Contractors provide service to customers with many different system applications in the field with an even wider variety of capacity requirements. Today, the number of refrigerants that a contractor might encounter is simply never ending! While not every system is fitted with a TEV, there are literally thousands of different TEV variations in the market place.

Can you imagine how hard-pressed wholesalers are to stock every version of a valve that might be needed for routine service? This is mind-boggling and needless to say, the contractor is even more unlikely to have the right valve on a service truck for that emergency service or repair job.

 

How does a contractor or wholesaler solve this problem?

Turn to Sporlan’s interchangeable cartridge style TEV product line, the type Q and BQ. Simply select the thermostatic element, the body and the right sized cartridge for the application and assemble the parts. They are even available with conventional (Q) and balanced port (BQ) construction. These easy to select and assemble valves mean you’re always carrying the right valve for the job.

Carry the Sporlan Q and BQ valve on your truck and stay on the job…not cruising around looking for parts! You save time and keep customers happy. It is simple. It is easy. It is economical. It just makes sense.

 

What are the advantages of the Q and BQ thermostatic expansion valves?

The mix-and-match components of the Q and BQ product line satisfy thousands of applications. With access to these components, you will be able to assemble valves that are just right for most refrigerated cases, coolers, or freezers and even air conditioning applications.

 

What is involved in the valve assembly?

It is really very easy. Select the correct thermostatic element, the right body assembly and finally pick the cartridge required to handle the system load and thread them all together. Sporlan has easy to follow graphical instructions and literature.

 

 

 

What is so special about the way the cartridge is installed in these valves?

The Q and the BQ valve cartridge is installed through the top of the valve body. This unique design means these valves can use ODF solder or SAE flare fittings. It also means the valve capacity can be changed with a replacement cartridge and the connections can be left undisturbed; simply isolate the valve from system pressure and have at it. No need to remove the Q or BQ valve from the system. 

 

How do I make sure I have the right sized valve?

With 7 different cartridge sizes for the type Q valve and 5 different sized cartridges for the balanced port type BQ, including a bleed port option in 4 of the BQ cartridges, you have many options available to put the right valve together for the job. 

 

What types of refrigerants are compatible with the Q and BQ valves?

The Q and BQ valves are compatible with the new refrigerants on the market, like R-448A and R-449A. They are also compatible with R-22 and the common replacements such as R-422D, R-407A, R-407C and R-407F. And the BQ with its balanced port construction is perfect for high-pressure refrigerants like R-410A. 

The replaceable thermostatic element feature increases the flexibility of the Q and BQ thermostatic expansion valves. This allows the thermostatic elements to be replaced during system conversions to a new refrigerant, or for service, without replacing the valve or removing the valve from the system.

 

Why should I carry a Q and BQ TEV case?

Carrying a stocked Q or BQ TEV case helps prepare contractors and service technicians for most situations - eliminating costly trips back and forth to the wholesaler and special orders. The case can be customized with the components in the greatest demand. With just the components supplied in the Q or BQ case, you can configure valves to satisfy over 100 unique applications.

Learn more about Parker Sporlan Q and BQ thermostatic expansion valves:

Bulletin 10-10 - Sporlan Thermostatic Expansion Valves

Bulletin 210-10-19 - Sporlan BQ Cross Reference

Form 10-165 - Sporlan Type Q and BQ - Interchangable Cartridge TEVs

SD-240 - Parker Sporlan Q and BQ Thermostatic Expansion Valve installation instructions

 

For more information on Parker Sporlan products please visit our website.

 

Article contributed by Jim Jansen, senior application engineer, Sporlan Division of Parker Hannifin

 

 

 

 

 

Additional resources on HVACR Tech Tips:

HVACR Tech Tip: Understanding and Preventing Superheat Hunting in TEVs

HVACR Tech Tip: Using Bi-Directional Solenoid Valves for Heat Pumps

HVACR Tech Tip: Troubleshooting Solenoid Valves in Refrigeration Applications

EMI shielding gaskets such as conductive elastomer gaskets come in many different materials and almost a limitless number of shapes and sizes.

They are most commonly made of a base material of silicone or fluorosilicone with added conductive fillers such as silver, silver-plated aluminum, nickel-plated graphite, and others. Conductive elastomers represent one of the most versatile products in the category of EMI shielding gaskets.

From a manufacturing perspective, there are two key processes used to create these gaskets: splicing and molding. Check out the detailed list below for information about choosing the process that makes the most sense for you.

Conductive elastomer gasket splicing

Conductive elastomer gaskets are often extruded in long strips, available in bulk or cut to specific lengths. To create custom sized O-rings, the extrusions are cut to the proper length and the ends are adhered (fused) together. Known as splicing, this process utilizes a proprietary adhesive to create an immensely strong bond.

Splicing advantages

• Bulk material relatively easy to extrude in long lengths, splicing is a process that can allow for quicker turnaround.
• Hundreds of standard extrusion profiles made to match almost any current design requirements.
• When O-ring sizes or design requirements change, splicing can accommodate these changes usually without significant lead time or cost.
• Requires very little or no tooling, meaning low upfront capital investment.
• Can be used with hollow cross-section profiles, creating parts that can accommodate low compression force enclosures.

Splicing disadvantages

• Limited in their complexity to singular “loops”.
• Will not retain their shapes like molded O-rings.
• Will not hold to tight tolerances that are common in molded parts.
• There is a limit to how small, in length, gaskets can be spliced.

Conductive elastomer gasket molding

Molding involves compressing uncured conductive elastomer material into a specially designed mold. The material takes the shape of the mold and retains this shape when cured.

Molding advantages

• Allows for a great deal of complexity in parts which can include multiple joints and variability in cross sections across a single part.
• Hold tolerances to within a few thousandths of an inch.
• Will retain the shape in which they were molded.
• In high volumes, molded gaskets can cost less than spliced gaskets as the manual labor is minimized and the process is optimized.
• Can be made in very small o-rings and parts.

Molding disadvantages

• Unless molded gaskets match industry standard gaskets that are commonly available, each new gasket will require a new mold.
• Not compatible with hollow gaskets – molded gaskets cannot have hollow cross sections like spliced extrusions.
• Very large diameters, in length, are not economical.

Between molding and splicing, there is virtually an endless number of profiles and shapes that can be developed. For more information on choosing and designing an EMI shielding gasket, check out the Conductive Elastomer Handbook below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This blog post was contributed by Ben Nudelman, market development engineer, and Scott Casper, applications engineer, Chomerics Division.

 

 

 

 

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Securing leak-free connection of impulse lines to manifolds for applications that use differential pressure flowmeters is a subject that has taxed instrumentation engineers for more than a century. Back in 1910, when the very first orifice plate installations made an appearance, they involved 33 connections and 16 lengths of tubing! Thanks to the development of highly integrated manifolds, today’s installations often only require just two tube connections. However, ensuring the long-term integrity of these connections remains a contentious issue.

The first manifolds on the market used NPT taper threads for their tube connections. Despite being the bane of installers’ lives, this type of technology continues to enjoy widespread use today, with most manifold manufacturers still offering it as an option. But much better tube connector technologies are now available.

What’s wrong with taper threads?

Unlike compression type tube fittings with one or more ferrules, taper thread fittings rely on the threads themselves to provide the seal. During make-up, progressively larger diameter threads on the fitting are compressed into progressively small diameter threads on the manifold, until eventually there is no clearance left between the crests and roots of the threads and they effectively form a metal-to-metal seal.

NPT taper thread fittings are popular because they are relatively inexpensive, but they also have distinct disadvantages. The fittings cannot easily be installed with a specific torque, which makes it all too easy to crack or distort the female part by applying too much torque, or to apply too little, resulting in potential leak paths due to incorrect thread cling. There is also always some thread clearance due to manufacturing tolerances, which means that if the fitting is not tightened to the point where thread deformation creates a metal-to-metal seal, there is a spiral leak path. Furthermore, the upper and lower machining limits of NPT taper threads mean that there might only be two turns of thread engagement in an assembled connection; the most reliable means of preventing this is to use, if possible, a matched pair of male and female parts produced by the same manufacturer.

Taper thread can suffer from limited thread engagement

Another major disadvantage of NPT fittings is that their radial orientation cannot easily be adjusted without compromising connection integrity.

Most installers of NPT fittings elect to use some form of thread sealant to help prevent leaks. This usually comprises a fluid carrier which transfers a filler compound into the threads and then cures. Unfortunately, not all sealants act as lubricants and they are also very easy to misapply. Too much sealant can cause system contamination, which can result in unseated valves or blocked lines, while too little can allow the threads to gall (cold weld) during installation, requiring replacement of the entire manifold and tubing system. A further problem is that the fitting cannot be adjusted once the sealant has cured.

A popular alternative approach is to use PTFE tape as a sealant. This additionally acts as a lubricant during assembly and facilitates tighter connection of taper thread fittings – although it can lead to over-torquing. Another issue with PTFE tape is that it has a tendency to shred and cause system contamination. For this reason, its use is often prohibited in sensitive instrumentation systems.

Parker now offers two manifold connection solutions – PTFree connect and inverted A-LOK – which completely eliminate the need for taper threads, PTFE tape and thread sealant.

PTFree connect™

Our PTFree connect system provides a simple means of connecting impulse lines to manifolds without involving the use of taper threads, PTFE tape or thread sealant. Available as an option for every type of manifold valve block that Parker produces, PTFree connect offers different versions that accommodate metric tube sizes from 6 to 12 mm and imperial sizes from 1/4 to 1/2 inch.

 

    

Parker’s PTFree connect system is available on all types of manifold

Manifolds fitted with the PTFree connect system are exactly the same as their standard counterparts, except that their inlet/outlet and drain/test ports can be factory fitted with male adapters, supplied complete with a preassembled nut and ferrule(s). The (parallel) thread on the male adaptor is screwed into the manifold and uses the same type of stainless steel sealing washer as the valve heads, to provide a high-pressure leakproof and bubble-tight connection. The adaptor is securely locked by a cam or locking plate mechanism. We have used this connection principle well over a million times, so you can be confident that it’s a tried and trusted system.

Installation of PTFree connect manifolds is simple. A variety of connection bodies can be used – including straights, elbows and tees – and all angled components can be freely swivelled to facilitate secure positioning. And if anything does go wrong during installation, the sacrificial element is the male adapter – not the manifold – so the cost of remedial action is considerably less than with any other type of connection.

Inverted A-LOK fittings

More recently, we developed inverted A-LOK fittings, designed specifically for connecting impulse lines directly to manifolds. Like our PTFree connect system, these also eliminate taper threads and the need for PTFE tape or thread sealant, but they do not involve the use of adapters – the tube is fitted directly to the manifold. Each of the two manifold ports forms the female half of a connector and is machined with a cone-shaped orifice and a standard parallel (non-tapered) thread. Each male part comprises a tube and an inverted nut, with threads on its outside surface, which drives two ferrules forward during assembly; the pressure seal is provided by the front ferrule – not the threads of the connector.

Inverted A-LOK fittings facilitate direct-to-manifold connections

A key advantage of our inverted A-LOK fittings is that the tube is not twisted during installation – all make and remake motion is transmitted axially to the tubing. Since there is no radial movement of the tubing, it is not stressed and its mechanical integrity is not compromised. These fittings are suitable for both thin wall and thick wall tubing, can be used with a wide variety of tubing materials and accommodate repeated disassembly and remake. However, they still require careful installation. If the internal cone becomes damaged, the manifold block will need to be replaced. And due to cross-hole drilling in the block, the technology is not available on all types of manifolds.

 

Spencer Nicholson, product manager, instrument manifolds, Instrumentation Products Division Europe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Parker has released its 2018 Sustainability Report, which highlights team member-driven initiatives that are helping to strengthen communities, conserve resources and make a positive environmental impact at the local level. 

“During a year in which Parker achieved record growth and delivered the strongest financial performance in the company’s history, we are also very grateful for the dedication of our team members in fulfilling the company’s commitment to responsible operations”

“From creating a safety-first workplace to acting as good stewards of the environment and supporting the communities around the world that we call home, we are making progress toward our social responsibility goals.” 

— Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tom Williams  

Key achievements related to Parker’s sustainability initiatives detailed in the report include:  

• Safety is Parker’s highest priority, and the company’s Recordable Incident Rate has dropped by 54% over the past five years, including a 21% reduction in 2018.  
• The practice of volunteering and charitable giving is central to Parker’s culture, and with matching contributions from the Parker Hannifin Foundation, this year team members donated close to $1 million to support dozens of local United Ways across the United States. 
• The Parker Hannifin Foundation donated more than $6 million to hundreds of charitable organizations with a focus on communities in need, education, disaster relief and energy and water conservation. 
• Since 2004, Parker has reduced its energy use index, which measures energy consumed per unit of sales, by more than 50%. Parker has also achieved a top quartile score among its diversified industrial peer group from the Carbon Disclosure Project, an independent agency that assesses more than 7,000 companies on their energy management program.  
• Today Parker recycles more than 85% of the waste generated from its manufacturing operations, and the company continues to make progress toward its goal of reducing water use and the volume of waste sent to landfills by 20% between 2015 and 2020.

The report also features examples selected from hundreds of submissions that demonstrate local initiatives driven by Parker team members, aimed at making the company more efficient, supporting local communities and protecting the environment.  

Learn more at http://www.parker.com/sustainability.  

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