Pinch valves control the washing water for powder coating

The paint shop – which carries out work for renowned clients from the public transport sector and retail trade in Great Britain – specialises in the coating of beams, railings and handrails for use in shops and public areas. The pinch valves from the VM series from AKO Armaturen are used for the pre-cleaning of the elements to be coated.

The parts to be powder coated must be cleaned of any grease and other contaminants before the coating process to avoid any problems when applying the coating and prevent any irregular coating results. For this purpose, the parts are washed using water and cleaning agent in a type of washing machine.

Is your company also involved in the coating of components?
Our pinch valves can be used for many different coating applications!
 

The water collects at the bottom of the machine during the cleaning process. Following the conclusion of the cleaning process, the installed pinch valve from AKO opens to remove the collected water and pump it back to a storage container to be used again in the next washing process.
The water mixed with iron-phosphate cleaning agent has a temperature of around 65–70 °C (149–158 °F) and is moved through the system solely by gravity. No special operating pressure is required.

A control pressure of 2.5 bar is generally applied to the pinch valve around 30 times per day to close it. The paint shop has to replace the internal sleeve about every 18 months due to wear. However, the company is impressed with the easy and quick procedure for replacing the sleeve. The other valve components can be reused and do not need to be replaced.