The Flow Control Valve Called a Spool Valve
A spool valve is a type of flow control valve that is part of a hydraulic or pneumatic system that controls or regulates the flow of fluid or compressed air in a system. The valve is made of cylindrical spools that slide or rotate which allows or stops the flow of liquid. The spool valve cylinder is inside a sealed outer case.
A spool valve can be found in almost every industry that uses hydraulics – for fluids such as oil, fuel, or water – or pneumatics – using compressed air as the energy source.
How it functions
There are several chambers drilled through the sealed outer case. These are the “ports.” The function of the spool is to easily slide from one end to the other inside the sealed case and provide the function of opening or blocking the ports depending on the position of the spool, as needed.
Spool valve actuators
The actuator is what causes the spool to move. This can be done in different ways:
Using a manual lever or button.
As part of a more complex control system using a solenoid actuator.
Whatever the actuator method is used to control the spool valve, the actuators are simply pushing the spool to move inside the sealed case housing, allowing either the free flow or blocking of the port paths.
In the case of spool valves using solenoid actuators, there may be a solenoid at each end of the valve. In others, there can be a spring return so that if the solenoid is no longer pushing the actuator, the spring will return the spool to its rest or normal position.
Types of spool valves:
- Sliding spool valve
These valves have a cross-section cylinder and their grooves and lands are cylindrical as well. Inside the valve, the spool itself is grooved and slides in and out of position inside the sleeve. This is to either block or open the intake or outtake portals for fluids or air.
- Rotary spool valves
The spheres in the lands and grooves in a rotary valve are in the form of holes. The rotary spool valve contains the fixed tubular sleeve, and inside is the rotating X-shaped core. The function of this valve is to act as a revolving door, with each bend of the core functioning as a closed or open portal.
MasterMac2000 P/L
In the Queensland and New South Wales areas, Master Mac 2000 is the sole distributor of Univer flow control valve and other pneumatic valves for mixed or spool systems. Univer’s high-quality products are suitable for all heavy and industrial applications. For more information or enquiries, call us on 07 3344 4711 or visit https://mastermac2000.com.au/.
About MasterMac2000: Your Trusted Pneumatic & Process Automation Partner.
LEADING THE INDUSTRY: Established in 1989, MasterMac2000 has grown to become one of Australia's largest privately owned pneumatic and process automation companies. We stock top-quality brands like Univer, Mack, Tolomatic, Mac, Piab, American, and Rotoflux in Brisbane.
SERVING QLD & NORTHERN NSW: We proudly service Queensland and Northern New South Wales for all your pneumatic and process equipment needs. Our mission is to provide the best pre and post-sales support while actively expanding our client base.
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About The Author
Stuart Havill
Stuart Havill is the owner and manager of MasterMac2000, Queensland's largest privately owned pneumatic and process valve company.
With his early working career as a maintenance fitter for Boral in 1992, Stuart has spent his life in the field of pneumatics and process equipment. He gained extensive experience in plant design, maintenance, repairs, fabrication, and site management.
In 1996, he transitioned to a pneumatic sales technician role at MasterMac2000, where he excelled in key account management, providing cost-effective solutions, and managing a sales team of 9 employees.
Since 2002, Stuart has been the manager at MasterMac2000, overseeing the company's growth and establishing it as a leader in pneumatic automation and process valve engineering. His expertise spans customer training, CRM setup, industrial compressor sizing and installation, and turn-key project management.
Under Stuart's leadership, MasterMac2000 has been servicing the industry since 1988, with 5 full-time sales representatives covering northern rivers NSW, Queensland, Northern Territory, and PNG. The company prides itself on providing the best-priced solutions to all customers in the marketplace.
View Stuart’s LinkedIn profile to learn more about his expertise in pneumatics and process equipment.