// Catalogue

Shuttle Valves: Pneumatic OR Valves and Hydraulic Shuttle Valves

Shuttle valves take flow from whichever of two inlets has the higher pressure and send it to one outlet, blocking the other side. TSA Hydraulics Engineering supplies them within the Pneumatic Valves family of our Valves range, in air and hydraulic versions.

A shuttle valve has one moving part, yet it causes some of the oddest faults on a machine. When the ball stops sealing, the signal leaks back through the idle inlet. Then a cylinder creeps, a brake drags or a function feels weak, and nobody suspects the little valve in between. Send the port size and pressure, and we will match a genuine or equivalent valve.

// Buying guide

How a Shuttle Valve Works

Two inlets, one outlet: the inlet with the higher pressure pushes the ball, disc or spool across.
The other inlet is sealed, so the signal can’t escape back that way.
When the pressure drops, the outlet exhausts back through the inlet that fed it.

In logic terms, it is an OR function: either signal gives an output.

Pneumatic Shuttle Valves

Control a cylinder from two places, such as a panel button and a foot pedal.
Combine manual and automatic signals in one circuit.
Build simple interlocks and logic with no electrics.

Most are small inline or panel mount bodies, with push-in fittings or threaded ports.

Hydraulic Shuttle Valves

In hydraulics, shuttle valves select the higher of two pressures. Common jobs include:

Picking the highest work port pressure to send a load signal on mobile machines.
Releasing a brake or swing lock whenever either direction is selected.
Feeding a gauge or pressure switch from two lines.
Linking a hand pump and a power pack to one cylinder.

They come as inline bodies, screw-in cartridges and manifold-mounted blocks, and they are rated well above air pressures.

Signs a Shuttle Valve Is Failing

Air escaping from an inlet that should be idle.
A cylinder or motor that creeps or loses force.
A brake that drags or won’t fully release.
Slow or erratic load signals on mobile machines.

Dirt on the seat is the usual cause, so check the filter as well as the valve.

Shuttle Valves Specifications to Check

Air or hydraulic, and the maximum pressure
Port size and thread, or tube size
Body type: inline, panel, cartridge or manifold
Ball, disc or spool design
Seal material for the fluid and temperature

Why Buy From TSA Hydraulics Engineering

As a shuttle valves supplier, we match the port, pressure rating and body type, so the replacement fits the same space and holds the same signal. You get OEM or equivalent options, and help sourcing shuttle valves replacement parts such as seal kits and cartridges. We tell you upfront whether a valve is genuine or an equivalent.

// FAQs