Valves and controls have impressive parenthood

Proair Solutions and its Danish colleagues are celebrating 10 years of close association with their manufacturing partner, Pneucon in California USA.

Proair Solutions and its Danish colleagues are celebrating 10 years of close association with their manufacturing partner, Pneucon in California USA.

The team introduced the unique segmented glass filled valve systems, controls and Airboards to the UK, Europe and South Africa.

Forty years ago the Pneucon valve was invented by a man who was often touted as "the father of pneumatic logic", Edward L Holbrook, then Vice President of Clippard.

The valve was developed at the request of the 1960s NASA scientists who were in that great race with Russia to put the first man on the moon.

The NASA scientists were desperate in their search for a billion cycle compact lightweight valve.

The specifications requested a nonlubricated, intrinsically safe, corrosion free, valve that would guarantee a continued reliable service.

Holbrook's first attempt was to use aluminium for the body and spool; this failed, the valve overheated at rapid, continuous cycles.

Undeterred Holbrook approached General Electric, which had then recently developed Glass Noryl, a light, nonporous material, with high dimensional stability, resistant to corrosion, moisture and impact.

The formula's composition for this application is approximately 60% nylon and 40% glass.

The result was an astounding success, today over 40 years later, Pneucon's technology unsurpassed, remains the ultimate in infinite logic control technology.

Pneucon's intrinsically safe, light weight modular packed spool valves are made in Nyrol, this includes the valve segments (body parts), spools and "finger rings".

The finger rings contain the patented low friction, long life tadpole seals.

The construction of the finger rings has a secondary function - managing less-than-pure media.

The spring and patented body clips, clamping body segments, together are made in 316 stainless steel.

All the valves are dual ported, and so response time is minimised.

When both ports are used the flow is doubled - the dual exhaust ports become quick exhausts.

Through piping is possible.

Piping flexibility is made easy, with ease of positioning of fittings (either side of the valve).

Dual ports offer locations for optional pressure sensors (indicators).

Nonlubricated operation is in keeping with, legislation (oil mist in the air).

Pneucon's M5 or 10/32 valves are available as standard, off the shelf stock, for all regular valve operations, two-, three- and four-way, pilot ports, spring return, detent, N/O, N/C, closed and open centres and more.

A complete range of snap on, operators are available, as an example: toggle, push-pull, twist, lever, mushroom, key lock, and regular buttons, in red, black and green.

Pneucon produces a wide range of useful and sometimes unique accessories that increases the valves range and performance, making this the most versatile, interchangeable system in the world.

Pneucon valves have the unique ability to allow users to alter existing valves, or build their own special application valve.

A standard valve, special application valve or multivalve may be built from stock parts.

The combination of several valves within a single valve body presents a magnitude of possibilities.

The segmented construction of these valves makes it possible, for instance, to assemble several valves and attachments in a single multivalve body.

Each valve may have a different function, different media may be passed through adjacent valves, as an example gas, saltwater, vacuum, formaldehyde, bleach, and air, all used in one valve.

Each valve may be pressurised differently and each spool may be shifted independently or all together.

The "multivalve" concept presents significant possibilities.

Some of these include the possibility of a small control circuit, in one valve, saving in space, fittings, tube and cost.

Building a "multivalve" requires no particular tools; snap the modular sections and clips together with a coin or a small pen knife.

Several pilot ports "or" functions may be added to any single valve, as well as the wide range of operators and logic, options, these include positional key locks, amplifiers, fluidic actuators, impulse units, frequency generators, and a great deal more.

A popular example of the versatile "multivalves" is the application for ground water sample testing; this is taken well below the earth's surface (100m).

The ground water test "multivalve" is made up of a 4/2-way, 3/2-way, an oscillator valve, and several body segments (to create a volume).

A miniature flow control valve is clipped to the body of this single compact "multivalve" presenting you with a perfect device to retrieve water samples through a 35mm O/D stainless steel tube for testing.

The Pneucon patented Airboard can be considered an air circuit board, providing an attractive, low-cost alternative to conventional pneumatic control systems.

An Airboard consists of several machined acrylic plates, which have been bonded into a compact, virtually tamper-proof air unit.

Pneucon valves, control devices, timers etc) are tightly secured to the surface of the plate.

Channels are machined into the acrylic plates, to allow for inter connection of various components.

Producing multiple copies of a typical soft tube pneumatic circuit is a labour intensive operation.

Selection of an Airboard reduces assembly time, and the number of fittings required to complete a control system.

Any component may be removed from the Airboard, without disturbing the others and without the risk of incorrect reconnection.

The use of standard manual overrides, and optional pressure indicators is unimpaired.

Pneucon "multivalves" are very well suited to the Airboard technique.

No other manufacturer can provide a more complex system in such a small package.

Because each Airboard is designed specifically for its application, the dimensions of the unit are tailored to fit your available space.

Most circuits can be produced on a double layer acrylic plate less than one and a half inches thick, including the valving.

More complex circuits may, of course, be many layers thick and have control components mounted to both the top and the bottom of the Airboard.

If the details of your control circuit must be kept confidential, the Airboard may be machined from an opaque material.

This makes unauthorised duplication of a circuit very difficult.

The production of an Airboard begins with a schematic drawing of the required sequence.

A soft tubed proof-of-circuit version of the system is produced to verify its sequence and provide accurate cost comparisons.

When the decision to produce an Airboard is made, the symbolic circuit drawing is translated into a program, such as Autocad, which is easily downloaded to CNC machining, to produce custom acrylic boards.

Multiple editions of the system may then be quickly and accurately produced.

Airboards are part of the Pneucon Absolute Interlock concept, ensuring control systems which function in the most demanding hazardous and extreme environments.

An Airboard can be used to control the flow of any liquid or gas.

Most Airboards are used in industrial applications, to control the motion of cylinders and ancillary components, through the sequencing operations of Pneucon's air piloted valves.

Thousands are sold into the process equipment industry in the heart of the California's Silicon Valley, providing a safety interlock function between a pneumatic logic controller (PLC) and pilot operated gas valves.

Their purpose in this operation is to interlock and prohibit an errant signal from a failing PLC, to accidentally turn on gas valve at the incorrect time.

This simple, safe solution is mandatory for this industry and many companies today are implementing similar programs using Pneucon technology.

A large number of Airboards have been used in biomedical applications.

By specifying the use of FDA recognised materials in a few internal components, Airboard mounted Pneucon valves may be used to control the flow of consumable fluids.

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