Directional Control Valves (3way valves and stuff like that)

[MrCrowley]

Sticked.

Is it possible to organise your first post a little more? All the info is there but with the different font sizes, colours and random spacing between paragraphs it seems a little bit over the place haha.

edit: Was looking at buying this 3 way valve:

http://www.ascojoucomatic.com/images/si ... 0410gb.pdf
From that picture and the diagrams I understand that it is a normally closed 3 way valve. So flow is blocked from port 1 to port 2 until the valve is actuated by the lever. That is kind of useless on a fill/pilot setup so is it possibly to turn it around and fill from port 2 (or 3), connect the chamber to port 3 (or 2) and have port 1 as exhaust? I'm not totally sure, but the arrows suggest that flow goes both ways so this would be possible?


edit 2:
More valve symbols:
http://www.camozzi.com/camozzi/document ... ologia.pdf
http://www.westgroup.co.uk/pneumatic_symbols.pdf

What seems like an HTML version of your first link:
http://www.fpef.org/teacher_resources/C ... culum2.htm

Helpful link on reading the symbols:


Another interesting link:


It'd be great if you found a way to organise them in categories and such. There's so much information here. Perhaps we can also work on a WIKI page.

[POLAND_SPUD]

Is it possible to organise your first post a little more? All the info is there but with the different font sizes, colours and random spacing between paragraphs it seems a little bit over the place haha

well, I though it would make it more structured... but now I know it was an epic FAIL

I think I'll have to spend some time editing it


now.. about a valve you posted... it looks pretty good, it's direct acting so it should handle high pressures well... it should be able to pilot a 1/2" QEV quite good but if I were you I'd use a smaller QEV to assist piloting

is it possibly to turn it around and fill from port 2 (or 3), connect the chamber to port 3 (or 2) and have port 1 as exhaust

yeah... you also have that thing mentioned in its specs sheet that you posted

The 3/2 spool valve can be used as a 3/2 NC or 3/2 NO version, by connecting as
indicated opposite

though, it's good that you were able to work that out from the diagram

you basically did it the way it should be done... you found a valve, analysed the diagram and then googled the part number to find its specs sheet

[MrCrowley]

I haz the valve for a mere $20 (Saw them for $87 retail).
As for the "roller lever", is that some sort of lever that can be actuated by something being pushed along the top of it which rolls over it and forces the lever down?

edit: BTW, I'd be lost without this thread. I've seen pneumatic symbols before (about 3 days before you posted this topic) but I never could understand them.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

As for the "roller lever", is that some sort of lever that can be actuated by something being pushed along the top of it which rolls over it and forces the lever down?

Yup, usually a cam of some sort. If you've ever been near a production line such switches/valves are quite common.

[MrCrowley]

Bottom valve looks to be the same as the one I just bought but I don't see any symbols that tells you what actuates it. Any ideas?

[dewey-1]

Post the brand and part number if possible.
Picture to blurry!
Batteries weak again!

[MrCrowley]

Picture is the best the seller could get with his camera apparently. He only posted this one at my request because his other photo was pretty shocking and I asked for a serial but he didn't give one. Think it may have worn off haha.

edit: I think the brand is Joucomatic (now Asco/Joucomatic)

[iknowmy3tables]

it probably has a very tiny button on the side like most control valves only there isn't any sort of lever to push it

[MrCrowley]

The auction is $10 for those 2 valves and a pneumatic cylinder...sure why not

[POLAND_SPUD]

either they have a small push button or they are air piloted... the second option seems more likely
anyway air piloted valves are quite useful IMO... and you can even mod them into manually actuated ones if you want to

[MrCrowley]

My 3/2 valve arrived (black one at the top of the page). The 2nd port has low flow because it's virtually blocked off except for a few small holes (makes the exhaust more quiet?). Do you think it's fine if I drill the hole bigger for more flow? Can't see why I wouldn't be able to do that.

[POLAND_SPUD]

so have you tested it or is it an assumption?

well, I think you can enlarge them a bit, but try not to overdo it...

a slit would probably be better

[MrCrowley]

Assumption. I unscrewed it to look at the spool. I guess i'll try it without modification first to see if I'm satisfied.

[POLAND_SPUD]

well, there is certainly some room for improvement... though it can be assumed that they are that small for a reason... most likely becasue that puts minimal wear on the seals, which makes sense since these things are sometimes expected to switch several hundred or thousand times per day

[MrCrowley]

The end of the spool that is hit by the "push button" has a small 3mm (guess) diameter hole drilled through half of it and tapped with threads. Wonder if that is for a different type of actuator.

I'll probably get rid of the lever since, like a blowgun, it throws off aim and the roller is annoying.