Visible performance improvement in proportional technology

The proportional valve VPPX with external sensor input enhances process quality
User-friendly, flexible and precise control – the proportional valve VPPX from Festo transcends the limits of closed-loop systems.

User-friendly, flexible and precise control – the proportional valve VPPX from Festo transcends the limits of closed-loop systems. Thanks to the incorporation of an external sensor, the entire process can be monitored and friction, hysteresis or leakage can be compensated by this closed loop.

The next step up from the reliable proportional valve VPPM, the valve series VPPX from Festo has accomplished what standard proportional valves could not achieve in terms of control technology. Thanks to the incorporation of an external sensor, friction, hysteresis and leakage can be effectively cancelled out. Machines and systems are now faster and more accurate, while the quality and efficiency of processes have been enhanced. Even in simple pressure regulation, enormous time savings can be made if the sensor is integrated into the system.

Countless applications

The proportional valve VPPX can be used as a level controller in bottling systems, to control reservoirs, or for powders and granules with the aid of a pinch valve. The positioning function of the proportional valve is suitable for pneumatic axes in gantries or as positioners for valves in the process industry as well as in water and wastewater applications.

The force and pressure control is used for the contact force in polishing and friction welding applications, for weight control, web tension control, web edge control, press force control for pneumatic presses, for extruding tubing for internal pressure control, active load damping, level control, leak tests and vacuum generation.

The valve can be used in simple positioning tasks in process automation, for speed adjustment in pneumatic motors or in turbine paint systems in the painting industry. The flow control is suitable for applications with cooling air, blast air or supply air, where the flow rate must be kept constant regardless of the parameters.

Inligent interplay

The combination of freely configurable PID controllers and the external sensor input also facilitates processes in which a variable other than output pressure needs to be regulated, e.g. force or constant flow, as well as simple positioning tasks for which no or only minimal forces are applied in the positioning direction. The external sensor input is the only one of its kind on the market, as is the software from Festo, which enables the valve to be adapted to the respective task. Its simple operation with self-explanatory graphical support reduces the effort required during programming and thus speeds up commissioning.

The VPPX can therefore also be used for more complex applications with the aid of Festo Configuration Tools (FCT). The control circuit (internal/external), the control behaviour (direct/inverted) and the choice of the setpoint value, actual value and sensor signals (current/voltage) can also be selected. Previously, users had to specify whether the control signals had to be provided as current or voltage when designing the system. Now, users can decide at short notice how the signal should be transferred to the control system.

 The FCT plug-in of the proportional valve VPPX enables the best possible adjustment of the controller to the respective application and the existing system. This bonus in terms of precision and flexibility is a result of the trace function in the graphical oscilloscope view, which enables the setpoint value, initial pressure and signal of the external sensor to be viewed in real time. Parameter changes can be immediay adapted when needed. The set values are either stored in the Flash memory of the VPPX or as a file in an external computer. If necessary, they can be duplicated for other valves or sent by . If annual requirements are expected to be higher than usual, the required parameters can be