November 6, 2007

5 Min Read
Valves, Gates, & Airlocks

pbs0711p12a.jpgRotor Detection System
Preventing metal contamination has become a top priority for many powder processors. The rotor detection system (RDS) is designed to immediately alert plant operators that a valve’s rotor vanes have come into contact with the valve body. If a valve fails, the RDS sends a signal to the plant’s SCADA system and immediately shuts the valve down, preventing contaminated product, costly shutdowns, and product rejections. RDS monitors electrical isolation between the rotor vanes and valve housing. If a rotor vane touches the valve body, even for a split second, a warning is sent. RDS offers a high level of security from metal contamination to companies that process food and pharmaceutical powders and is available on all of the company’s rotary valves.
Nu-Con Equipment, Chanhassen, MN 877-939-0510 www.nucon.com

pbs0711p12b.jpgStainless-Steel Butterfly Valve
With a highly polished 316 stainless-steel housing and disc, this inflatable-seated butterfly valve is suitable for many applications, such as food, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, and it is available in standard sizes from 2 to 30 in. The inflatable seat design provides a better seal by utilizing air pressure to expand the seat against the disc, providing more sealing area and an even pressure distribution against the disc every time. The seat automatically compensates for wear when it inflates against the disc, thereby extending valve life.
Posi-flate, St. Paul, MN 651-484-5800 www.posiflate.com

pbs0711p12c.jpgRotary Airlock Valve
The side-entry rotary airlock valve is used in applications where product shearing is a concern. The airlock’s name derives from the offset inlet and outlet flanges, where the product enters the side of the rotor instead of the top of a conventional drop-through airlock where shearing occurs as the rotor rotates into the housing. With the side-entry design, the product is caught on the upswing of the rotor blades so that it is constantly falling away from the shear point. The rotor pockets are not completely full, reducing the likelihood of shearing. Sizes range from 6 to 20 in.
Carolina Conveying Inc., Canton, NC 828-235-1005 www.carolinaconveying.com

pbs0711p12d.jpgRotary Valves
The heavy-duty Aerolock valves will perform in up to 15-psi pressure differential and at temperatures to 225°F. The Maximum-Duty Aerolock valve is engineered for continuous 24-hour service in applications with pressure differentials up to 20 psi. It is commonly used for some of the most challenging materials. The Quick-Clean Aerolock can be used in applications where contamination is a constant concern and frequent disassembly and cleaning is required. It can be disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled without disengaging the valve from the system. The Blow-Thru Aerolock rotary valve is engineered to efficiently blow the rotor pockets clean while the rotor feeds material into the conveying line, making installation in tight quarters possible. The Light-Duty Aerolock is ideal where a tight seal in low pressure or low vacuum service is required.
Premier Pneumatics Inc., Salina, KS 785-825-1611 [email protected]

pbs0711p12e.jpgInterlock Control System
This interlock control system for the inflatable-seal Roto-Flate valve creates a hard link between inflation of the seal and rotation of the valve. The system allows the customer to control the valve with just one signal to open the valve and one to close it. This device makes controlling the valve as easy as any quarter-turn valve while still providing the high performance of the two-stage sealing system. The Roto-Flate is ideal for pressure- or vacuum-processing environments that require bubble-tight sealing. By employing an inflatable bladder, the valve can provide long service life in applications where sliding contact seals fail. Common applications include filling reactors, vacuum dryer discharge, or shut-off or isolation valves in dense-phase pneumatic conveying systems.
Roto-Disc Co., Milford, OH 513-871-2600 www.rotodisc.com

pbs0711p12f.jpgAirlocks
Exclusive features of these airlocks include replaceable L-slotted wear bars, a self-adjusting packing gland, and the quick-take-apart design. Oversized mounting flanges handle square and round bolt patterns, slide gates, and butterfly valves. The company specializes in a full range of airlock sizes with broad adaptability to permit retrofitting. Benefits include longer life and less maintenance. All airlocks are carefully machined for proper operating temperature.
Prater-Sterling, Bolingbrook, IL 630-759-9595 www.prater-sterling.com

pbs0711p13a.jpgIris Diaphragm Valve
The Mucon iris diaphragm valve provides strong, gentle, and precise flow control of powder and granular materials. The valves are used worldwide because of their flow-control characteristics and versatility in applications ranging from creating a gland seal around extruded plastic pipe to controlling the flow of live fish from transport containers. Available in manual, pneumatic, and motorized operation, the dust-tight design allows for infinite flow control from full bore to trickle feed. The valve is available in a variety of materials suited to any application and is easily cleaned with tool-free maintenance.
Kemutec Powder Technologies, Bristol, PA 215-788-8013 www.kemutec.com

pbs0711p13b.jpgSanitary Airlocks
These sanitary quick-take-apart airlocks are USDA dairy accepted and available in a range of sizes in both blow-through and drop-through configurations. Features include a heavy-wall cast-stainless-steel housing and end caps. Bearings are outboard mounted and feature a microadjust system. A hard-chromed seal journal rides in an air-purged seal set. The standard rotor features eight blades with beveled tips and sides. The airlocks are available with a slide-bar rotor-assistance mechanism for easy disassembly.
Savel Technologies Inc., Centerville, MN 651-653-5098 www.saveltech.com

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