Main Application Areas

YT-1000 series is most classic mechanical electro valve positioner.Because of its simple structure, stable performance and high cost performance, it is widely used in process industries such as petroleum, chemical industry, electric power, and metallurgy.

Its main application scenarios include:

● Precise control of valve opening

It receives the 4-20mA current signal from the control system, accurately adjusts the air source pressure, drives the valve action, and realizes industrial automation. It allows the valve opening to be proportional to the signal, while overcoming the friction of the valve stem, eliminating the influence of fluid pressure fluctuations, and ensuring that the valve core stays at the command position accurately and stably.

● Change the way the valve works

There is no need to replace parts. You can switch between direct action (increasing signal, increasing output air pressure) and reverse action (increasing signal,decreasing output air pressure) by simply turning the knob, which is very flexible.

Match different types of pneumatic actuators

It is widely adapted to various pneumatic actuators:

● Straight stroke actuator: used with feedback rod for single-seat valves, double-seat valves, sleeve valves, etc.
● Angular stroke actuator: used with feedback arm and cam for butterfly valves, ball valves, plug valves, etc.

● Achieve precise positioning and failure safety of valves

The valve can be finely calibrated by adjusting the zero and span knobs. When the air source fails, the spring of the actuator can quickly return the valve to the preset fully open or fully closed position to ensure system safety.

● Application under special working conditions

With optional stainless steel or Teflon coating, it can be used outdoors or in corrosive environments.

● Simple remote control and monitoring

The operator can remotely control the valve opening in the central control room, and can monitor the actual position of the valve in real time through an additional valve position transmitter.

In general, YT-1000 is mainly used in situations where continuous regulation of fluid (rather than a simple switch) is required and high stability requirements are required, such as in control loops that regulate parameters such as flow, pressure, temperature, and liquid level.

NE700 series is an intelligent electrical valve positioner. Compared with the YTC YT-1000 mechanical positioner you knew before, it is a higher-end intelligent device. Its main features include LCD display, Bluetooth debugging, Profibus/Foundation Fieldbus bus communication, etc.

Based on its design characteristics, the NE700 series is mainly used in the following fields:

1. Core application areas

● Process industries: such as papermaking (Metso’s traditional strength), pulping, chemical and petrochemical industries, for precise control of the flow of pulp, chemicals or steam.
● Energy and metallurgy: In complex control loops such as boiler water supply in power plants and blast furnace cooling in steel plants, ensure valve response speed and positioning accuracy.
● Harsh working conditions: Although the NE700 itself is an electronic device, it is often used with Metso’s wear-resistant/corrosion-resistant valves (such as Neles Finetrol, segment valves), and is used in scenarios with high temperature and high pressure, large pressure differences, or media containing particles.

2. Main application functions

● Bus communication and control: Supports digital bus protocols such as Foundation Fieldbus and Profibus PA, and can directly perform parameter monitoring and fault diagnosis in DCS (distributed control system).
● Advanced diagnostics: Valve friction, stroke accumulation, response time and other data can be monitored online for predictive maintenance.
● Adaptive control: The intelligent algorithm can automatically adapt to changes in the friction of the stuffing box, maintain stable adjustment and reduce oscillation under conditions with large pressure fluctuations or easy fouling.
● Configuration and debugging: Supports local buttons, LCD menu, and Bluetooth wireless debugging, allowing parameter settings to be safely performed via a mobile phone or tablet near the valve.

3. Examples of typical application scenarios

● Pulp digester: precise control of steam and chemical liquid is required, and the bus communication capability of NE700 helps reduce wiring.
● Catalytic cracking unit: This type of valve moves frequently and requires high positioning accuracy. Its diagnostic function can provide early warning of valve stem wear or jamming.
● Steam turbine bypass control: Under high temperature, high pressure and fast action conditions, its response speed is better than that of mechanical positioners.

The IP8000 series is an electrical proportional valve (commonly known as an electro pneumatic valve positioner), which is different from the YT-1000 and NE700 we talked about before.  It is not mainly used to drive large-diameter process valves in industrial pipelines, but is widely used in industrial automation production lines to accurately control cylinder thrust or clamping force.

Its core application areas and typical scenarios are as follows:

1. Core application areas

● Electronics and semiconductor manufacturing: such as wafer handling and precision dispensing.The air pressure is continuously adjusted through electrical signals to ensure gentle handling to avoid damage to fragile silicon wafers or precise control of the amount of glue.
● Automobile manufacturing: such as spray gun control in the paint shop and flexible clamping of welding workpieces.The spraying air pressure can be adjusted in real time according to the car body color or model, or to avoid deformation of the thin plate workpiece.
● Food/drug packaging: Precisely control the cutter pressure on labeling and filling lines, or adapt to bottles of different specifications to prevent pinch explosion.

2. Main application functions

● Remote precision pressure regulation: receives standard analog signals and outputs accurately corresponding air pressure.
● Multi-stage pressure control: Cooperating with PLC, the cylinder can use different pressures and speeds during fast forward, work forward, retraction and other strokes.
● Gas and energy saving: Compressed air is only consumed when the pressure needs to be changed, and almost no air is consumed after stabilization.
● Digital communication: Supports IO-Link or RS485, can feedback actual pressure value for easy monitoring.

3. Examples of typical application scenarios

● Spot welding control in the welding workshop: When welding plates of different thicknesses, the welding gun electrode pressure is adjusted in real time to ensure welding quality.
● Lithium battery winding machine: Control the pressure of the tension control roller to keep the pole piece tension constant and prevent breakage.
● Flexible bag packaging machine sealing: According to the thickness of the packaging bag, the sealing knife pressure is accurately controlled to ensure a tight seal.

Smart valve positioners have a good reputation in the fields of industrial automation and building automation with their unique piezoelectric pulse drive and single-button setting technology. Its core advantages are extremely high reliability, excellent shock resistance and excellent close-control stability.

The following are its main application areas and scenarios:

1.Core application areas and advantageous scenarios

● Petroleum, chemical industry and electric power: In refining, power plants and other places, pipelines vibrate greatly. The unique magnetostrictive technology (or highly anti-seismic design) of positioners can effectively prevent internal parts wear and signal drift caused by vibration. At the same time, its intrinsically safe and explosion-proof design is also suitable for hazardous areas.
● Metallurgy and heavy industry: In harsh environments and dusty environments such as blast furnaces and converters, the one-button automatic setting function of the Yamatake positioner can quickly complete debugging.
● Building automation and clean workshops: In the HVAC systems of pharmaceuticals, electronic clean rooms and large buildings,these positioners are commonly used to control air valves and water valves.  Its low air consumption and high-precision control can well meet the comfort requirements of constant temperature and humidity.

2.Examples of typical application scenarios

● Catalytic cracking unit: The temperature and pressure control loop of the reaction tower are very critical.  The fast response and low overshoot characteristics of the positioner ensure that the valve can still be controlled stably under severe fluctuations.
● Steam temperature reduction and pressure reduction in thermal power plants: When controlling high-temperature and high-pressure differential steam, the positioner has excellent friction compensation and stick-slip suppression functions, which can prevent oscillation caused by valve core jamming.
● Clean room air valve control: In semiconductor or biopharmaceutical workshops, these series positioners can accurately control the air supply volume to ensure stable pressure difference and air flow organization.

3.Suggestions for selecting mainstream models

● Used in petrochemical, electric power and other occasions that require explosion protection, supporting HART protocol.
● Used in general applications such as HVAC, light industrial machinery, etc., with small size and high cost performance.
● Used in modern large-scale factories that require fieldbus control.