Golf Ball Cleaning Machine with the Support of Valves

Automated Ball Washing and Transportation

Maintaining a large inventory of golf balls in pristine condition is essential for any golf driving range. Traditionally, cleaning golf balls involved manual labour, where staff members would collect the used balls, then clean them individually and return them manually back to the dispenser.

However, with this automated ball washing system, the process has been revolutionized. The automated ball cleaning and transport system automates the tasks of ball washing and transporting the balls back to the dispenser.

Valve for Golf Ball Cleaning System Application Details

To maximise efficiency, the balls are washed during the transportation process back to the dispenser. During this process water is introduced into the transportation pipe as part of the pre-soaking process, where a Pinch Valve seals the water inside the pipe during a cycle. The balls are then passed through a brush wash unit, for thorough cleaning.

Once the cleaning cycle has ended, the Pinch Valve opens to allow the dirty water to drain out.

The balls travel back to the dispenser via the transportation pipe, which uses a vacuum running under negative pressure to funnel the balls through the system until they reach the final receiver, which then dispatches the balls into the dispenser ready for use again.

The purpose of the Pinch Valve is to make the unit water tight during the cleaning process. With the use of the Pinch Valve on this golf ball cleaning system, air can’t get inside, and water can’t get out.

Muddy water passes through the valves for golf ball cleaning, and by the time the water reaches them it is only gravity fed. The system is in 24 hour operation constantly, with an average of 30-50 cycles per day.

Pinch Valves used within this application – VMP015.03XK.72 & VMP040.03X.72

VMP model, air operated, POM body, POM BSP internal thread end connections, natural rubber sleeve.

Pinch Valves see extremely low wear in this application

Since the media passing through the valve is only water at ambient temperature (slightly soiled from any dirt contaminating the balls), the Pinch Valve is seeing very little wear. The Original Equipment Manufacturer have stated that they have only ever needed to replace one rubber sleeve on one of their systems after 4+ years, and have been utilising Pinch Valves from AKO UK on this system for many years.

With the UK alone having more golf courses than Europe, the potential for more golf ball cleaning systems is huge and is a much needed part of all golfing greens.

Potential £10k Saving to be made

AKO UK are working with the golf ball cleaning system manufacturer with the potential of including a slightly larger Pinch Valve from the same series on the vacuum suction line inside the underground pit, where golf balls will pass through.

The use of another valve here will allow another ball drop off/return pit to be used, without the need to install a lot of the costly equipment in the ball washing area. It will combine two systems into one, shutting off whichever ball drop is being used at one time.

With the addition of a second pit, and the inclusion of a slightly larger Pinch Valve in each pit to suck the balls to the wash system via vacuum, one valve would close whilst the other passes golf balls being sucked into the wash system. The pits will be alternated, working from which one they want to suck from.

If this trial is successful with the use of the larger Pinch Valve included, it will save the OEM £10k per system, which in turn is a saving passed onto the end user customer.