BLOG CONTACT

ALL NEWS :

Corner blocks or complete frames for hydraulic gates steel-framed valves: which option should you choose?

04/06/2026 - posté dans HYDRO

For hydraulic gates / sluice valves, to complement our range of linear profiles sold by length, we manufacture finished or semi-finished corner blocks and frames. The corner blocks are cast at our workshop in Valserhône in France.

1. The principle behind hydraulic gate seals

Why offer corner blocks and valve frames ?

A hydraulic gate/sluice valve seal is not simply a profile: it is an assembly made from components of different shapes and lengths, depending on requirements.

At PXL SEALS, we understand the operational and structural demands placed on these frames. The junctions required to manufacture them demand expertise acquired over 30 years of experience.

The added value of PXL SEALS valve frames lies in the appropriate choices made regarding :

The number of junctions

The location of the junctions

The type and quality of the junctions

Two types of junctions available

To meet the needs of operators of hydroelectric power stations, dams and locks, we offer either moulded corner pieces, or extruded half-frames or full frames.

- Extruded profiles with corner pieces supplied separately

Where possible, the use of moulded corner blocks avoids the need for 45° cold bonding in corners, areas that tend to be under stress with a high risk of the bonds breaking.

Two types of pieces are manufactured: extruded profiles and a corner block. The two are then bonded together to form a frame.

These blocks can be supplied as an addition to the extruded products sold by length, so that you can carry out on-site bonding in straight sections, which is much simpler to perform and more reliable in use.

We currently have a wide range of existing blocks available and can also produce new ones to meet any specific requirements.

Examples of moulded corners

Half-frames or full frames manufactured by PXL SEALS

For an even more reliable solution, we offer half-frames or full frames.

Our assemblies are manufactured in-house using our HLB process of hot jointing with material addition.

As true ready-to-use solutions, these valve frames :

Make assembly easier,

Reduce the number of junctions on site (often in difficult conditions)

Ensure greater reliability of the juntions.

We can supply different types of frames to suit your requirements, depending on the type of profile and the valve.

We recommend the supply of half-frames with excess length to be adjusted on site; this will allow you to adapt precisely to the actual conditions of the valve, which can sometimes differ from the theoretical specifications shown on the drawings.

Depending on the type of profile and the shape of the frame, one solution may be preferable to another, and our design office will tailor its proposal to the available options.

The frames are manufactured from extruded profiles.

PXL SEALS maintains a large stock of standard items, but can also design profiles to specific dimensions.

Depending on the application, the choice between the two solutions will be made by the customer in accordance with the PXL SEALS design office:

Extruded profile with moulded corners, sold separately, or

Half-frames/complete frames ready for on-site use.

1.Standard valve corners

Here are some examples of standard valve frames available:

Flat corner outside bulb Flat corner inside bulb

Corner on the side with outside bulb Corner on the side with inside bulb

These profiles are also available for other seal profiles

1.Angles de vannes sur mesure / spécifiques

Depending on requirements, we manufacture specific valve frames for our customers, suitable for all types of profiles used in welded valves.

Flat corner, double bulb and tail Flat corner, double bulb / simple bulb

Flat bulb and double tail / bulb and tail Flat rounded corner with outside bulb

For the manufacturing of your sluice gates seals, PXL SEALS offers two technologies that set us apart from other sealing solutions on the market, proven over more than 30 years with hydro operators: extruded profiles with moulded angles and half-frames, or frames manufactured in-house.

Our design office will assist you in choosing the best solution to optimise the gate’s sealing performance.

Both solutions utilise Hydrorubber, an EPDM 70 compound specially designed for gate applications, compliant with DIN 19704.

Do you have a project involving the sealing of a timber-framed gate valve?

Let’s discuss your requirements together.

For more info, please have a look to :