The word, NAMUR, is somewhat a misnomer, it’s an acronym for the User Association of Automation Technology in Process Industries, and serves as a standard for automated valve technology. Standard interfaces for actuator mountings keeps solenoid and installation costs down. A NAMUR Solenoid Valve, therefore, is directly mounted to pneumatic actuator inlet/outlet ports.
The function of a NAMUR Solenoid valve is to control air flow: this in turn controls the opening and closing of the valve, , by controlling the amount of air–via a pilot–to the pneumatic actuator. A pneumatic actuator converts energy–compressed air–into motion. The Solenoid Valve and actuator work in tandem to control flow speed, flow amount, and flow direction. Likewise, the valve is operated in either the normally closed, or normally open position.
Solenoid Valves are available in several configurations, including 3 way and 4 way. A 3 way solenoid valve typically consists of 1 inlet, 1 outlet, and 1 exhaust port, and 2 seats for fluid control. A 4 way solenoid valve utilizes 4 or more ports (2 inlets, 1 outlet, 2 exhausts and 2 seats), and are commonly applied for operating double acting rack and pinion actuators.
Namur interfaces for modern pneumatic actuators are a major part of the movement towards standardisation of interfacing both Solenoid Valve connections for the switching of air in and out of actuators and the drive interface of the Pinion to either switch box’s or positioning devices irrespective of the make or design of the actuator ISO is a perfect example of the interface matching of actuators to valves.
The move to standardise the interfacing between component parts of an assembly is wholly beneficial to end users as they are no longer trapped by the manufacturer of the valve/actuator being the only source of compatible parts that the end user may also require after the initial purchase of the valve packages.
Unfortunately for every advantage there is a disadvantage, and that is what we have when the obvious, appears to become the impossible and different manufacturers of component parts do there own thing either innocently or in order to also provide that additional part of the assembly.
Trust Jeff Morris Limited for All your Namur Solenoid Valve, Ball & Butterfly Valves and Actuator needs
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