Mechanical Technology April 2015

⎪ Hydraulic and pneumatic systems ⎪

Pneumatic connection technology in 2015 Festo South Africa’s business development manager, Russell Schwulst, discusses the current trends in fittings and tubing – from grey market products to energy savings that will help to maximise the efficiency of the production line – the good and the bad of recent trends. are possible, individual solutions can be tailored to requirements.”

override and much more. In addition, the series covers all of the ATEX requirements and voltages you might need. This consolidation offers a myriad of benefits to consumers. The obvious one is that the choice of valve has never been easier. Instead of needing to do research on what valve would suit your functionality best, customers can quickly find an all-in- one solution. Manufacturers are able to take advantage of the benefits of mass production. A single series translates into a higher production volume, which brings production costs down. Customers can therefore enjoy these integrated valves at attractive prices. It’s a fantastic example of how to translate engineering expertise into something that reduces unnecessary complexity while in- creasing quality, efficiency and affordability. From now on, you’ll barely have to break a sweat when searching for cost-effective, high performance valves. q Standards and regulations “Not only are businesses realising that fittings and tubing need to be specific to the environment and application, but industry standards, testing and regula- tions are also ensuring they remain top of mind,” explains Schwulst. “Apart from guaranteeing the correct material is being selected and utilised, there is a health and safety element, too. In a heat- intensive environment, for example, the incorrect fitting and tubing combination, or perhaps even the use of inferior prod- uct, could cause a pipe to burst or come lose resulting in an injury to an operator.” Energy-saving In the midst of the current national power crisis, energy saving is vital, he adds. “Load shedding is becoming inevitable and factories need to maximise the ef- ficiency of the production line before the lights go out and the expensive genera- tors kick in. Leakage and breaks have a negative impact on operational costs as well as energy-efficiency, because they slow down the rate of production,” he warns. “By using quality equipment in the correct application, a business can lower operational costs, and cause less strain on the already constricted power grids,” he says. q

“ C onnection technology plays a pivotal role in pneumatic factory automation. As with any other technology, it has evolved and adapted to become more functional and modular,” says Schwulst, before listing some of the trends – good and bad – that he has observed. Grey market products “In South Africa, we are seeing an influx of low cost fitting and tubing products,” he says. “Cheaper doesn’t often mean better, however, and these grey market

products are having a detrimental impact on pneumatic systems due to leaks and shorter lifespans.” He adds that since no production line can afford to be idle, quality materials need to be selected and utilised. “Fittings and tubing remain major components at the heart of events, and should be considered and treated with similar importance as any module or pneumatic component.” Schwulst says, “Factories have realised that not all tubing is created equally. As such, the suitability of tubing for use in a specific environment is largely dependent on the material. Characteristics, such as flexibility, temperature and media resistance, are all affected by the mate- rial used. This is why the proper tubing needs to be selected for the appropriate condition and application.” He adds that an application that uses UV radiation, for example, will require different tubing to one that operates within an environment involving coolants. “Fortunately, since modularity and variety Environment- and application- specific solutions

How integration is changing the pneumatic valve market H ave you ever opened a product brochure and been overwhelmed by the sheer number of options? Choice

brings down production costs as manufac- turers can produce a large volume of a few components rather than a small volume of many different parts. The end result is that the saucy car you have your eye on is much more affordable than it would’ve been otherwise. Until now, customers looking for valves with specific features had to choose between numerous different series. Our own inline valves portfolio has included four distinct series: Tiger Classic, Tiger 2000, Midi and CPE. The integration of valve functionality means that today we can offer a single series of inline valves that consolidates all of the benefits and options of the different series. The tough and robust VS Series streamlines everything you might need out of a valve into a single group. It includes features such as internal or external piloting, mechanical or pneumatic reset, manual or de-tenting

is great, but past a certain point it leads to diminishing returns. When it comes to inline valves, there definitely exists too much of a good thing. The good news for anyone who’s ever been tempted to throw a brochure against a wall in frustration is that valve trends are moving towards consolidation without sacrificing functionality. As the technology has moved forward, we have seen greater integration of options. Instead of having to find the right match from multiple valve series for your application, all the features are now incorporated into one series. This kind of thinking takes a page from car manufacturers. Instead of each car hav- ing its own specific part, certain components are common across a variety of vehicles. This

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Mechanical Technology — April 2015