Recommend Best Solenoid Valve for Air

CatMan · Oct 10, 2012

I've got an application here where I need to blow air through a part ( for cooling purposes ) and then pressurize the part to check for leaks. I plan on using a solenoid valve close the system off when the leak test begins.

I'm looking for recommendations on the best brand/kind of solenoid valve that will not leak. I've considered putting two valves in series so if the first one did leak, the second one would catch it. Air pressure is only going to be about 60 psi.

WizardOfBoz · Oct 10, 2012

CatMan said:
I've got an application here where I need to blow air through a part ( for cooling purposes ) and then pressurize the part to check for leaks. I plan on using a solenoid valve close the system off when the leak test begins.

I'm looking for recommendations on the best brand/kind of solenoid valve that will not leak. I've considered putting two valves in series so if the first one did leak, the second one would catch it. Air pressure is only going to be about 60 psi.

I used a lot of ASCO Red Hat solenoids in industrial, heavy-duty use. A while back, so others may have better recommendations.

I'm a little concerned about the use of air pressure to proof things. If this is a very low-volume, heavy-walled item it may be safe. But if it's skinny walls (as in, a blowout will shoot shards at high velocity) or a larger vessel, then you will be safer filling it with water before testing. This eliminates all the compressed-air energy in the tank, as water is pretty much incompressible at 60psi.

A good solenoid should be pretty reliable, and normally 60psi does not require the high reliability of series valves. But you may wish to put a manual valve in series with the solenoid. Cheaper and may be adequate. If you REALLY want a bomb-proof setup, put two normally-closed solenoids in series, and vent the pipe in-between them with a normally opened solenoid, with the vent directed to a safe spot.

Again, think VERY carefully and critically about using air pressure to proof things. Compressed air is like a spring, and it has a devious, evil mind: it wants to shoot shards into your eyes and private parts.

WHHJR · Oct 10, 2012

Versa products http://www.versa-valves.com/ makes very good spool type valves. We used hundreds of them for controlling process valves.

I recently worked on a gallon bottle blow molder. After molding the bottles were trimmed and then pressure tested and then either passed on or sent back to regrind. I think it must be a standard practice.

2¢

CatMan · Oct 10, 2012

bosleyjr said:
I used a lot of ASCO Red Hat solenoids in industrial, heavy-duty use. A while back, so others may have better recommendations.

I'm a little concerned about the use of air pressure to proof things. If this is a very low-volume, heavy-walled item it may be safe. But if it's skinny walls (as in, a blowout will shoot shards at high velocity) or a larger vessel, then you will be safer filling it with water before testing. This eliminates all the compressed-air energy in the tank, as water is pretty much incompressible at 60psi.

A good solenoid should be pretty reliable, and normally 60psi does not require the high reliability of series valves. But you may wish to put a manual valve in series with the solenoid. Cheaper and may be adequate. If you REALLY want a bomb-proof setup, put two normally-closed solenoids in series, and vent the pipe in-between them with a normally opened solenoid, with the vent directed to a safe spot.

Again, think VERY carefully and critically about using air pressure to proof things. Compressed air is like a spring, and it has a devious, evil mind: it wants to shoot shards into your eyes and private parts.

Thanks for the concern. I'm not wanting to blow anything up either. This pressure test is on a heavy, thick wall part. And we do have cages in place around the part on the rare chance that a piece could get blown out.

I'll check out the solenoid valve suppliers.

WizardOfBoz · Oct 10, 2012

WHHJR said:
Versa products http://www.versa-valves.com/ makes very good spool type valves. We used hundreds of them for controlling process valves.
I recently worked on a gallon bottle blow molder. After molding the bottles were trimmed and then pressure tested and then either passed on or sent back to regrind. I think it must be a standard practice.
2¢

WHHJr

Interesting - I didn't know that they did a pressure test. Nice to know my milk jug won't explode!

What pressure, do you recall?

Jim

WHHJR · Oct 11, 2012

I have no clue what the pressure was. The test device 1 trimmed, 2 a piston moved up to the bottle and pressurized, 3 it used an air blast to blow the good one into a conveyor and send it away, and 4 if it wasn't good it waited for a good one to push it to the next station and on to the scrap pile. I don't think the pressure was very high because it didn't seem to expand.

I was drilling a broken bolt out of the die head and re tapping. For some reason the vendor service techs didn't know how...

2¢

Cole2534 · Oct 11, 2012

Another plus one for Versa. We use them for DVC's on large actuated valves- ANSI 24" 900# stuff on compressor discharge and inlet block valves on power stations

wippin' boy · Oct 12, 2012

I've gotten in the habit of using ISO spec stuff on projects that may have more than a one time sort of life.
then replacing parts are easy and industry standardized (mcmaster carr sells them, brandnames vary)

http://www.boschrexroth.com/country...atic_valves_fieldbus/SC-300.581_581_Valve.pdf

if your looking for fastest,dirtiest,cheepest, a couple of 4 dollar ball vales will do alot

matt_isserstedt · Oct 12, 2012

Just another thing on ISO is that there are several manufacturers competing for the same (interchangeable) business. This helps keep costs down.

My answer depends on what you are looking for as far as a pressure decay test (how sensitive is your acceptance criteria). I worked in an engine plant for a couple of years and these types of testers were everywhere. Typically the process controller (IOW the machine which manages the leak rate via sensitive pressure transducer) has its own internal valving.

If I were building a serious one for daily use I think I'd look at swagelok's actuated valves, but as Wippin Boy says, even if you self-automated some ball valves with an air cylinder actuator, you'd have this working for not much money.

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Recommend Best Solenoid Valve for Air

CatMan

Hot Rolled

WizardOfBoz

Diamond

WHHJR

Stainless

CatMan

Hot Rolled

WizardOfBoz

Diamond

WHHJR

Stainless

Cole2534

Diamond

wippin' boy

Diamond

matt_isserstedt

Diamond

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