Custom Design Enhances Solenoid Valves

Solenoid Valves

For efficient, precise control of liquids or gas, solenoid valves are indispensible. Useful for a variety of applications across many industries, solenoid valves are a versatile, durable solution.

One of the best features of solenoid valves is that they are not a one-size-fits-all solution. There are a wide variety of solenoid valves, including customized solenoid valves manufactured for specific products or purposes. Companies in need of solenoid valves can work with manufacturers to design a valve that best fits their specific needs. Knowing a little bit about how solenoid valves work and how they can be customized will aid companies in working with manufacturers to design custom solutions.

Two-Way or Three-Way Designs

Solenoid valve designers can create 2-way or three-way designs that are normally open or closed to meet the specific needs of their clients. Two-way valves have two pipe connections while three-way valves have three. In a two-way design, gas or liquid from one port is cut off to the other until the valve is activated with an electrical current. In a two-way open valve, gas or liquid flows freely through the port until the valve is activated and closed.

In three-way valves, one port is always open while the other two are open or closed. Using a three-way valve, flow can be routed to one destination or the other as needed. In general, there are four types of three-way solenoid valves:

  • Three-Way Normally Closed
  • Three-Way Normally Open
  • Three-Way Directional Control
  • Three-Way Multi Purpose

Two-way and three-way valves are useful for a wide variety of applications, and whether you'll need a two or three-way valve will depend on how you need the fluid or gas routed. For applications requiring multiple valves, a manifold assembly containing several different valves may be the best fit.

Seal Type

Solenoid valve manufacturers also offer a variety of materials to make valve seals. These seals are used to close the valve body to the plunger guide assembly and also prevent flow to the valve's internal orifices. Picking the right seal material is important, as some materials work better with various media than others.

  • Buna N NBR seals are tough and resistant to tears and abrasions. These seals work well with water, air, inert gases, and non-volatile liquids, as well as oil and inert gases.
  • Viton-Fluorocarbon works well with fuels such as gasoline and jet fuel. It also is good seal material for organic solvents and many other chemicals ranging in temperature from -15 ̊F to 400 ̊F.
  • Ethelyne Propylene, or EPDM, works well with hot water, steam, hydraulic fluids, and a variety of other chemicals ranging in temperature between 55 ̊F to 300 ̊F.

Orifice Size

The size of a solenoid valve's orifice will have a huge impact on rate of flow through the valve. The larger the orifice, the greater the flow rate will be depending on pressure. Solenoid Solutions offers several standard orifice sizes and can also custom produce valves with orifices sized to specific needs.

Body Type

Depending on the environment they'll be operating in and the type of media flowing through them, differing materials may be needed for the valve body. Some media may corrode or not work well with some body materials and work fine with others.

Common solenoid valve body types include:

  • Brass - Brass valve bodies are best suited to applications involving water or oxygen.
  • Stainless Steel - Stainless steel valve bodies work well in high temperature applications and those where acid or alkali media is used.
  • Aluminum - Aluminum valve bodies are corrosion and wear resistant and have good surface strength.

Voltage & Electrical Considerations

Some solenoid valves may need more power than others to operate. Common voltages in solenoid valves are 120 120 VAC, 24 VAC, 240 VAC, 6VDC, 12 VDC, and 24 VDC. Some valves may need a specialized voltage and solenoid manufacturers can work with clients to design a specific solution. In some cases, small valves or valves that run on battery power need to be highly energy efficient. There are several tweaks designers can make to the valves that can reduce the amount of power needed to operate the device at peak electrical efficiency.

The coil is an important electrical component of a solenoid valve. The larger the valve's orifice and the more pressure it is under, the more power you'll need to operate the valve. Higher power requirements necessitate higher wattage for the valve coil. Solenoid valve designers can help their clients identify how much wattage will be needed to operate the valve and which type of coil best provides these needs within the space and other confines of the valve.

Other Customizations

There are a variety of other ways solenoid valves can be customized. Solenoid valve designers can create latching valves that do not require a current to stay in an open or closed position, bump and hold circuits that use only a miniscule amount of electricity to stay open, and axial flow valves, which allow direct flow from the valve's bottom to its top.

Further customizations include:

  • Leads
  • Fittings
  • Controls
  • Gauges and transducers
  • Check valves
  • Custom porting
  • Special coatings
  • Custom threading
  • Custom mounting options
  • Mounting straps
  • Pressure switches

Solenoid Solutions can help companies in search of the right valve for their needs. An experienced provider of quality valve products, Solenoid Solutions can take client specifications and design a valve or manifold that suits the individual needs of that client. The company has a state-of-the-art machining shop that can produce high-quality precise valves and help clients build an inventory of replacement parts. With Solenoid Solutions, clients can get exactly the valves they need for their industry, right when they need them.