🧿 Design intent differs from usage scenarios

Valve:
Role: A valve is a "standard component" in fluid control systems. It is pre-designed and installed into piping systems for general process control (opening, closing, and regulating flow/pressure).
Pressure: The design operating pressure of a piping system is known. 6.0 MPa (approximately 600 meters of water column, or approximately 870 psi) is a common and critical pressure rating in many industrial sectors, such as the petrochemical industry, power plants, and some municipal water mains. Therefore, manufacturers mass-produce 6.0 MPa valves in various types and sizes (gate valves, ball valves, globe valves, etc.) to meet the high demand. Its use is planned and typically mass-produced, requiring minimal labor and allowing for efficient and rapid machine production.
Repair Clamp/Saddle:
Role: A valve is the "first aid bandage" or "splint" for piping systems. It exists to address unexpected situations such as pipe ruptures, corrosion perforations, and accidental drilling damage. Its use is reactive and emergency. Cast iron pipe repair clamps can be mass-produced, but their maximum pressure is 1.6 MPa, not 6.0 MPa. Carbon steel pipe repair clamps can reach 10.0 MPa (100 bar). Because carbon steel pipe repair clamps are designed to withstand high pressures, they are manufactured based on the pipe's outer diameter. To ensure leak-proof operation in high-pressure environments, manual welding is required, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Pressure: The vast majority of pipeline leaks occur in medium- and low-pressure systems. For example:

Municipal water supply networks: Operating pressures typically range from 0.4 to 1.6 MPa.
Gas pipelines: Medium- and low-pressure networks are more common.
General industrial pipelines: Many process pipelines also fall within the medium- and low-pressure range.
High-pressure pipelines (e.g., 6.0 MPa and above) typically have higher design standards, better materials, and more rigorous maintenance, making them far less prone to accidental leaks than medium- and low-pressure pipelines. Therefore, market demand for high-pressure pipe repair clamps is inherently small.

🧿 Technical implementation difficulty varies

Valves: Sealing and pressure-bearing are achieved through precision-machined seats and discs (or balls), which apply closing force to create a metal-to-metal or soft seal. The pressure boundary is a complete, uniform shell, with a relatively clear mechanical model, making it easy to increase pressure-bearing capacity by increasing the wall thickness.
Repair clamp: Sealing is extremely challenging. A new pressure boundary is established on the damaged, irregular outer wall of the pipe. Challenges include:
Sealing issues: Rubber gaskets are required to fill irregularities in the pipe. Under high pressures of 6.0 MPa, ordinary rubber gaskets can easily be squeezed into or out of cracks, causing seal failure. This requires a specially formulated polymer material with extremely high hardness and strong extrusion resistance.
Mechanical issues: Pipe repair clamps are typically made of two or more halves fastened together by bolts. High pressure can cause the pipe to "stretch" the clamp, placing extremely stringent requirements on the bolt preload, the rigidity of the clamp body, and the design of the joint. Bolts require extremely thick diameters and high torque, making them difficult to operate during emergency on-site repairs.
Safety Risks: A failed medium-pressure pipe repair clamp might simply spray water, while a failed high-pressure pipe repair clamp will explode like a cannonball, with fragments capable of significant damage and exponentially increasing the safety risk.
Manufacturing costs are high. Carbon steel pipe repair clamps, designed to withstand high pressures, are manufactured based on the pipe's outer diameter. Ensuring leak-proof performance in high-pressure environments requires manual welding, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

🧿Economical and Standardized

Valves: Due to high demand, they can be produced on a large scale and standardized, resulting in lower costs and relatively reasonable prices.
High-pressure emergency valves: Due to low demand, these valves are specialized emergency equipment. Each size may require unique design and rigorous testing. This results in high R&D and production costs, and an extremely high price tag. A 6.0 MPa emergency valve can cost several or even dozens of times more than a valve of the same size.

🧿 Conventional Treatment Methods for High-Pressure Leaks

When a truly high-pressure pipeline leak occurs, using pipe repair clamps is often not the only solution. More common approaches include:

Isolation and Shutdown: Close upstream and downstream valves to isolate and depressurize the damaged pipe section. This is the safest and most standard method.
Replacement: Cut the damaged pipe section and weld or flange a new section. This is the most thorough and reliable repair method.

If water cannot be shut off, use high-pressure pipe repair clamps for pressure sealing.

Therefore, you often see 6.0 MPa valves because they are a standard requirement for many common industrial systems; high-pressure emergency repair sections are rare because they are a costly and difficult emergency response solution for low-probability events.