Pinch Valves and their Application

When it comes to controlling the flow of liquids, solids and slurries the pinch valve has established itself as a simple and cost effective solution and is best used for applications dealing with abrasive and other problematic materials. If you have a product that can be pumped or pushed through a pipeline, chances are that a pinch valve is a good application for on-off or flow control.

Consisting of a flexible sleeve enclosed in a sturdy housing, only compressed air or a fluid is needed to squeeze the sleeve and close the valve to shut off or regulate the flow of product in a pipeline. Normally a pinch valve is either open or closed, as illustrated above.
The sleeve is made from an elastomer and when the pressure is removed it will rapidly spring back to it’s original fully open position. The sleeve is the only moving part and is easily replaceable without special tools. Based on the application sleeves are available in a wide range of elastomers suitable where other types of valves have only a short life expectancy because of abrasive or corrosive products. For most applications the advantages of pinch valves far outweigh their limitations including limitations of operating temperature (depending on selected sleeve material) and maximum operating pressure (depending on size).

We offer popular configurations of direct air operated pinch valves for a variety of applications and you can chose from:

Flanged valves (Type VF) in sizes ranging from 1-1/2” to 10”

Threaded union end valves (Type VM and VMF) in sizes ranging from 3/8” to 2”,
available in different material configurations, including

Threaded socket end valves (Type VMP-compact) in sizes ranging from 3/8” to 2”, available with body and sockets in black or natural white POM.

For each style and size of valve you can select from a variety of elastomer sleeves formulated for compatibility with a multitude of products and process conditions.