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EVPD proportional valve driver from Clippard

Clippard Instrument Laboratory Inc. has introduced its new EVPD Proportional Valve Driver, suitable for laboratories and OEM product development. It can be customized to fit OEM applications, including control parameters. It is designed for use as a plug-and-play interface between the company’s EVP Series Proportional Control Valves and PLCs or other controls.

The EVPD offers easy integration with existing machine controls, and provides user adjustable parameters. With five signal inputs to choose from and three selectable valve output ranges, the compact EVPD offers flexibility with most installations. It also offers enhanced performance and response time (compared to other controls) and allows engineers to focus on system control solutions instead of simple valve control.

Clippard Instrument Laboratory Inc.

iB Series features digital pneumatic flow controller

Koganei and Humphrey introduce the iB Series, which includes the iB Move and the iB Flow. The iB Move is a Linear Stepper Motor Actuator which boasts high speed yet quiet operation for lightweight work—in an affordable design. The iB Flow is a digital flow controller that optimizes the cycle time settings of a cylinder or pneumatic actuator.

iB Move
A new value category of electrical motion—the iB Move is suitable for those applications where pneumatic cylinders are insufficient (too slow, too noisy, too dirty, or need acceleration/decal functioning), while traditional electric linear actuators are too costly.  iB Move is perfect for small, compact positioning applications requiring movements of less than 2 in.

Special features include:

• Easy Operation
• Easy to pre-set/program
• Low Price / Great value
• Silent and Clean
• Compact – Small size

The iB Move features a newly developed and unique shaft-type, Linear Stepper Motor Actuator.  iB Move is:

1. Simple, using 2-phase open loop control, to accomplish cost reduction objectives.
2. Utilizes a Moving Magnet principle (2-phase stepping “Moving Magnet” method is fixed electromagnets (coils) while permanent magnets move).
3. Direct drive – Does not use a ball screw, belt, or gear, so backlash is avoided, and a high level of silence achieved.
4. Easy to program, requiring little training.
5. Quiet Operation – No exhaust noise as with pneumatic cylinders, nor the sliding noise of ball screw & linear guide.
6. Low price, despite being an electric linear motor.

iB Flow
The iB Flow is a digital pneumatic flow controller, creating an alternative to the traditional “manual” speed controller.  The iB Flow features two electronic needle settings, either based on percent open, or based on cylinder extending and retracting times, both much more accurate and repeatable than the manual speed controller.  Once set, the iB Flow has a safety-lock mechanism, preventing the needle from any adjustment.  Plus, its “copy” function allows for setting speeds on multiple cylinders quickly and accurately, thereby reducing machine set-up time.

Applications for the iB Flow:

• Air cylinder operation time adjustment.
• Simultaneous operation of multiple cylinders.
• Precision flow adjustment during vacuum breaking.
• Precision flow adjustment during air blow-off.
• Monitoring actual versus previously programmed settings (due to cylinder wear or friction changes).

Humphrey Products

Miniature precision regulator

Pneumadyne’s new Miniature Precision Regulator offers highly accurate air pressure control in a compact package; suitable for limited space applications. This precision machined, high quality regulator features an output pressure range up to 100 psi and high flow rate of 4.5 scfm. With a maximum supply pressure of 250 psi, the precision regulator is extremely dependable and repeatedly returns to the set pressure when turned off and on.

Exceptionally tight design tolerances effectively minimize vibration allowing the regulator to remain stable under changing operating conditions.

Pneumadyne Inc.

Explosion proof, intrinsically safe valves

Benefits to the unique design of AIRTEC’s valves for ATEX and FM/CSA directives include:

• “AIRTEC-Ring” sealing system
• Virtually zero leak/bubble tight
• Pressure range from full vacuum (29.5 Hg) to 145 psi
• Solid aluminum body
• Contamination resistant
• Heat resistant
• Continuous duty coils

Available configurations as pneumatically operated valves, single & double solenoid valves, spring centered 3-position valves, valves with external pilot supply, manual valves, NAMUR valves, manifolds & sub-bases, ATEX or FM/CSA explosion proof, and custom solutions.

Technical data
Sizes: Nominal Flow Rates
M5: 38, 220 NI/min (.039, .224 Cv)
1/8: 56, 360, 750, 950, N1/min. (1.606, 2.134 Cv)
1/4: 1580, 2100 N1/min. (1.606, 2.134 Cv)
1/2: 3300 N1/min (3.354 Cv)

AIRTEC Pneumatics, Inc.

Push-to-connect fittings

Beswick PTC series push-to-connect fittings are designed for use in challenging applications. These fittings provide quick and simple tubing connection/disconnection and leak-tight performance in a space saving package.

All components, including the release collar, are fabricated from stainless steel. This construction allows for use in corrosive environments and in applications requiring “clean” materials. The PTC push-to-connects incorporate Beswick’s captured o-ring face seal technology, a design which has been proven for more than 45 years, to insure leak-tight operation. Buna-N o-ring seals are standard. Fluorocarbon, silicone, and EPDM are stocked options.

Configurations include 10-32 threaded straight, adjustable position elbow, and adjustable position tee as well as “tube to tube” straight union, elbow, and tee models for 1/4-in. OD and 1/8-in. OD tubing. Similar versions designed for 4 mm (5/32 in.) OD and 6 mm OD tubing will be available soon.

Beswick PTC fittings can be used with tubing materials such a polyurethane, polyethylene, and copper. Additionally, if your application requires corrosion resistance and/or elevated temperatures, the 1/4-in. OD size PTC fittings also work with stainless steel tubing.

Beswick Engineering Co.

AutomationDirect pneumatic line adds modular solenoid valves

NITRA pneumatic BVS series modular solenoid valves are body ported, three-port (three-way), two-position poppet valves available in normally-open or normally-closed configurations. Models are available with removable flying leads or 8 mm micro DIN connectors; units are DIN rail mountable when used with BVM series manifolds. Featuring flow coefficients from 0.02 to 0.05, models are available with 12 VDC, 24 VDC or 120 VAC solenoid coils, with LED status indicators and a pushbutton manual operator. Backed by a two-year warranty, NITRA BVS series solenoid valves start at $28.

NITRA pneumatic BVM series modular manifolds simplify the mounting and wiring of BVS series solenoid valves. Available in four and eight-station models with 35mm or 1/4-in. tube inlets, the manifolds are made of sturdy glass reinforced thermoplastic with DIN rail mounting clips included. Push-to-connect inlet and outlet connections and a nine-pin D-sub connector allow for quick and easy tubing and wiring. Backed by a two-year warranty, NITRA BVM manifold prices start at $54.

AutomationDirect

Composite cylinder rods reduce weight

Walkerton, Ind.—When a design engineer needs to reduce the weight of a cylinder assembly, one of the first thoughts is to use a lighter cylinder material. Composite cylinders offer reduced weight, and Polygon Co. has been supplying them for more than 25 years. The company’s PolySlide composite cylinders are lower in weight than aluminum and are similar to magnesium.

However, the real nemesis of cylinder weight typically is more a function of the piston rod rather than the barrel material. Polygon Co. has engineered a new family of composite piston rods that can replace their metallic counterparts in certain applications, offering significant weight reduction. Polygon’s composite piston rods have been used successfully in commercial applications, proving their worth as a method of weight reduction. An added side benefit is that composite rods are corrosion resistant. This property is especially helpful when used in machinery exposed to caustic materials and/or cleaning agents.

Polygon Co.

Stainless steel solenoid valves

AIRTEC Pneumatics has announced the release of 316 Stainless Steel solenoid valves. These standard valves are suitable to IP67. IP69K is available on request. The current line includes Solenoid Operated valves, NAMUR valves and Air Piloted valves. Hand Lever valves, Push Pull valves are available on request.

Available in the following configurations:

• Series KMX single and double solenoid. 1/8 and 1/4 (G or NPT thread)
• Series PKX single and double air pilot. 1/8 and 1/4 (G or NPT thread)
• Series KNX single and double solenoid to NAMUR standard. 1/8 (G or NPT thread)
• Series PNX single and double air pilot to NAMUR standard. 1/8 (G or NPT thread)

Our Stainless Steel line also includes ISO and NFPA cylinders, filter regulators and fittings

AIRTEC Pneumatic GmbH

New cylinder system from Polygon

Walkerton, Ind.—Polygon Co. has announced their new pneumatic cylinder known as Constrained Tube Technology (CTT). CTT is a complete pneumatic system that allows the composite tube to be fitted within the confines of a thin-walled outer host. The composite tube carries greater than 90% of the pressure vessel loads while the metallic host enables traditional assembly techniques such as welding, threading, retention rings, etc.

A housing must be used to handle the additional pressure load for the complete tube assembly.

“Housings can be 80/20 aluminum or other machined metal. It could be any material, even a wooden box,” said Paul Lashbrook, lead CTT engineer.

Containing housings do not need to be cylindrical nor do they need to be honed or plated, and can even be a lowgrade steel.

“The housing provides a durable casing for CTT, supporting and protecting the lightweight cylinder,” Lashbook said.

The CTT cylinder is an entire thin-walled actuator system utilizing a new end cap attachment system. The approach enables the design engineer to achieve the benefits of composite cylinder tubing such as corrosion resistance, improved seal life and unique fluid flow properties without manufacturing assembly changes.

For non-housed units, lower cost polymeric cylinders can provide the needed structure. “In traditional cylinders, the metal walls provide both pressure containment and structural strength. With CTT, the inner composite sleeve does all the load work while the thermoplastic outer tube and connection elements provide seamless and cost-effective assembly,” said James Shobert, Polygon Co. CEO. End caps can be fitted to secure the host tube and provide a very traditional cylinder outline for non-housed units as illustrated. This blends the high performance characteristics of advanced composites with the durability and economics of standard polymeric materials.

One consistent Achilles Heel of retrofitting composites into existing applications is being able to assemble the finished product using traditional metalworking techniques. Composite cylinder tubing cannot withstand drilling and maintain structural strength. This limited previous composite tubing to tie-rod cylinder applications almost exclusively. CTT’s tubing is not immune to this attachment problem. However, the required housings can be chosen to provide ample attachment points for mounting the assembly.

CTT has surpassed 27 million cycles under elevated testing pressure and is the perfect solution to demanding pressure vessel applications. Balancing performance and cost, it is uniquely suited for today’s lean operational environments.

Polygon Co.

Risk assessment, Part 2 — cylinder applications

A thorough machine risk assessment should focus, at least initially, on the actuators, whether they are cylinders, air motors, air bags, or clutch brake mechanisms. We suggest starting here because safety systems generally de-energize the directional valves that control the actuators when a safety event occurs so it is crucial to consider the outcome when these valves become de-energized. What type and magnitude of hazard(s) could occur if a valve malfunctions when being de-energized? Take time to consider these potential scenarios during your risk assessment to help prevent future machine damage, downtime and personal injury.

Even though most pneumatic systems operate in the 80-100 psi range, there are many variations to this, both higher and lower. To make our point, we will concentrate on this common pressure range. However, you should consider your actual system pressure when doing a risk assessment on your own equipment.

The pressure supplied to an actuator is literally the driving force and the higher the pressure, the higher the force the actuator can apply to the work piece (and to an associated pinch point, etc.). The chart below indicates how much force can be generated by standard size cylinders at both 80 psi and 100 psi.

According to ISO standards and some pending ANSI standards for pneumatic cylinder presses, you must take additional safety measures to protect against personal injury and/or machine damage for any force greater than 150 N/33.7 lbf or a load greater than 15 kg/33 lb of mass (including tooling and load). A single-channel valve is an unacceptable solution because any malfunction in the valve that allows pressure to continue to flow downstream could result in pinch-point forces exceeding these standards allowances due to a fully pressurized cylinder or a cylinder with a high gravitational load. Thus, redundancy and monitoring are required which raises your minimum control category to at least 3.

It is easy to see that forces higher than these are attainable in most typical machine operations depending on actuator size and supplied pressure. In cases where these force threshold values are exceeded, additional measures must be utilized in order to provide adequate machine safeguarding. Other factors, such as tooling, may result in much lower force threshold values being used in the risk assessment. You should examine these factors as well because they may make a difference in the cylinder’s potential for damage. For instance, a blunt ended cylinder with lower than 150 N or 15 kg force poses fewer risks than a cylinder with a guillotine or piercing tool attached to it operating at the same low force. Likewise, a cylinder stuck in the extended position would not have the same risks as a cylinder with a heating element (in a heat seal application) stuck in the engaged melting mode.

How can you avoid some of these hazardous conditions? There are three primary solutions for abating pneumatic actuator associated risks:

1. Reverse the cylinder motion to a safe position by using a 5/2 control-reliable device such as the ROSS CROSSMIRROR double valve. This will result in a safe state provided the return stroke of the actuator does not pose any additional risk. In the case of the heat sealing application, this could a very good solution. It would remove the heating element from the work piece as well as reverse the cylinder direction away from the pinch point.
2. Remove the air supply to the control valve and, therefore, to the actuators with control-reliability (Category-3 or -4). Use a safety-rated valve such as a ROSS’ DM2 series valve matched to the control category determined by your risk assessment. The advantage of this method is that one safety-rated exhaust valve can be used to remove the supply pressure from one or more directional control valves and actuators while helping maintain safety system control integrity.
3. In some cases, removing the supply pressure alone can leave a load free to fall or continue moving due to gravity or momentum. In addition to solution 2 above, consider the gravitational force and momentum operating on the mass of the load and apply a suitable solution to stop and hold the load in place. With the motive force removed, the suitable solution will be dependent upon the mass, the tooling, and the failure modes of the devices being used to maintain a safe state. Solutions may include the use of pilot-operated check valves to trap pressure beneficially or safety catchers/rod locks to mechanically hold the actuator(s) without trapping pressure in the system.

ROSS Controls