Hydraulic valves control fluid flow in hydraulic systems used in industrial, commercial, and manufacturing applications. Ball, control, selector, and cartridge valves are used to regulate pressure and control fluid flow volume and direction.

The most basic description of a valve is a mechanical device that opens and closes, most often to control the flow of fluid—liquid or air. Valves exist in nearly every industry, from automobile engines to the foundries that cast the engine’s valves; yes, there are valves on the machines that make valves.

Hydraulic valves are unique because they must be capable of withstanding 3,000 psi or more of fluid pressure, which require them to be manufactured from strong (and often heavy) steel and iron. Their construction must be such that hydraulic pressure is entirely contained, yet able to function smoothly and accurately, without being prevented from functioning because of the high forces imposed by that pressurized fluid.