ax was launched in1960 by Gottfried Müller — the inventor of the coaxial design valve. To this day, Müller’s legacy of originality and cutting-edge technology is the foundation for the company. Having created several valve innovations for the coaxial market, Müller is recognized as a pioneer of creativity in the industry. Quadax was founded in 2009 as a subsidiary of Müller Co-ax, with a focus on the production of four-offset butterfly valves for metal seated extreme applications.
“Created for extremes, our products are found in some of the toughest applications, where longevity, safety and reliability are of the utmost importance,” explained Moreland.
Headquartered in Forchtenberg, Germany, the company has expanded to serve the international industry. Beginning in the specialty gas market of Europe and coming to the U.S.A. shortly after, Müller Coax continues to grow its footprint globally. A new Forchtenberg Quadax manufacturing facility opened in 2023 and the company has been experiencing extensive growth in North America.
“The company has realized significant recognition in the U.S.A. for its value-added operations and has been making strategic investments in service and personnel in the region,” said Moreland. “Growing our footprint to provide the best service for our customers in America has been a priority.”
Severe Markets Served
Quadax valves are installed in several industries including specialty gasses, gas separation, chemical and petrochemical, aerospace, and applications such as hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and LNG. The company is also focused on district energy, with the use of high-temperature steam.
“Our valves are ideal for several severe applications,” stated Moreland. “They can perform with liquid helium, which is the coldest existing substance known to man. We produce valves for applications such as desulfurization, and ethylene oxide, both of which are very demanding services, emergency shutdown valves (ESDV), that are capable of achieving closing times as quick as 400ms even in large diameters.” These closure times are only possible due to Quadax’s unique 4-offset design.
In the world of manufacturing for extreme cold or hot applications, Quadax hones its expertise to be a problem solver, able to handle cyclical temperatures with extreme deltas.
“Created for extremes, our products are found in some of the toughest applications, where longevity, safety and reliability are of the utmost importance.”
“Quadax butterfly valves are the ideal solution for customers with the highest demands on tightness – for extreme applications, and temperature ranges. We are made for the extreme,” said Moreland. “With large temperature fluctuations, valves can often struggle, however the Quadax valve can handle almost anything.”
The Four Offset Butterfly Valves
As a result of innovative design principles, Quadax’s four-offset butterfly valves are unique in their ability to withstand extreme temperatures and volatile compounds. There are five piping configurations of the valve, including Double Flange, Lugged Pattern, Gate Valve Replacement, Buttweld, and Top Entry.
The four offset valve includes a fully round disc, rather than an elliptical disc, allowing for different materials and sealing mechanisms, homogenous expansion and shrinking of sealing materials, significantly increased CV values and virtually zero friction in the sealing area.
One of Quadax’s most unique products is the Top Entry design. “We are one of the only companies offering a true top entry design valve, with full repairability that is still in line for extreme applications,” stated Moreland.
The top entry version of the valve is mainly used in piping systems, where flange connections must be avoided. In practical applications, the central top flange can be removed, and the internal components can be easily extracted, while the body remains in the pipeline. The standard version of this valve can withstand temperatures from -10 °C up to +450 °C (-14 °F up to 842 °F), and with special materials, -270 °C up to +800 °C (-454 °F up to 1472 °F).
“Our valves are manufactured to the newest and highest standards possible, so customers know that our valves will work in their application, without worrying about fugitive emissions being a concern.”
“We look at every application as a unique opportunity for custom design and improvement,” Moreland explained. “We offer a high-end product and do not sell a valve ‘off the shelf’ until we know the specific application, in order to ensure that the valve is fit for service.”
Modern manufacturing technologies utilizing 5-axis machining centers, allows for Quadax to get away from the old ‘wobble plate’ machining that is still used in the older triple offset designs, as they have certain drawbacks. This assures optimized accuracy in one machining set-up, while the competitors must rely on complex clamping devices resulting in inaccuracies due to re-clamping of the body to tool connections during machining operations. With 5-axis machines tighter tolerances can be achieved allowing for much cleaner machining surfaces, which results in better sealing.
Extreme Temperatures & Extreme Quality
There are many design principles in place that allow for Quadax to withstand extreme applications and continue to enhance its products. The product is essentially an improvement on the triple offset valves that were developed in the 1960s. The original version served its purpose but was machined with limited abilities. One of those limitations was that its machining resulted in an oval port. In the course of operation, there will be reduced sealing over the course of its life due to friction and reduced flow capacity.
“Today, we have on average 20-30% higher flow capacity compared to the traditional TOV. We use the five-axis machine to achieve a true circular port, which virtually eliminates friction between the disc seat and valve seat, while also increasing the CV values,” explained Moreland.
Friction between seats causes wear and tear, and eventual leakage, shortening the life span of the valve. “With a Quadax valve, and a truly round port, friction is virtually eliminated, meaning longer life and greater sealability.”
Another enabling factor to handling high and low temperatures is the use of a floating disc, rather than a pin disc. “This means that the disc is not impacted by temperature changes. When the stem shrinks or expands, it pulls the disc with it in a traditional pinned disc design. Because ours is floating, it stays in place to seal every time.” This feature, along with a fully encapsulated disc design that reduces shaft deflection even at very high differential pressure changes, ensures the tightest sealing in both the preferred and non-preferred directions.
One of the most critical pieces to seal at high and low temperatures is an optional o-ring seat design which is only possible due to Quadax’s 4th offset. “We are the only ones that offer this because you cannot do this with an oval port, you need a round port. Quadax can offer a spring-loaded Inconel 718 o-ring, with a much greater ability to expand and contract with temperature changes, making for tight sealing,” explained Moreland.
Fugitive Emissions Testing
With API 641, ISO 15848 certifications, Quadax products are capable of withstanding the most strenuous severe service testing for emissions. Quadax also has full-time departments dedicated to addressing standards for a well-rounded quality control system.
“Our valves are manufactured to the newest and highest standards possible, so customers know that our valves will work in their application, without worrying about fugitive emissions being a concern,” said Moreland. “Quadax takes pride in testing every valve to ensure the best possible sealing of its packing, even after extensive cycles. This will bring the industry closer to the goal of zero emissions.”
In addition to eliminating fugitive emissions, Quadax also focuses on zero leakage bubble-tight sealing, “Our cryogenic quadruple offset valve is zero leakage in the extreme temperature of -427°F (-255°C). This has been demonstrated in several applications around the world, and with extensive in-house testing. On the flip side, we also offer high-temperature valve which range from 1,460°F, or 800°C. Our goal is to offer a valve that works every time, regardless of the conditions; we build something for our customers that works the first time, for a long time.”
“We ensure that our customers are aware of the total cost of ownership in a valve assembly. To extend the longevity and quality of a product, it is important to apply it to the correct application, so that it can fit, form, and function better than other competitors’ products,” added Moreland. “Our main goal is to exceed their expectations.”
Looking to the Future
Quadax is focused on continual improvement to make things more user-friendly. To support customer needs, they opened a new valve manufacturing center, with roughly 56,000 square-feet of additional space for machining, assembly and testing. It has tripled the capacity and doubled opportunities for storage of finished products. The new facility also has a special clean room dedicated for hydrogen and oxygen cleaning of valves. “The facility has a new paint room, and enabled better performance, and quicker throughput. It includes a new testing facility, including a bunker for high-pressure applications, cryogenic testing for extreme low-temperature applications, improved workflow for more efficient process, and state-of-the-art packing machines,” said Moreland.
“Over the last five years, by focusing on opportunities outside of our core businesses, and looking for applications where we can provide solutions, we have increased our business immensely. The U.S. is now our largest market. We anticipate 2025 to be our biggest year ever, with new projects on the drawing board to enter the marketplace and become an even bigger factor in the overall market share of torque-seated butterfly valves,” concluded Moreland. “The future is indeed bright for Quadax readying for good things to come and made for the extreme!”
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the profiled company and may not reflect the position of Valve World Americas.