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Customer: Plastic pipe manufacturer

Features: Two 2-way Vortex Wye Line Diverters with air actuation & Ceram-Back inlets. For outdoor use in a pneumatic conveying system.

Application: Find a solution to divert PVC resin toward several extrusion lines, while minimizing wear and abrasion at the valve.

Results:

The wye line diverters were installed separately to support two different conveying lines. Each diverter was fed by its own hopper (two hoppers, in total). Once resin reaches the diverter, it can be directed from one inlet toward either of two locations (1-to-2 configuration). In total, the two wye line diverters can supply materials toward four separate extrusion lines.

Because PVC resin can have abrasive material characteristics, the customer expressed concern for abrasion and wear – particularly to the valve body. To compensate for wear, the valve was strengthened with ceramic backing at the diverter’s inlet. This prolongs a valve’s useful life by discouraging wear through the valve body, which would otherwise create holes in the valve.

The valves have been installed since 2014. After three years, the diverters recently underwent maintenance to replace the blade and blade seals due to typical wear from frequent actuation. Otherwise, the valves have been maintenance-free and the ceramic backing has held up tremendously, given the troublesome application.