Monday, August 25, 2014

Valve Automation Experience, Capabilities and Facilities

The following video shows some examples of RENCOR Controls valve automation work.

Examples include large automated ball valves, butterfly valves and specialty valves. Actuators include the ROTEX DCS and DCR, Bettis, Morin, and others. Examples of Coker and ball valve refurbishment, and pinch valve automation. Custom brackets and couplings are shown as is custom crating.

RENCOR's modern, well equipped manufacturing space is capable of handing very large automated valves, as well as high quantity production. RENCOR technician's and engineers have decades of experience and can solve the toughest valve automation challenge.


Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Introduction to the Instrumentation Ball Valve

instrumentation ball valves
Instrumentation Ball Valves
(DK-Lok)
Instrumentation ball valves are used in a wide variety of industrial, environmental, pharmaceutical, semiconductor and "clean applications. These valves are designed to handle wild fluctuations in ambient temperatures and operate at high pressures.

Also referred to as "one-piece" instrumentation ball valves, they are an excellent choice for cold ambient conditions down to -65 deg. F as well as handling heated gases and fluids up to 300 deg. F.

What defines the the ball valve as an "instrument ball valve" is the 1 piece ball and stem component. General service, industrial ball valves are designed with a 2 pc. ball and stem arrangement, where the ball "floats" in the process medium and uses the downstream pressure to seat.

Instrumentation ball valves historically were troubled when installed in low ambient temperatures. Cold environments below -50F would cause stem leakage.

Alternative packing materials where developed allowing working temperatures down to -65F but those packing materials were limited on the upper temperature range to 150 deg. F.

Ultimately, new packing was developed to handle -65 F to 300F, which covers a very wide range of application.

Instrument ball valves are available in brass and stainless steel. Their end connections are typically from 1/8" T to 3/4" T (compression tube connections) and from 1/8 NPTF to 1/2" NPTF (pipe sizes ). Many different types of end connections are available.

Instrumentation ball valves are available in the following configurations: 2-way, straight or angle; 3-way switching without any directional requirements; and a 4-way design.

Monday, August 4, 2014

Another Short Demo Video of Hydraulic Manual Override for 1/4 Turn Valves

rotex actuator
ROTEX Scotch Yoke Actuator
Another demo of the ROTEX hydraulic manual override. This video demo's the hand pumping of the hydraulic pump which produces air pressure to change the position of a ROTEX DRS.

Hydraulic manual override's give operators the ability to manually reverse the spring position of a large actuator by manually pumping air into the spring cylinder. The hydraulic pump can produce up to 2000 PSI air which is used to compress the spring and reverse actuator position.

A directional hand valve is used to direct flow of the air to the spring cylinder or to vent and the air to and from the actuator, letting the spring decompress. A stainless steel hydraulic oil reservoir and tubing are used for safety and longevity.

Link to ROTEX Hydraulic Manual Override Video.