Work with a Valve Automation Professional on Your Next Project for Improved Outcome and Efficiency

The valve automation
sales professional
will help with your next project.

Projects requiring engineered valve systems are best completed and accomplished through the proper selection and application of the valves, actuators, positioners, limit switches and other associated components. A great resource exists, ready to provide a high level of technical knowledge and assistance, that can be easily tapped to help you with your project - the valve automation sales professional.

Local distributors and representatives who sell industrial valves, actuators and controls also provide services and equipment that will save you time, money, and help you achieve a better outcome for the entire project.

Consider a few elements the valve automation professional brings to your project:

Product Knowledge: Valve automation professionals are current on product offerings, proper application technique, and product capabilities. They also posses  information on future product obsolescence and upcoming new designs. This type of information is not generally accessible to the public via the Internet.

Experience: As a project engineer, you may be treading on new ground regarding some aspects of your current valve system design assignment. There can be real benefit in connecting to an experienced and highly knowledgable source, with past exposure to your current challenges.

Access: Through a valve automation professional, you may be able to establish a connection to “behind the scenes” manufacturer contacts with essential information not publicly available. The rep knows people at the factories, a well as at other valve related companies, who can provide quick and accurate answers to your valve automation related questions.

Article courtesy of Kinetrol USA

Of course, any valve actuation or automation solution proposed are likely to be based upon the products sold by the representative. That is where considering and evaluating the benefits of any solution becomes part of achieving the best project outcome.

Develop a professional, mutually beneficial relationship with a local valve automation professional to make your design job go after, more efficiently, and more cost effective. Their success is tied to your success, and they are eager to help you.

Use Vane Actuators on the Toughest Applications

Use vane actuators on
tough applications.

The "vane type" pneumatic valve actuator is well regarded for its simplicity in design and extremely long life, even in the toughest valve actuation applications.

The heart of this simple design, and the primary reason for such long life, is the "single moving part" - a one-piece shaft and vane that moves in response to the air pressure differential on either side of the vane. A rotary vane actuator has no gears or yokes which will wear and cause problems over time. Wear, movement slop, and internal corrosion are the most typical modes of failure for rack and pinion and scotch yoke actuators.

The video below illustrate the elegance and simplicity of the rotary vane actuator and its "single moving part".

Kinetrol Pneumatic Rotary Vane Actuator Product Selection

Here is an easy-access, online vane actuator catalog from Kinetrol that includes pneumatic actuators, spring return units, positioners, indicators, limit switches, solenoid valves, and other valve actuation equipment.

Kinetrol Rotary Vane Actuator Catalog from Kinetrol USA

Operation of the Kinetrol Model 20 Vane Actuator with Limit Switch

The following video demonstrates the Kinetrol Model 20, double acting, pneumatic vane actuator as it closes a large butterfly valve.

The Model 20 actuator is capable of delivering 89,000 inch pounds of torque at 80 PSI. The unit you see below is equipped with a dual coil, 4-way solenoid valve to control air flow to either side of the actuator, as well as control the opening / closing time. The actuator below also is equipped with a Kinetrol Universal Limit Switch with visual indication and internal electrical contacts.

EL Electropneumatic Positioner

The EL positioner controls airflow to an actuator and moves it to a position determined by a 4-20mA signal and using a unique low power proportional servo valve.

The microprocessor in the loop-powered 4- 20mA position circuit reads the signal via one channel of a 12-bit A-D converter, reads the position voltage from the feedback potentiometer via the second channel of the

A-D converter, and compares the two. If it detects a position which is different from that required by the signal, it changes the output to the servo valve, in order to drive the actuator in the direction required to reach the correct position. As the actuator moves, the feedback potentiometer voltage changes and the microprocessor continually calculates the adjustments required for the servo valve in order to guide the actuator accurately into position. The microprocessor is programmed with a sophisticated but compact algorithm which allows this critical dynamic valve adjustment to be made correctly. This in turn gives optimal results with any actuator/load combination - slow or fast, low or high friction, low or high inertia. All can be optimized by tuning the PGAIN and DAMP push buttons via the positioner circuit push buttons.

Welcome to the Kinetrol USA Blog

We'll be using this site as a place to educate people about the advantages of rotary vane actuators and showcase interesting and unique applications.

We'll try to post as often as possible and keep the site fresh. Please check back frequently.