A manufacturer and supplier of lime mortars and renders for building and plastering in the UK use an air packer to fill bags with their materials.
One of the important components of the air packer is a valve to stop the material from blowing out. In this case, a pneumatically operated Pinch Valve is installed inside the equipment and does a great job.
“The Pinch Valve makes the process very fast and seamless. We have never had any leakages of pressure or material. The benefits come from the whole machine as one, and the valve is a vital part of it.”
Chris Brown, Production Manager.
There are a total of two Pinch Valves on this building mortars (predominantly lime mortars) manufacturing site. The temperature of the mortar material ranges from 5-40’C, and the pressure is between 1-3 bar dependent on material, as they change the pressure to suit.
The valves are installed inside air packers, on the spout for filling bags. Each valve is normally closed, but opens to fill each bag up to 1500 times a day. To close the valve, around 3-5 bar is used.
The Pinch Valve is under constant pressure and it is what is stopping the material from blowing out. Once a bag is put onto the spout and the ‘start’ button is pressed, the valve opens and allows material to blow into the bag and fill them up. There is a regulator used on the Pinch Valve to control how much air goes into it.
The building mortars manufacturer has been using Pinch Valves for 6 years on these current machines, but have used Pinch Valves on previous various machinery over the years.
The rubber sleeve inside the valve is replaced every 12-24 months, dependent on the usage of each machine. Maintaining the valves is quick and simple. The company use AKO UK’s lubricating fitting paste is used to help fit a new sleeve.
VF model, air operated, aluminium body, aluminium flanges PN10/16 with mild steel bushing contact parts, natural rubber sleeve.
The company have been recommending the air packer to others, and as their volume of production increases, the company will be purchasing an additional air packer, which will already have a Pinch Valve installed on it from the Original Equipment Manufacturer. The building mortars manufacturer are satisfied, knowing that the new machine will run as smoothly as their others, with the inclusion of a reliable product such as the Pinch Valve.
A full and true straight through bore, lightweight construction, no mechanical parts, and no clogging are just some of the advantages of a Pinch Valve.
“The Pinch Valve works perfectly for what we need it to do. We replace it every 18 months or so because of the constant use it has, but we are happy with that.”
