HABONIM 50 Series Top Entry Cryogenic Ball Valves

Due to its unique one-piece body structure, the HABONIM Series 50 Top Entry Valve is the ultimate answer for pipeline integrity on the one hand and inline serviceability on the other. 

The 50 Series of HABONIM bidirectional top entry cryogenic ball valves are a modern adaption of a trunnion ball valve with top entry construction and patent-pending new design elements. 

The main challenge for an assembly or maintenance team with a standard top entry valve is usually the complexity of assembly and disassembly of the valve inner parts, the time-consuming operation, and the requirement for special equipment and jigs. 

All of these problems are addressed and solved by HABONIM's Series 50 top entry valve design. 

Upon removing the valve bonnet screws, the crew has immediate access to the valve's interior parts, allowing for thorough maintenance and replacement of all inner components and sealing. This one-of-a-kind design provides for complete valve renovation inline without the need to remove any insulation pieces.

One Double Piston Effect (DPE) dynamic seat is used in the patent-pending design, allowing bidirectional sealing under the full differential and a relatively simple design with few parts and no closed cavities. These qualities provide all of the advantages of a ball valve's high flow (Cv) with no restriction on flow direction or sealing, as well as a safer cryogenic construction. 

When installed, a patent-pending supplementary optional body extender raises the valve's bonnet above piping insulation, allowing the valve to be maintained without removing the insulation or without special valve insulation boxes. 

The valve's revolutionary design allows for quick inline serviceability with minimal effort and inexpensive equipment for valve dismantling, replacement, and reassembly. 

For more information in New England, contact Piping Specialties. Call 800-223-1468 or visit https://psi-team.com.

Serving New England with Premium Valve Automation Systems

Piping Specialties is your preferred valve automation specialist in Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Piping Specialties handles projects of all sizes for manual and automated valves, providing specification development, design, engineering, assembly, and testing of valve packages. Using CAD software, our associates can give complete drawing packages and plans to ensure the automated valve solutions we provide will fit your applications and meet specifications.

Piping Specialties has established itself as one of New England's premier valve automation centers by combining years of experience with the industry's top manufacturers of valves, valve actuators, and controls. PSI's application experience, engineering know-how, and highly trained technicians make them an easy choice to be your preferred valve automation partner for the design, fabrication, assembly, and installation of any valve actuation/automation project.

Choose Piping Specialties for all your valve automation needs. For more information, visit https://psi-team.com or call 800-223-1468.

Piping Specialties / PSI Controls - New England's Premier Valve and Instrumentation Source

Piping Specialties, Inc. was created in 1975 to provide industrial users in the Northeast with specialty valves and mechanical products and unsurpassed customer service. Piping Specialties' customer base and product offerings have grown steadily and sustainably over the years.  PSI Controls provides system design, sales, and service of process controls and instrumentation. PSI Controls offer a broad range of engineering expertise and experience in applying automated valves and process instrumentation in the most demanding applications.

Piping Specialties / PSI Controls

https://psi-team.com

800-223-1468

A-T Controls Industrial Valve, Actuator and Controls Product Overview

A-T Controls is a global leader in the design, manufacturing, and sale of manual & automated process valves for all types of industries. A-T Controls is known for its extensive inventory and highly experienced staff that enable them to provide the customer solutions needed to fulfill most valve and actuator requirements while offering both a competitive price and the fastest turnaround in the industry.

A-T Controls products provide high-performance operation in virtually every industry, including Oil & Gas, Refining, Petrochemical, Chemical Processing, Pulp & Paper, Mining, Transportation, Food and Beverage, Pharmaceuticals, Marine, HVAC, Power, and more.

A-T Controls Products Include:

High Performance Butterfly Valves; Resilient Seated Butterfly Valves; Trunnion Mounted Ball Valves; Pig Valve Dual Valve; Isolation Valve Assemblies; Cryogenic Ball Valves; Lined Ball Valves; Tank Bottom Valves; Electric Actuators; Spring Return Electric Actuators; Fail Safe Electric Actuators; Heavy Duty Actuators; Pneumatic Scotch Yoke Actuators; Pneumatic Rack & Pinion Actuators; 180º Pneumatic Actuators; Stainless Steel Pneumatic Actuators; Declutchable Gear Operators; Gear Operators; Limit Switches; Solenoids; Positioners.

DOWNLOAD THE A-T CONTROLS PRODUCT GUIDE

For more information, contact Piping Specialties, Inc / PSI Controls. Call them at 800-223-1468  of visit their website at https://psi-team.com.

New Product Line: Max-Air Technology Valve Actuators and Controls

Piping Specialties / PSI Controls is please to introduce Max-Air Technology to its family of products.

Max-Air’s full line of pneumatic control products – including their industry recognized rack and pinion actuators – provide cost-effective solutions for simple on/off control or more complicated flow requirements such as diverting or multi-port applications. Their patented adjustable dual travel stops provide the greatest degree of control in the industry at ±10 degrees on each end of the stroke. To complement their actuators, they have a complete range of control accessories including solenoid valves, limit switches, positioners, and a wide assortment of automation hardware. In addition, Max-Air offers best-in-class assembly services and turn-key automation packages to minimize installation time and simplify project sourcing.

Learn more and download the Max-Air Product Portfolio from this link.

For more information, contact Piping Specialties. Call us at 800-223-1468 or visit out website at https://psi-team.com.

Piping Specialties Valve Automation Services

By combining years of experience with the industries top manufacturers of valves, valve actuators, and controls, Piping Specialties has established itself as one of New England's premier valve automation centers. When it comes to design, fabrication, assembly and installation of any valve actuation/automation project, PSI's application experience, engineering know-how, and highly trained technicians makes them an easy choice to be your preferred valve automation partner.

For more information visit https://psi-team.com or call 800-223-1468.

Mounting and Adjusting a Rack & Pinion Actuator

A-T Controls is a global leader in the design, manufacturing and sale of manual & automated process valves for all types of industries.

This video details the steps required to mount and adjust a TRIAC rack and pinion actuator to an AT Controls ball valve.

Piping Specialties sells, services, and automates A-T Controls valves and TRIAC actuators in New England.

For more information, contact Piping Specialties by calling 800-223-1468 or visiting https://psi-team.com.

Types of Pneumatic Valve Actuators

Scotch-yoke actuators (Morin)

Pneumatic valve actuators all provide the same function:  They convert air pressure to rotational

movement and are designed to open, close, or position a quarter-turn valve.  These include ball valves, plug valves, butterfly valves, or other types of 90 degree rotational valves.

The basic design variations of pneumatic valve actuators are as follows:

• Rack and pinion
• Scotch-yoke
• Rotary vane

Let's review each of these in detail:

Rack and Pinion Actuators

Rack and pinion actuator (Unitorq)

These actuators are sometimes referred to as, “lunch box,” because they, well, look like a lunch box. This actuator uses opposing pistons with integral gears to engage a pinion gear shaft to produce rotation. They are usually more compressed than a scotch yoke, have standardized mounting patterns, and produce output torques suitable for small-to-medium sized valves.  Rack and pinion nearly always include standard bolting and coupling patterns to directly attach a valve, solenoid, limit switch or positioner.  One of their features include several smaller coil springs mounted internally, which provide the torque to return the valve to its starting position.

Scotch-yoke Actuators 

Scotch-yoke actuators internal view.

These actuators come in a multitude of sizes, but are usually used on larger valves because they can produce a very high torque output.  They employ a pneumatic piston mechanism to transfer movement to a linear push rod.  That rod, in turn, engages a pivoting lever arm to provide rotation. Spring return units have a large return spring module mounted on the opposite end of the piston mechanism working directly against the pressurized cylinder.

Rotary Vane Actuators 

Rotary vane actuator animation.

These actuators are usually used when the application requires a significant space savings.  They take up less space when comparing size-to-torque with rack and pinion and scotch yoke. Rotary van actuators also benefit from a reputation of longevity.  They contain fewer moving parts than other types of pneumatic valve actuators.  Rotary vane actuators use externally mounted, helically wound "clock springs" for their spring return mechanism.

These style of valve actuators can all be secured with direct acting or spring return versions. Direct acting actuators use the air supply to move the actuator in both directs (open and close). Spring return actuators, as the name describes, uses springs to move the actuator back to its "resting" state. Converting a version from direct acting to spring return is done through simple modifications, typically just adding an external spring module, or removing the end caps from rack and pinion actuators and installing several coil springs.

When considering the choice of pneumatic valve actuators, your decision comes down to size, power, torque curve and the ease of adding peripherals. To ensure that your valve actuation package will be optimized for safety, longevity, and performance, the advice of a qualified valve automation expert should be sought out. That expert will be able to help you with the best selection of the appropriate valve actuator for any quarter turn valve application.

For more information on valve actuation, contact Piping Specialties, Inc.
https://psi-team.com
800-223-1468

MOGAS Industries Authorized Valve Automation Center

Piping Specialties, Inc. is an authorized Valve Automation Center for MOGAS Industries, Inc. serving New England and the Northeast U.S.A. MOGAS is the leading manufacturer of severe service ball valves for extreme industrial applications.

Piping Specialties, Inc.
https://psi-team.com
800-223-1468

Piping Specialties / PSI Controls: New England's Preferred Source for Industrial Valves, Valve Automation, and Process Instrumentation

Founded in 1975, with offices in Portland, Maine and Danvers, Massachusetts, PSI has earned their reputation as New England's premier supplier of industrial valves, valve automation, process instrumentation and specialty process equipment.

PSI specializes in engineered products for these industries:

• Power Generation
• Pulp & Paper
• LNG / LPG / Natural Gas / Gas Storage & Distribution
• Pharmaceutical / BioTech
• Food and Beverage
• HVAC
• Water & Wastewater

Piping Specialties, Inc / PSI Controls
https://psi-team.com
800-223-1468

Piping Specialties and PSI Controls

Piping Specialties was founded in 1975 with the mission of providing specialty valves and mechanical products and unsurpassed customer service to industrial users throughout the Northeast. Over the years our company has experienced steady, sustainable growth in both our customer base and product offerings. With offices in Danvers, MA and Portland, ME, we are geographically well-positioned to serve all of the Northeast.

PSI delivers our products and services through our 3 operating divisions:

• Piping Specialties: valves and mechanical specialties.
• PSI Controls: automated valves and process instrumentation & controls.
• PSI Services: valve automation, valve and instrument repair, calibration, and turnkey installation and field services.

The Important Role of Valve Actuators

Actuator being positioned on large ball valve.
(Piping Specialties)

Valves are essential to modern industry. The prevalence of valves in engineering, process control, and manufacturing across the world is astounding, and each valve application requires it's own performance standard. Product safety, quality, and consistency is dependent on the proper selection of valves, whether ball, butterfly, gate or globe. Along with proper selection of the valve type, selecting the proper valve operator is critical for controlling the process, assuring quality, and protecting equipment and personnel.

Actuators are powered mechanisms that position valves between open and closed states; the actuators are controllable either by manual operators, or as part of an automated system where the actuator responds to a remote control signal. The valve actuator is as important to the valve, as the valve is to the industry in which it functions.

Thanks to actuators, multiple valves can be controlled in a process system in a coordinated fashion; imagine if, in a large industrial environment, engineers had to physically adjust every valve via a hand wheel or lever! It is completely impractical from a logistical and economic perspective. Actuators enable automation to be applied to valve operation throughout the facility.

Valve actuators serve as the interface between the control intelligence and the physical movement of the valve. The most obvious advantage of valve automation is risk mitigation, where, as long as the system is functioning correctly, critical calamities in either environmental conditions or to a facility can be pre-empted and quickly prevented.

Rack and pinion actuators.
(Flo-Tite)

Regardless of its power source, be it electricity, hydraulic fluid, air pressure, or other, all valve actuators share a singular purpose; to produce linear or rotary motion under the command of a control source. Depending on the design and settings of the actuator, valves can be closed, fully open, or somewhere in-between. Modern actuation technology allows for remote indication and control of valve position, as well as other diagnostic and operational information.

Pneumatic actuators utilize air pressure as the motive force which changes the position of a valve. Hydraulic actuators depend on non-compressible liquids under pressure to provide the motive force. Electric actuators, either motor driven or solenoid operated, rely on electric power to change valve position.

As automation continues to advance throughout every industry, manual valve operation makes less and less sense. Component integration, lower cost and universally accepted valve communications systems are becoming the norm. Simple, seldomly operated, basic valves are now outfitted with inexpensive automation packages that allow them to be monitored as part of the entire process control system.

Automated valves ready for shipment.

Thanks to their versatility, reliability, and technological advances, valve actuators provide safe and repeatable operation in critical processes all over the world.  Just as industries are the backbones of societies, valves are key building blocks to industrial processes, with actuators ensuring both safe and precise operation.

For information on valve automation, contact Piping Specialties by calling 800-223-1468 or by visting https://psi-team.com.

Understanding Rack & Pinion Pneumatic Valve Actuators

Internal view of rack and pinion actuator (UniTorq)

Rack & Pinion actuators are designed for operating quarter-turn valves such as butterfly, plug, and ball valves or for actuating industrial or commercial dampers.

The rotational movement of a rack and pinion actuator is accomplished via linear motion and two gears. A circular gear, referred to a “pinion” engages the teeth of a linear gear “bar” referred to as the “rack”.

In a pneumatic actuator, pistons are attached to the rack. As air or spring power is applied the to piston, the rack is “pushed” inward or “pulled” outward. This dual direction linear movement is transferred to the rotary pinion gear providing bi-directional rotation.

Rack and Pinion Animation

Pneumatic actuators have cylinders with pistons and springs that provide the linear movement. When one side of the piston is pressurized with air, gas or oil, the pinion bearing turns in one direction. When the air, gas or oil from the pressure side is vented, a spring (spring-return actuators) may be used to rotate the pinion gear in the opposite direction. A “double acting” actuator does not use springs, instead using the air, gas or oil supply on the opposing side of the piston to turn the pinion gear in the opposite direction.

Pneumatic pneumatic rack and pinion actuators are compact and save space. They are reliable, durable and provide a good life cycle. Mechanical wear of the heads and seals are their primary disadvantage.

Most actuators are designed for 100-degree travel with clockwise and counterclockwise travel adjustment for open and closed positions. World standard ISO mounting pad are commonly available to provide ease and flexibility in direct valve installation.

Rack and Pinion Actuator (UniTorq)

NAMUR mounting dimensions on actuator pneumatic port connections and on actuator accessory holes and drive shaft are also common design features to make adding pilot valves and accessories more convenient.

Feel free to contact Piping Specialties, Inc. at www.psi-team.com or 800-223-1468 with any questions you may have about valve actuation.

PSI Controls and Piping Specialties Intro Video

For those who may not know us, please take a minute to watch our 1 minute intro video.

Welcome to the PSI Controls and Piping Specialties Blog

We hope you find our product and application articles helpful and informative. Our goal is to do our part in improving access to process control information and knowledge through Internet resources. Please feel free to reach out and contact us if you ever have a question or comment.

Sincerely,
PSI Team