A valve installation is always a long-term investment that will be in operation for up to 30 years. Naturally, accessories such as the pneumatic connections must also last as long as possible. In the experience of Kieselmann's engineers, plastic connections have proven to be less effective from this point of view. This is because even high-quality plastics age under the influence of oxygen, chemicals, temperature changes or UV radiation, so that they become brittle over time and can break even under minor physical impact. To avoid unplanned downtimes, they would have to be replaced throughout the entire system at certain intervals at great expense. This problem is solved with Eisele's premium all-metal connections.

Kieselmann, based in Knittlingen, Baden-Württemberg, is one of the leading suppliers of stainless steel valves, automated valve manifolds and complete systems for the process industry. The company develops and manufactures all stainless steel components at its home base. Kieselmann assembles the associated pneumatic installations and air lines in-house or directly at the customer's premises. The company is divided into the business areas of beverage piping, component and valve technology, plant engineering and special plant engineering for the pharmaceutical industry and biotechnology.

Seat valves for the process industry

In addition to butterfly valves and ball valves, Kieselmann also produces single and double-seat valves for automated processes. The pneumatically actuated single and double-seat valves are characterized by high operational reliability as well as low operating and maintenance costs. They are operated by means of an electronic control head, which controls and reports back the various functions via pilot valves. The compact single-seat valves are used for the universal shut-off of branched pipelines. Depending on the application, a suitable actuator can be selected from three pneumatic actuators. Retrofitting to a more powerful actuator is possible without adapter pieces. The function of the valves can be determined by the installation direction of the actuators or changed at a later date.

The double-seat valves were developed in accordance with EHEDG criteria and are among the most modern leak-proof valves on the market. They are used for the mixproof separation of incompatible products in automatic process systems. The closed valve reliably prevents mixing thanks to two independent valve discs with pressureless leakage discharge. The leakage chamber can be cleaned by lifting the upper or lowering the lower valve disk. If the seal is damaged, the process medium escapes from the valve without pressure.

High-quality and leak-free compressed air connections

Since 2015, Kieselmann has been using plug-in connectors from Waiblingen-based Eisele for the compressed air supply of its pneumatically driven valves. Due to their thread spacing, they fit perfectly with the electrical control heads of the Kieselmann valves, as the compressed air hoses should be bent as little as possible when assembled and must not kink under any circumstances. This is why the company installs straight screw-in push-in connections with external or internal hexagon, double connections with T-shape and swivel angle screw-in connections from the Eisele Inoxline program 17 on the valves. Made of stainless steel, they can be used with a vacuum of -0.95 bar as well as with overpressure up to 16 bar in the long term without any leakage. This is made possible by the design and the durable, high-quality sealing materials. For higher pressure requirements, connections from the 17A range with two seals on the hose side are used. Swivel connections with a throttle check valve are also used.

The right solution for every application

The stainless steel Allround connectors enable compressed air hoses to be fitted and removed quickly and without tools. The hose only needs to be pushed into the release sleeve of the plug-in connection as far as it will go and the patented collet inside the connection holds the hose in position permanently, reliably and without damage. The integrated O-ring made of FKM (Viton) ensures the necessary tightness of the connection. The hose can be removed with a simple twist of the release sleeve. The screw-in side for mounting the plug-in connection on the machine or process valve is sealed with a chambered O-ring. Program 17 requires little installation space and still provides the full hose passage inside. The push-in fittings are available in many designs and are made of rustproof and acid-resistant stainless steel 1.4301/07. With a temperature range of -20 to +120°C, the push-in fittings can be used in a wide variety of plant areas. ee

Eisele: HMI 2018, Hall 23, Stand B19