Simple ways to save costs when selecting process valves for your application
How do you choose the best valve control solution for your process automation application? Kai Feller of industrial automation and control manufacturers Festo asks the right questions – and provides the answers.
What media do you want to control?
The best place to start is with the media to be controlled, because it will affect the options available for the material of the valve. After the selection of the right type of valve the correct construction material has to be determined. If the media is aggressive or corrosive, then stainless steel is likely to be the best option. However, for many common applications – supply of cooling water in a machine for
with polyamide coated discs are perfectly
adequate. They also cost far less than the stainless steel alternatives. By making smart choices, it is possible to deliver both best quality and best price when selecting valves.
What operating pressure are you working with?
The choice of operating pressure can have
valves are clearly pressure rated and there
valves, PN16 is the most common nominal
applications – but this does not mean it is the
For example, if the process pump supplying the media will only ever deliver at 4 bar, or if the valve is mounted on the outlet of an open vessel, there is an opportunity to select lower media pressure ratings on the valve. Festo
undercut discs which can lower the actuation torque if the maximum media pressure is lowered. The connection norm and the burst pressure rating of the valve remain unchanged. In turn, a lower pressure rated disc leads to a smaller, lower cost actuator.
What actuator technology is best?
Actuators come in four basic types: manual, of valves you want to control and whether functions like a failsafe option or adjustable speed are necessary. Air actuators are quite simple in design compared to electric actuators, so they offer lower initial and servicing costs. Pneumatic actuators can be very cost- effective for applications where more than three or four valves are involved – even where no dedicated compressed air supply is available. The pneumatic solution generally offers good feature selection and good value. Festo has developed tools to help its customers make lifecycle cost comparisons between electrical and pneumatic actuators.
What safety functions are needed?
A double-acting pneumatic actuator applications because it will stop in its current
position if the compressed air supply is lost. It’s actually the less expensive option because it requires fewer internal parts and can be smaller in size, providing a cost optimised alternative to a single-acting actuator. For safety-critical operations, such
liquids that present a contamination danger, a single actuator provides enhanced safety
What should the actuator be made of?
Just as the process media will affect the
the environmental conditions in which the
immediate working environment; consider nearby chemical dosing and cleaning regimes too. There is little point in paying a premium for stainless steel actuators if they are not necessary. Whereas in some submerged applications stainless steel is really necessary,
can be ordered with coating options as well as different shaft materials, so Festo customers only pay for what they need.
For product information or to contact Festo, visit
www.festo.co.uk/PC1
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