In many industrial settings, air flow control is an issue that ought to be addressed. Pneumatic valve actuator products are a great way to control air flow and prevent leakages, which in turn will save time and money. For the latest news and information on pneumatic valve and pneumatic valve actuator innovation, browse the articles below.
Red Valve Series 5200 Pneumatic Control Valve
Red Valve’s (www.redvalve.com) Series 5200 Pneumatic Control Valve delivers maximum durability and precise control while virtually eliminating maintenance.
With sizes ranging between 1” and 4”, the Series 5200 valve features a heavy duty, rugged pinch mechanism that positions the sleeve to deliver an accurate flow control. The valve also eliminates the need for expensive body alloys since it has no seats to wear or packing to maintain.
Fitted inside the valve yoke, the stroke adjustment of the Series 5200 allows for small control changes in the field while simplifying actuator maintenance by making a removal point in the valve stem. As the sleeve wears, users can also fine tune the control flow in slurry applications using the stroke adjustment.
In addition, cone sleeves and variable orifice can be specified to match the desired Cv level and enhance control performance. Linking the pneumatic positioner directly to the valve stem shaft helps accomplish true feedback positioning without splitting the positioner output. True feedback positioning enables the valve to deliver accurate small-change response signals to the positioner, resulting to enhanced control accuracy.
For smaller sizes, the Series 5200 valve is offered with a diaphragm actuator, which allows it to quickly react to input signals. This provides the 5200 Diaphragm great repeatability and accuracy on small diameter slurry lines.
Meanwhile, the Series 5200 D is utilized for sizes over four inches. Although a slight pre-pinch of the sleeve does not have any impact on flow or capacity, it, however, increases response to accuracy and input signal.
New 8681 process valve control heads integrate pneumatic actuation
May 17, 2012 by Pneumatics Editor
Filed under Equipment, Valves
Burkert Fluid Control Systems (www.burkert.com) has announced that its Type 8681 process valve control heads integrate pneumatic actuation, diagnostics, feedback and fieldbus interface while delivering comparable features offered in Element angle-seat, diaphragm and globe valves.
Designed to deliver longer service life, the control heads have been specifically developed to seamlessly assemble with commercial hygienic butterfly valves, ball valves as well as mix-proof, double-seat and single-seat valve configurations.
The 8681 control heads feature relatively short distances between the pneumatic actuator and the pilot valve, minimizing consumption of control air and switching times. Moreover, mounting the control heads directly to the actuator significantly reduces the number of required connection, providing a clear advantage in installation, planning, start-up and maintenance.
Meanwhile, its decentralized automation concept increased operational reliability as it offers an easy-to-monitor and clearly structured system design.
The Burkert Type 8681 control heads also features a chemically resistant and smooth IP65/67 enclosure that can be easily cleaned, making it suitable for washdown areas. Its contactless internal positioning system effectively eliminates manual overrides and internal wear on the pneumatic pilots.
Offering up to 85 mm control strokes with three positions and 200 l/min pneumatic air for every pilot valve, the ATEX Cat. 3, Zone 2/22 certified control heads are also suitable for use even in explosive environments.
Featuring amber, green and red position indication LEDs, the Burkert Type 8681 control heads are ideal for use in hygienic processes such as in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, food/beverage and dairy industries.
Festo introduces new range of pneumatic valves
Festo (www.festo.com) has expanded its CPX automatic platform with the addition of a new range of low cost modular pneumatic valves along with a complementary series of low cost digital I/O modules.
The sub-bases of the MPA-L valve terminals are manufactured from polymer and not from metal to save weight and cost, and can be retrofitted and configured in the field one at a time. The all-new terminals are primarily intended for cost sensitive applications requiring configuration expandability and flexibility, such as in biotechnology, factory automation and food processing industry.
Meanwhile, the complementary CPX-L digital I/O modules are high channel density units, cost optimized and targeted at I/O intensive automation control systems.
Providing increased design granularity, the modular valve terminals, which are based on Festo’s MPA-S terminals, simplify system integration with its wider range of electrical connection options. Aside from being compatible with the company’s CPX modular automation platform, the MPA-L valve terminals are also offered with various hard wired control schemes.
Directly connecting the valve terminal sub-base to a CPX terminal provides access to a range of Industrial Ethernet and fieldbus products, as well as technology and analog modules.
The MPA-L terminals have been equipped with generously proportioned air ducts to ensure reliable switching and maximize flow of multiple valves. With isolated ducting accommodating different pressure zones, a simple selector mechanism allows the pilot air supply of the valve to be derived externally or internally in high or low pressure applications. The terminals’ exhaust air can be ducted to an external outlet or fed through high efficiency surface silencer, making them suitable for use in clean environments such as food processing area.
Compact modular lockout valves for safety
May 2, 2012 by Paul Heney
Filed under Valves
ROSS Controls announced the latest additions to its safety product family, the Modular L-O-X manual lockout valve and Modular L-O-X with EEZ-ON operation. The new compact Modular L-O-X valves offer a space-saving design that provides full flow and the L-O-X energy isolation function.
Meeting all applicable safety standards, such as OSHA Regulation 29 CFR 1910.147 and the latest ANSI standard requirements found in Z244.1-2003, B11.0-2010 and B155.1, the Modular L-O-X products:
• Are lockable only in the off position.
• Have a full-flow threaded exhaust port.
• Are easy to operate (positive push/pull operation-detented).
• Have a pressure sensing port for optional installation of pop-up indicator for pressure release verification.
For flexibility, the valves can be mounted inline or as part of a modular assembly. The modular option allows for easy servicing and provides many design options. The Modular L-O-X with EEZ-ON operation conveniently provides a soft start function, allowing a gradual buildup of downstream air pressure before it opens to full flow. This function allows systems with cylinders, for example, to move more slowly and safely into their normal working position before full line pressure occurs, preventing unnecessary wear and tear on your system.
Available in 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, and 3/4 port sizes, the Modular L-O-X valves are a suitable solution for packaging, conveyor panels, material handling, or any air entry point applications where space and reliable energy isolation are important. The valves are also available as as part of a control-reliable modular air entry package (for control categories 2, 3 or 4).
Pilot-operated check valves from Clippard
April 3, 2012 by Paul Heney
Filed under Featured, Valves
Clippard Instrument Laboratory Inc. has introduced the new JPC Series check valves. The JPC series uses the company’s poppet design and provides a variety of port configurations.
The JPC Series works as a standard check valve, but can be operated with an air pilot signal providing for “free flow” in the normally checked position. This new valve provides the user with a reliable method to check flow in one direction, with the ability to remotely signal a free flow through the valve. With high flow, low pressure and ease of connection, the JPC Series is a suitable check valve for many applications.
Flow control valves provide finely tuned control
March 6, 2012 by Paul Heney
Filed under Valves
ROSS Controls’ new modestly-priced Flow Control valves offers great value by replacing pricier controls with its high flow, compact, and low profile design. For applications requiring precise operation (such as cylinders), these valves provide finely tuned control that ranges from near zero to full flow. Thus, the valves allow your cylinders to receive optimal pressure and do not limit the system flow. When matched with the control valve capacity, these flow controls help provide smooth and predictable cylinder motion in both directions. These three-way valves are available in 1/8-, 1/4-, 3/8- and 1/2-in. port sizes.
These valve series is available in NPT or BSPP threads.
Stepper-controlled pneumatic proportional valve
January 23, 2012 by Paul Heney
Filed under Featured, Valves
Cincinnati—Using a robust and powerful linear actuator, the high-flow stepper-controlled 2-way proportional valve features excellent performance and durability.
The bonded elastomeric seat achieves excellent sealing ensuring smooth opening and fine control at low flow for millions of cycles. Also features 2% hysteresis, excellent linearity (2.5% of full scale), and 2 ms reaction time. A flow range of 0 to 300 slpm is standard, however this product is highly modifiable for OEM applications including alternate body materials, flow profiles, cartridge styles, manifold mounting, etc.
This valve is suitable for applications including medical, analytical, and industrial automation requiring high resolution, high flow, and low hysteresis. In addition, the design allows for custom flow profiles when required.
Clippard also provides custom solutions for specific needs, including special configurations, manifolds, and pneumatic products.
Clippard Instrument Laboratory Inc.
Highly scalable valve manifold offers value, performance
December 6, 2011 by Paul Heney
Filed under Valves
Hauppauge, N.Y.—The Festo MPA-L valve manifold offers a mix of value and performance. It is scalable down to a single valve slice, so directional valves can be adapted to any application. This saves costs and reduces size.
The sub-base is made from a rugged polymer design that offers good corrosion resistance and light weight. The valves are electrically connected to an internal printed circuit board, which provides exact coil allocation with no wasted connections. A host of electric multi-pin connector options are available, as well as network interfaces to most common industrial and Ethernet protocols, via Festo’s CPX distributed I/O family.
All standard valve functions are available. These include 5/2, 5/3, and the cost/space saving dual 3/2 types. All valves use Festo’s patented cartridge principle, which has proved extremely durable, and offers outstanding flow rates. There are well over 10 million valves with this technology in service.
The manifold is suited for most pneumatic applications for discrete and process automation. The high flow rate to size ratio makes for universal applications from food and beverage packaging to semiconductor fabrication. The valve can run pressure and vacuum, with multiple zones. Key features include:
• Up to 32 valve locations, max flow rate to 360 Nl/min
• Inch and Metric ports for all markets
• Full range of pneumatic functions and accessories such as pressure regulators D-sub, IDC / Ribbon cable connectors, bus networks, and Ethernet connections
Proper design requires knowledge of valve types
October 25, 2011 by Paul Heney
Filed under Featured, Valves
By William Miller, Humphrey Products
Valves used in the medical device industry are designed with precise specifications so they are compatible with the requirements of the applications. Meanwhile, valves used in factory automation are designed to work within specific safety regulations. Every project has unique requirements and choosing the best pneumatic valve design for your application will provide optimum results.
While each design has its strengths and weakness to be considered, knowing your application’s requirements is essential. For example, the media of the application varies between industries. Compressed air and other gases can be extremely powerful—even fatal—so understanding how the valve will be used is important. Certain valve designs are compatible but limited by specific media. Some other factors that dictate the required valve are the external variables such as temperature range of the application, and purity of the air or media (moisture, contamination). Once you know the critical requirements for the application, the valve design can be chosen based on its specific features.
Poppet-design valves
Poppet-design valves use a rubber molded poppet wrapped around the stem that moves along the bore of the valve, creating a seal when the poppet is in its seat. One specific advantage to using a valve with this type of internal design is the compatibility with a variety of media other than compressed air. The unique feature that allows this compatibility is less lubrication sensitivity due to few sliding parts or (dynamic seals).
Another benefit to this poppet design is that the valves are more tolerant of minor air sediment or debris. They also have excellent exhaust capacity and are capable of high flow rates. The poppet design provides a faster response rate due to short stroke and can be mounted in several ways.
Poppet valves more readily lend themselves to 2-or 3-way configurations, although 4-way configurations can be achieved by using dual 3-way poppet sets in one valve body. Poppet valves are typically unbalanced designs, which use the air pressure as the primary force to return the valve to a given position. This concept provides assurances that the valve will return to the desired position, even if the return spring fails. Balanced poppet valves are used to reduce actuation force and achieve lower current consumption in solenoid valves. Balanced valves typically provide smaller overall physical size and produce greater flow capacity.
Applications in which this design are most commonly found are in the medical device and analytical instrumentation industries, where air purity is required (absence of dirty or wet media/air), the need for reliability is mandatory (could be saving lives), low leakage rate is critical, and gases other than compressed air will be used as a medium.
Diaphragm-poppet design valves
Diaphragm-poppet design valves expand the poppet valves’ design by the use of a diaphragm. Its outer webbing guides the poppet to its seat without using sliding seals. Diaphragm-poppet designs are usually unbalanced providing the same assurance of return to a given position as the poppet valve. The diaphragm increases durability especially with different or non-lubricated media.
A variety of durameter and diaphragm compounds make it simple to modify a valve based on the environmental or application requirements for operation. Also, expect extremely low leak rates due to strong sealing control. Diaphragm-poppet valves make 2-way or 3-way configurations available, as well as the possibility of 4-way valves, by using dual 3-way diaphragm poppet sets in one valve body. This valve’s durability and reliability make it a great candidate for applications such as critical life support devices (e.g. heart ventricular support assistance or pulmonary supply devices).
Its non-lubrication capability makes it appealing to be used with devices used for respiratory and anesthesia gases. Diaphragm-poppet designs are great solutions in leak testing devices, due to the very low leak rate. Lastly, these designs are suitable for critical or contaminated vacuum applications.
Spoppet-design valves
Spoppet-design valves combine two designs to provide a blend of primary poppet sealing in conjunction with a minimal number of sliding seals, thus emulating characteristics of a poppet and spool valve design. Spoppet designs retain some unbalance characteristics but with some balance of pressure to reduce actuation forces. This design provides the benefits of the poppet valve with a reduced sensitivity to lubrication.
Only one sliding seal engaged at a time reduces the drag within the valve body. These designs can sometimes bridge the gaps or limitations of poppet and spool valves making them more useable in numerous critical applications. By blending the designs, spoppets provide more cost efficient 3-way and 4-way valves, and can be used in many different environments and applications.
Spool-design valves
Spool-design valves are available in three types: lapped-/shear-design with no seals, dynamic seals, or O-rings. Spool valves are designed to be more cost-effective when manufacturing for 4-way valves and are conversely less adaptable for 2-or 3-way configurations. Spool valves can be either balanced or unbalanced, depending on desired position control required. Therefore, understanding this valves’ function is critical to the application requirements. Lapped- or shear-design spool valves can operate without lubrication but are less tolerant of variations in lubrication or by-products of compressing the air at the air compressor. Hence, further conditioning of the compressed air is required prior to use.
Dynamic seal spool valves generally require lubrication. Lapped spool valves have higher leak rates that may make them unacceptable for control of medias other than air, or limited media sources (air/gas tanks/bottles). Consequently, these valve designs are better suited to applications in factory automation where the leak rates are not critical. The requirement for conditioned media also limits their use for vacuum where contaminates are ingested into the vacuum lines and valves.
Custom-designed valves
Custom-designed valves are becoming more common, using a combination of the fore-mentioned design technologies to provide solutions unique to the customers’ challenges. In a perfect world, off-the-shelf components would meet every application’s need. But that doesn’t often happen, especially when faced with trade-offs such as space constraints versus performance. Sometimes a complex solution is needed, such as squeezing multiple components into a small space or incorporating multiple valve designs for a solution.
Custom designs using known and proven design technologies offer the potential of lower cost pneumatic systems. Once the specifications are agreed upon with the manufacturer’s design engineers and the application’s product engineers, a custom designed solution may be the best way to meet the applications’ challenges if a specific design is close but not does not meet exact specifications.
Ultimately when it comes to valves, each design technology offers unique capabilities but not every design suits specific applications. No matter whether you are replacing a component or designing a pneumatic system, consult a valve manufacturer who has knowledge in many different design principles so that the best solution can be achieved.
New valve catalog from Humphrey Products
September 14, 2011 by Paul Heney
Filed under Valves
Humphrey Products has released its newest Valve Catalog, HKV-7, for distribution. The new catalog provides basic decision-making information about our broad range of valve products. Within each of the eight sections, there are pages devoted to valve fundamentals, principles and background information, along with a comprehensive index to quickly navigate to the best solution. The ultimate goal of the catalog is to provide an overview of our products, guiding the customer to www.humphrey-products.com for more information.
Once at the website, the customer can access an Online Product Guide, which provides more detailed specifications, CAD drawings, how to order information, and the ability to request a quote for the product. Additionally, the new catalog can be viewed as an interactive PDF.
