In the industrial world, determining the force required to open or close a valve often remains a grey area for many technicians and engineers.
You can easily feel whether a valve is “hard” or “easy” to operate, but converting that feeling into a exact torque value is a completely different story. 

As a precaution, it’s common to choose an oversized actuator, thinking: “At least I’ll be sure it works." 

Even though modec actuators can deliver up to 1000 Nm, most valves — even 600 mm (≈ 24 inches) valves or large slide gate valves — do not require such torque. In many cases, they are equipped with a gearbox that allows manual operation by increasing the number of turns, which reduces the effort needed to operate the valve. Based on our field experience operating manual valves at customer sites across a wide range of industries and applications, we often observe that the vast majority of valves require between less than 100 and around 300 Nm of torque. However, above roughly 150 Nm, manual operation becomes physically demanding for a single operator. At this level of effort, operators may strain themselves or attempt unsafe methods—such as using improvised levers or forcing the handwheel—to open/close the valve, which increases the risk of injury and equipment damage. 

The modec Torque Estimation Tool: A Simple and Reliable Solution 

To support professionals in water, energy and other industrial sectors, modec offers a calculation tool to estimate the torque required for each valve: the torque simulation tool. 

This tool allows you to:

✅ Quickly estimate the torque required for your valves

Je rejouterai un point :  Check whether your valve can be safely operated manually 
✅ Select the right actuator in just a few clicks
✅ Save time and make your installations safer

 Thanks to this solution, your teams can work with optimized, reliable equipment that is adapted to each situation, while reducing costs and minimizing the risks associated with oversizing. 

 Try the tool here: Torque Estimator  

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