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Aluminum Gate Valves

Introduction


In the simplest of terms, vacuum gate valves are devices that regulate the flow of gases, fluids or materials through a structure or aperture by opening, closing or obstructing a port or passageway. Gate valve assemblies consist of three key components: an actuator, a carriage/gate and a valve body. The actuator provides the power to position or transport the valve’s carriage/gate. The actuator is attached to the valve’s body via a rectangular bonnet flange. The gate closes or opens one of the valve’s body ports. The valve body is a vacuum tight chamber that is screwed, flanged or welded into a larger vacuum vessel or system.

It is worth noting that reliable vacuum valves were not commercially available until the late 1940s with the advent of O-ring elastomer seals. The elastomer O-ring was developed during WWII for use in aircraft hydraulic systems, and was soon thereafter adopted by the vacuum community as the standard means of making vacuum seals. Prior to this it was common practice, even in large research establishments, to upgrade general service valves for vacuum use by winding actuator shaft gaskets from string soaked in Apiezon grease.

MDC Aluminum Gate Valves are designed for high vacuum applications specifically when pressure ranges approximate 1 x 10-7 mbar and bakeout temperatures do not exceed 150°C. These valves are designed for system integrators, designers and OEM's within the Semiconductor, Solar, LED/FPD, Coating and BioPharm industries due to their robust design and low cost.

Our aluminum gate valve body is precision machined from a solid billet of high strength 6061-T6 aluminum. This eliminates pinholes and virtual leaks that can appear in cast or welded aluminum valves. Dual quad ring shaft seals are used to improve seal life and leak integrity while increasing system uptime to as many as 400k cycles. High performance PEEK components help reduce friction and lower particle levels. A large diameter direct drive shaft is utilized to help reduce vibration during actuation. Split body design optimizes on tool maintenance and reduces downtime.

MDC aluminum gate valves are available in standard sizes ranging from 1-1/2” (40mm) through 6” (160mm) ID with manual actuation and 1-1/2” (40mm) through 20” (500mm) with pneumatic actuation.

Standard flange configurations include ISO KF & LF as well as JIS, with options for ASA and Del Seals on request. If you would like more information about custom configurations, please contact one of our sales team member at: websales2@mdcvacuum.com
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