SMC Pneumatics South Africa has announced that the innovative SY series of valve manifolds will be assembled in-house at the company’s new production facility in Midrand.
This series offers outstanding flexibility and efficiency, together with reduced operating costs. Motion Control’s editor paid a visit to Ernst Smith, product manager for electronic components, to find out more.
Design your own unique assembly
SMC’s ‘simple specials’ concept allows the customer to draw on the company’s vast array of core products to design his own unique assembly and generate only one part number for the entire customised system. Smith says that SMC has just released a brand new version of its free online SY configurator tool. “Before making a purchase, the customer simply goes online and uses this tool to design and build his own manifold to match his specialised application requirements perfectly. This configurator tool is in fact so intuitive that it will confirm if any chosen combination is invalid, thereby avoiding the risk of building an incorrect manifold that will not function,” he explains.
He adds that there is a vast array of technical information out there, with millions of configurable options on the manifold. The customer doesn’t always have the time to read through huge volumes of data and the configurator makes it quick and easy to put a design together. “Alternatively, we invite customers to approach us for assistance to help come up with the best solution for their application. The configurator can either be downloaded to your computer or it can be accessed online,” he continues.
He goes on to demonstrate just how easy the process is:
• Parameter 1: Select the type of manifold (plug-in fixed grid metal base or plug-in resin base).
• Parameter 2: Select the piping direction (side, bottom or top) and select the connection type (industrial fieldbus or hard wired cable with six options).
• Parameter 3: The corresponding valve size options then become available for the customer to select.
• Parameter 4: Select the valve quantity required, followed by all relevant information per valve.
• Parameter 5: The software then generates a unique part number and graphical representation of the required manifold.
“Isolating the supply pressure to a single valve on the manifold is possible as it is a requirement in so many industries today. This feature is often referred to as ‘hot swopping’, used to isolate air supply to a part of the machine, for example for maintenance, whilst maintaining air pressure to all other actuators,” Smith explains.
Upon receipt of an order, SMC will build the manifold at its new production facility and it will be checked thoroughly using highly sophisticated test equipment before it goes out.
The customer can download the CAD drawing for the system he has designed. In this way it is possible to design a panel with the minimum size required to fit the equipment and hence optimise the cost. The saved configuration file provides access to all the information should a change to the design be required at a later stage. The original design can be recalled or altered, resulting in a new part number. Upon receipt of the new part number, SMC will provide pricing and delivery of all components required for the change to the manifold.
The heart of the system
“Actuators come in all shapes and sizes,” he says. “Imagine an array of actuators all connected to the manifold, which forms the heart of the system. It is the interface between the components that do the actual work and the customer’s control system, and this is a very important part of the whole automation process.” They control the ‘power’ – the compressed air that drives the machine’s moving parts. When the machine’s health suffers and downtime costs spiral out of control, problems are often traced back to the heart of the control system.
It’s what you put in
Smith explains that the reliability of this technology is hugely dependent on the quality of the air going into the system. SMC has the product range and the expertise to get the air quality to the correct standard. This eliminates downtime caused by poor air quality and ensures maximum service life on all valves and actuators. “We invite customers to chat to us about our air dryers, water separators, filters and regulators,” he continues. “It is also easy to overlook the problem of substandard fittings and tubing. These may be cheaper to purchase short-term but they do not last; they can crack, burst and leak, and this can be costly and even dangerous. We can help our customers to choose the best.”
Same performance at a reduced cost
The new generation SY valve is more compact and a reduction of up to 29% can be achieved in installation space. The flow rate is much higher (±65%) than previous versions, so smaller valves can be used in an application. Smaller valves come at a better price and perform at a similar level to that of the older, bigger types. This increased flow rate also contributes to a reduction in application cycle time, resulting in increased machine output.
The SY series comes in three sizes: SY3000, SY5000 and SY7000. The majority of applications will only need the SY3000 or SY5000 valves. However, Smith says that customers tend to ask for the biggest one, even if they don’t really need it. “Bigger valves need bigger tubing and more air, and that’s just a waste of precious compressed air. Customers are invited to speak to SMC about their unique application requirements. We can help you save in the long run.”
The SY series also has the option to reduce power consumption on the solenoid valves. SMC’s SY valves, when the power saving option is selected, can operate at a mere 0,1 W, which is of great value when operating in a factory environment with many valves present.
Outstanding flexibility, extended lifetime and security
Flexibility is provided by a multitude of wiring and fitting options, with tubing connections positioned at the bottom, side or top. This boosts reliability by eliminating redundant piping and fittings that can leak, break or degrade over time.
He describes two more features: “With metal spool valves, the lifetime expectancy is 2 million switching cycles. Secondly, the SY series is rated IP67 as opposed to the industry standard of IP65 – again, SMC offers just that extra bit of security for the customer’s peace of mind.”
Smith then relates a nice, real-life story where the SY terminal made a big difference to a customer on a recent visit: “We introduced the bottom entry option of the SY series as an alternative to his existing side entry. Here, no pipe work is required inside the panel. Since no pipework is needed inside the panel, the footprint is small enough to feed more systems from a single panel, thereby reducing the total amount of panels required originally. The manifold currently houses several valves and still has some banks available for further expansion.”
Come talk to us
“In summary, the SY series manifold requires less space and offers outstanding flexibility, reliability and extended lifetime performance, giving the customer peace of mind all at a reduced price,” concludes Smith.
The SY configurator is available at http://tinyurl.com/hmnykjf
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