Stainless Steel Solenoid Valves

Stainless Steel Solenoid Valves

In addition to the most common function, chemical processing, stainless steel solenoid valves are useful in a number of other industries including: food, beverage and pharmaceuticals, for flow control since stainless steel is a FDA-approved material; industrial manufacturing, for flow control of aggressive media; oil and gas, since stainless steel works exceptionally well with petroleum and additional fuels; and automotive, for fuel systems and numerous other power transmission applications. Some of the many advantages of stainless steel solenoid valves include having few moving parts, since moving parts require maintenance and the ability to easily operate by remote devices, making stainless steel solenoid valves extremely useful for operating potentially dangerous machinery or inaccessible lines.

While stainless steel solenoid valves only have two main components, there can be numerous different configurations and types. At its most basic, operation begins when the solenoid coil becomes activated through electrical charges, resulting in current flow. The resulting flow then creates a magnetic field that converts electrical energy to mechanical energy and thus moves the actuator, which in turn causes valve movement. There are two main configurations of stainless steel solenoid valves: normally open (NO) or normally closed (NC). NC valves have a plunging pin or rod within the valve that serves to block flow until an electromagnetic charge is run through the solenoid coil, which lifts the plunger and allows flow. NO valves, on the other hand, remain open until the solenoid is activated and pushes down the plunger, thus closing the valve by blocking flow and creating pressure. Stainless steel solenoid valves can also be direct-acting or pilot-operated. Direct-acting stainless steel solenoid valves have a plunger that is in direct contact with the valve's orifice, or place of in-flow. This plunger is used to open and close the orifice, blocking or allowing flow. The pilot-operated stainless steel solenoid valve works with a diaphragm instead of a plunger, using differential pressure to control material flow.