Special slide gates were required for this application. Because of the solvent nature of vapors created in the mix tank below, it was unacceptable for the sourced valve to feature silicone rubber seals. In addition, all switches and solenoids had to be rated for hazardous duty (NEMA 7/9).
The Vortex HDPV2 Gate met each of these requirements. The gate’s unique “lifting” action of the blade seating into a top-mounted o-ring offers many advantages over traditional knife gate valves that pack and jam material into an end seal. A Class II / Div. 1 pre-wired terminal box was also provided to meet the client’s hazardous duty standards.
Two years after installation, one of the gates was handling red pigment when it experienced a slight blade sticking problem. To solve the issue, Vortex supplied quick exhaust valves that were installed on the gate’s air cylinder actuator to increase the speed of the gate’s opening stroke.
