Sleeve Pinch Valves are essential tools needed to control fluid flow in industries. For industries that deal with corrosive slurries, you’re more likely to find a Sleeve Pinch valve. These valves often come with internal sleeve linings which add an additional layer of protection. In this article, you’ll get an overview of how sleeve pinch valves work.
A normal pinch valve has three main layers: The outer structural body, an internal elastomeric sleeve and its connection types. The outer structural body allows the pinch valve to handle higher pressure flow. The connection types refer to how the pinch valve will be installed into the pipes. They can either be screwed on, threaded or bolted.
Unlike other valves, a pinch valve is open when it’s untouched. These rubber lined valves also display a full bore design which makes them apt for slurry/grainy fluid handling situations. That also terms them as wastewater treatment valves/mining industry valves. External pressure either provided through compressed air or hydraulics then apply a force on the sleeve in the center. This ‘pinches’ the sleeve and blocks flow.
Pinch valves are minimal maintenance valves. To keep track of them, you can follow this:
| Pneumatic Actuation | Hydraulic Actuation |
| Uses compressed air to open/close valves | Uses fluids that cannot be compressed top open/close valves |
| Slight delay in opening/closing of valves | No delay in opening/closing of valves |
| Offers greater precision than hydraulic actuation | Does not give as precise control of fluid flow as pneumatic actuation |
| Better suited for high temperature operations (generally 121°C max) | Better suited to lower temperature conditions. (generally 78°C max) |
| Apt for cleaner working environments | Apt for high-scale lifting environments |
Pinch valves are often found here:
A sleeve pinch valve controls fluid flow using internal elastomer sleeve. When untouched, the pinch valve is open. To block flow, external pressure is needed to apply force on center of sleeve. This ‘pinches’ the sleeve to close it. The external pressure is added through compressed air or incompressible fluids.
The key advantages of sleeve pinch valves in industrial applications is that they are more corrosion resistant. The internal sleeve protects the valve from wear by blocking contact with the fluid. It also generates less friction and requires minimal maintenance.
Resources:
What is a Pinch Valve? Working, Types, Selection, and Advantages of a Pinch Valve – What Is Piping
How to select the sleeve for a pinch valve? | Valmet
Pinch Valve Sleeves (redvalve.com)
Maintaining AKO Pinch Valves – How to Re-Sleeve a Pinch Valve (pinch-valves.com)
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