A Bürkert spokesperson explains that the engine line is supplied by the engine casting plant, which changes production settings to produce three petrol engine variants.
Cooling for freshly cast aluminium components was controlled by manual valves – which meant change-over for an alternative engine model meant re-setting by hand.
As part of a project to improve this control process, system integrator on JEB Contractors invited Bürkert to offer a solution – and hence the use of its type 2836 proportional valve controlled through the 8605 PWM (pulse-width modulated) controller.
The engine component cooling process is controlled by a PLC which uses a PID (proportional-integral-derivative) controller to set and monitor the flow rates of the cooling system.
Bürkert's spokesperson explains that the PLC now produces a 4-20mA flow control signal, which is used by the PWM controller to set the flow rate in the proportional valve, with feedback completing the loop.
The PWM controller can either be combined with the valve itself, or, as in this case, mounted in a separate enclosure and connected to the valve by a control cable.
"This is a great example of a systems integrator making use of the design expertise of Bürkert to help them make improvements to the control of a fluid control system," comments Craig Kerr, area sales manager for Bürkert.