For many years, customers and distributors have wanted to build their own manifolds to help speed time-to-market for their products. Some want to build tailor-made, custom machines that let them change the configurations of their pneumatic systems; others want to put together controls valves quickly and be able change them on the fly.
To satisfy both types of customers, Aventics (www.aventics.com/us/ES05) developed the Essential Valve System (ESO5). It reduces the number of components needed to make a fully operational and capable valve system and makes assembly easy for distributors, machine manufacturers, and system integrators.
The system comes built or as a kit, with all of the parts and instructions needed to assemble what the customer ordered; customers can also order individual components. And customers can “virtually” assemble and check their configurations online before purchasing.
The components—there are only 25 different ones—go together in only one way using a single tool (which comes attached to each valve end plate). Though it seems like small number of parts, they let designers construct a vast array of different valve systems with inch or metric ports, and all with a reduced inventory investment.
All fittings are the same type and are tightened with the same torque, which further simplifies assembly and prevents errors. Valves can be added or removed (in increments of two) by sliding a component on to a connector tie rod. The pilots are built into the base plate, not into the valve as with most other valves. This simplifies things when a designer wants to modify or alter the valve functions. Designers can even modify the setup after installation.
