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Festo, steadfast advocate of pneumatic technology for process automation, says it has developed a new line of Copar and Copac pneumatic actuators specifically to overcome the "limitations" of electrical drive technology. The company no doubt has its sights set on the water and wastewater industries, where electric drives are the norm.
The family includes 68 single-acting and double-acting quarter-turn actuators for driving butterfly and ball valves, and 20 double-acting linearactuators for gate valves and penstocks. They are said to be particularly cost-effective for processes covering large physical areas or sited in remote locations. All are ATEX compliant where required.
The Copar range of quarter-turn actuators offers a choice of 14 different sizes with torque ratings from 8 to 8,800 Nm, and each actuator canbe set for clockwise or anticlockwise rotation. These actuators are suitable for local, on-the-spot operation, or for automatic operation,and when used in conjunction with a suitable electro-pneumatic controller, the speed can be adjusted. They are especially suitable for use with the types of process valves used in industrial wastewater treatment plants, which tend to employ valves with diameters of less than 400mm. A new range of position feedback sensors are also available for use with these actuators; housed in IP65-rated enclosures, the sensors can be quickly and easily attached to the actuators.
The Copac range of linear actuators are constructed from highly corrosion resistant materials. They feature internal air channels to eliminate protruding tubing and attachments, preventing the accumulation of contaminantsand ensuring a very clean actuation solution for shut-off, safety andcontrol valves. Offering a choice of stroke lengths from 40 mm to 2 metres, the actuators are available with piston diameters from 80 mm to320 mm, spanning a thrust range of 2.8 Nm to 47,500 Nm. These high thrust ratings are ideal for accommodating the larger types of valves that are traditionally favoured by municipal authorities for pumping stations, rainwater handling systems and canalisation projects.
Festo has also launched a new family of high performance ball valves andlocal controllers, to complement the range of process industry-specific pneumatic components. The new VAPB ball valves are explosion-proof, overload-proof components designed for long operational lifetimes. They feature full-flow cross-sections, a blow-out-proof shaft that is fitted from the inside, and two leakage ducts in the head flange. Thereis a choice of nine brass models and eleven stainless steel models-offering enhanced corrosion resistance for industrial applications-to further simplify application matching and integration.
The new DLP-VSE local controllers provide a means of manually controlling the process valves. There are five base models, offering a choice of valve control configurations and functionality, including models with fieldbus-compatible interfaces for remote as well as local control. The controllers feature IP65 protection, and can be mounted directly on the actuator or on a wall.
The components are designed specifically for use in potentially explosive environments, and compared to electrical drive technology they are overload resistant, economic and simple toapply.
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