Valves, Gates, & Airlocks Focus - June 08

Pinch Diverter Valves
These pinch diverter valves are built for obstruction-free flow of dry materials conveyed under pressure in dilute-, semidense, and dense-phase pneumatic systems. They can direct material to two different destinations or be set up to combine material flows from two different sources. Each valve can be adapted for its application and configured to a specific angle if required. They handle convey pressures up to 85 psig and may be furnished with flanged, plain, or grooved pipe connections. The valves conserve space over conventional valves.
Cyclonaire Corp., York, NE 888-593-6241 www.cyclonaire.com

Rotary Airlock
The DRV rotary valve discharges powders and granules from filters and cyclones. It maintains high sealing and feeding efficiencies under arduous operating conditions. The cast-iron bodies have stiffening ribs to prevent distortion under load and have integral shear planes to reduce product shearing loads. Square inlets and round discharges are standard, allowing the valve to be connected to equipment with either round or square connections. The rotor is fabricated in mild steel with closed ends, eight blades, and heavy-duty shafts.
SMS International Inc., Cortland, IL 800-296-1149 www.smsint.com

Fail-Safe Abort Gates
Dust collection systems pull heated air and dust from the facility to the filter. In a filter fire, a return air duct can send fire and smoke back into the facility, causing hazardous conditions. These fail-safe abort gates exhaust hazardous airflow to the atmosphere. Activated by sensors, a spring-loaded gate closes in less than 500 milliseconds. In compliance with NFPA 664 standard, when used in an air-return system, the abort gate prevents hazards from re-entering the building.
GreCon Inc., Tigard, OR 503-641-7731 www.grecon-us.com

Airlock and Rotary Valve Sealing Solution
The Meco-Pac seal is designed to fit inside the stuffing box, replacing the packing, and is adjusted with the original packing gland follower. It can often be installed with no equipment modification. Once installed and adjusted, it can provide years of leak-free operation with little or no maintenance. It is custom-engineered for service with a wide variety of products, including dry foods, abrasives, and hazardous and toxic materials.
Woodex Bearing Company, Inc., Georgetown, ME 800-526-8800 207-371-2210 www.mecoseal.com

Rotary Airlocks
Fabricated to meet the needs of the industrial workplace, this airlock’s design is based on customers’ rugged applications and is built to outlast other airlocks. The standard 8-vane rotor design offers the tightest seal of any flex tip airlock. Features include variable speed selection, wiper material, and inlet/outlet size. Seventeen different models are in stock and come with either round or square flanges. An entire inventory of replacement parts is stocked at all times.
Imperial Systems Inc., Jackson Center, PA 800-918-3013 www.isystemsweb.com

Iris Diaphragm Valve
The Mucon iris diaphragm valve offers strong, gentle, and precise flow control of powder and granular materials. Available in manual, pneumatic, and motorized operation, the valve’s 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

Cutoff Gate
The AutoAire cutoff gate provides energy- and equipment-cost savings for any shop with a central collection system for dust, fumes, or mists serving intermittently operated machines. The gate automatically opens needed duct branches when a machine is turned on, while closing off inactive branches and machines. This fully utilizes the pickup power of a collection system by applying as much vacuum as possible, only when and where needed, allowing a smaller fan—with smaller energy bill—to handle a system with many branches. The gate allows sizing of the collector system based on the true usage, rather than the total requirement. This can reduce the size and cost of the system.
K&B Duct, Greensboro, NC 866-520-3875 www.kirkblum.com

Low-Profile Slide Gate
The Low Profile Slide Gate provides excellent sealing capabilities in an economical design. Other features and benefits include low profile for installation into limited headroom applications; excellent sealing of powders and small material sizes; and good blade-loading capability with minimal maintenance and extended operating life.
Pebco Inc., Paducah, KY 270-442-1996 www.pebco.com

Side-Entry Rotary Airlock Valve
The side-entry rotary airlock valve is used in applications where product shearing is a concern. The valve name derives from the offset inlet and outlet flanges, where the product enters the side of the rotor instead of the top. On a normal valve, shearing takes place as the rotor rotates into the housing. When these two straight edges meet on a typical drop-thru rotary airlock, a pinch area where the product can shear and/or jam is created. With the side-entry rotary airlock, the product is caught on the upswing of the rotor blades so that the product is constantly falling away from the shear point. The rotor pockets do not fill up as completely, additionally reducing the likelihood of shearing. Lastly, the throat has a V shape that helps push product out of the way. Sizes from 6 to 20 in. are available.
Carolina Conveying Inc., Canton, NC 828-235-1005 www.carolinaconveying.com

Direct-Drive Valves
All valves are now available with the new Direct-Drive design feature. This system eliminates taper pins and actuator couplings and allows much greater torque to be used without allowing the actuator to become decoupled from the valve. Disassembly and reassembly are simplified and several parts are eliminated. This company manufactures heavy-duty spherical valves that do not gum-up, jam, or leak, even under the worst applications, and are well suited for sticky, gummy, or abrasive powders, slurries, pellets, granules, or chips. The valves provide tight sealing and resist abrasive wear. They are available in sizes from 3 to 24 in. Custom coatings, materials, and flanges are available.
Roto-Disc Co., Milford, OH 513-871-2600 www.rotodisc.com

Slide Gate Valve
For difficult applications or those involving sticky, abrasive, or corrosive materials, the HDP slide gate valve offers positive material shutoff. Designed specifically to handle dry bulk solids in pneumatic or gravity conveying systems, the valve can be applied to control material flow in gravity, dilute-phase, or dense-phase conveying systems up to 75 psig, depending on size and modifications. It is available in 4–16-in. sizes. Whether the application is cement, sand, or cullet, the HDP’s patented rising blade seals high pressure without abrading the seal, which compensates for wear over extended use and reduces the need for frequent maintenance. The valve is also able to handle high-temperature applications up to 450°F.
Vortex Valves North America, Salina, KS 785-825-7177 www.vortexvalves.com

Heavy-Duty Drop-Through Rotary Airlock
The heavy-duty drop-through rotary airlock is suitable for use on both gravity and pneumatic conveying applications up to 20 psi. The airlocks are available with both round and square flanges and are of heavy-duty design with outboard bearings and gland-type shaft seals. Numerous rotor options are available including open and closed end, fixed or adjustable blades, bevel edges, scalloped pockets, reduced capacity, Teflon coating, and flexible rubber tips. Sizes range from 3½ to 36 in. Blowing seals, offset, dust collection, and special-sized airlocks are also available.
Rotolok Valves Inc., Monroe, NC 704-282-4444 www.rotolok.com

Rotary Valves and Drives
This company offers a variety of rotary valves and drives for dry bulk material handling applications. The Heavy-Duty Aerolock performs heavy-duty industrial service up to 15 psi and temperatures up to 225ºF. The Maximum-Duty Aerolock is engineered for challenging materials in a continuous 24-hour service. When contamination is a concern, the Quick-Clean Aerolock can be disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled without disengaging the valve from the system. The Blow-Thru Aerolock enhances rotor cleanout and makes installation in tight quarters possible. The Light-Duty Aerolock, limited to a maximum of 3 psi, provides a tight seal in low-pressure applications or where low-vacuum service is required.
Premier Pneumatics Inc., Salina, KS 785-825-1611 www.premierpneumatics.com

Parallel-Bore Rotary Airlock
The MSRP-series parallel-bore rotary airlock is designed so that the maximum number of blades remains in contact with the body at one time without affecting throughput. The substantial throat opening at the valve entry allows high pocket-filling efficiency. There is minimum clearance at the rotor tips and sides with the body. Robust body construction prevents distortion. Sizes range from 6 to 16 in. with square or round flange patterns. The valve is suitable for operation up to 750°F and conveying pressures of 20 psi.
Bush & Wilton Inc., Charlotte, NC 704-573-6858 www.bushandwilton.com

Rotary Valves
Rotary valves are offered in three styles for use as airlocks in in-plant dust collection systems. The valves automatically and continuously transfer dust from the dust-collector hopper to a conveying system or collection container. They reduce downtime and labor by automating dust removal, and they maintain vacuum pressure inside the collector for optimum performance. The Model AN handles most nuisance dust discharge requirements. The Model CI is a high-volume, high-pressure unit for many process dust-handling applications. The Model F–series valves are heavy-duty cast-iron feeder units for use with high-pressure pneumatic conveying systems in dry bulk material applications, including difficult sticky products such as sugar.
Donaldson Torit, Minneapolis, MN 800-365-1331 www.donaldson.com