THE MANUFACTURERS VOICE

Advanced technology in pneumatic Part-turn-actuators for process valve actuation

In this new column for Valve World, Gnter xler from Festo Didactic GmbH & Co. KG will bring you his personal views on technical developments and achievements in the flow control industry. Use of pneumatic drives to operate process valves, e.g. ball & butterfly valves, is a state-of-the-art technology since many decades especially in systems where high switching frequency, long lifetime compared with high product reliability is required. Basically there are three different systems available: rack-and-pinion, scotch-yoke and vane actuator with specific advantages. All of them having more or less similar interfaces and sealing technology which means interfaces to connect valves, based on ISO 5210 / ISO 5211, and accessories like solenoid valves and sensors, based on the VDI/VDE 3845 (NAMUR recommendation)standards, sealing technology with a combination of Oring/PTFE slide rings.

The first and most important topic is the sealing (figure 1) basically a system which is there since decades O-ring based. If we think on basic mechanical engineering knowledge, an O-ring is a static sealing and not a dynamic sealing and here we are. Most of the brands in the market are using O-ring as direct sealing on the pistons which causes major problems like: high friction, high break away torque and high wear and tear. High friction because regularly these O-rings need a

Meet Gnter xler

Gnter xler has a long history within the valve industry. He graduated in Process Engineering and Mechanical Engineering in Stuttgart, Germany, holds a MBA degree in VWA as well as a Controlling degree and is a REFA Specialist. For more than 25 years, Gnter xler has worked for several companies in the valve business, companies such as J.M.Voith GmbH (Hydropower and Paper Machinery), Erhard GmbH (R+D Process Valves and project engineering), and Festo AG & Co. KG (Project Manager and Project Engineer Process Automation). He is also member of the IWA, ISA, and VDI German Engineer and he is multilingual as he speaks 5 languages, among which are German, English, French, Italian and Spanish. Gnter can be contacted under: OEX@DE.FESTO.COM

pre tension to guarantee a proper and tight sealing between the pressure chambers which results in torque losses around 20% and herein as well non smooth operation. In the pneumatic technology it is the so called slip-stick effect. The result is a step wise movement and a problematic control operation which makes positioning with a controller / 3P-positioner difficult and nearly impossible. So lets think about a better solution! In the factory automation it is state-ofthe-art to use pressure dependant sealing = dynamic sealing, which means usually a lip-sealing who aligns and gives tightness under pressure. If the actuator is without air-pressure there is no sealing and following no friction as there is no pre-tension of the sealing. With rising pressure the lip of the sealing is pressed to the housing and gives appropriate sealing. Additionally such a sealing guarantee a proper tightness even if the geometry of the housing is not 100% round shaped. Consider a bigger pneumatic actuator around 6000Nm output torque and a Butterfly Valve with a rubber liner in
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THE MANUFACTURERS VOICE

the closed not adjusted position the friction is now in the Valve and the actuator needs the maximum torque to open the valve. Internal tolerances / alignments in a rack-and-pinion actuator results in a lateral buckling, the piston and the housing are no more congruent a standard o-ring sealant is now no more able to tighten the chambers cross-flow is the result compared with excessive air consumption and operational deterioration. Use of a lip-sealing eliminates all these problems as those sealants are able to compensate those differences easily. A side effect of these sealants is that the housing can be produced simply and less cost intensive by extrusion. The profile usually Aluminium alloy can be produced without additional machining, eliminating again the crosswise rills of the honing which leads directly to extended lifetime as wear and tear is much lower. Use of these dynamic sealants gives an additional advantage. As there is the least possible friction a lubrication of the actuator is no more necessary.

Figure 2

Now the use of oil-free compressed air is possible. This leads directly to better types of compressors and maintenance free air distribution = reduced TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) respective reduced Lifecycle costs of the system. No more contamination of the environment (think of food stuff production & Water Treatment Plants). The second important subject is now the situation that some Process Valves need a left-to-close action whereas others need right-to-close action (figure 2)! In the past the solution was as follows. Rack-andPinion actuator was produced (or on stock) as right-to-close version, to change the function the actuator has to be disassembled, the pistons turned by 180 degrees a reassembled again. For Scotch-Yoke actuators this is not possible a second version has to be produced. The result was extended stock-holding, double part numbers and so on. As a solution the

actuator shall be produced with reversed interfaces on top and bottom, enables a visa-versa installation on the process valve, either right-toclose or left-to-close whatever the process valve requires. Some people may investigate and ask in regard to the NAMUR standard that there is a stub shaft required according to VDI/VDE 3845? No worries, as the actuator then has a both side identical shaft connection, as simple insert with a fixing will do the same job. The third thing is that especially in the chemical industry a so called pressure release slot (slot between the Valve flange and the actuator)on the valve actuator interface (ISO 5211) is required so that a shaft sealing leakage of the process valve is discovered directly on the spot. If not, during disassembly of the actuator the staff can be injured by the in-line media and / or the media can go directly in the actuator and herewith inside the air distribution system causing extensive damages. If this slot is now inside the actuator profile on both sides the end user has no more to take care of the right valve any valve will do, just have a look on the actuator. This reduces the stock holding massive and as well extends the possible valve selection as any valve which is resistant to the media can be installed without modification.
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September 2008