Quarter-turn actuator DFPD sets new standards in process automation

Festo has released a rack and pinion quarter-turn actuator DFPD that is claimed to be modular, resilient and versatile. It is said to be suited to applications with ball valves, shut off valves or air dampers in the process industry, including chemical, pharmaceutical or beverage industry or for water treatment.

The single-acting version is particularly compact and modular. Thanks to the optimised spring design it can be configured in increments of 0.5bar for more efficient use. With nine different spring combinations, the quarter turn actuator DFPD meets the operating pressure requirements of between 2 and 6bar. The rotation angle for standard sizes is up to 90° and for the sizes 40, 120, 240 and 480 it rises to 180°.

The basic version of the DFPD is suitable for temperatures between -20 and 80°C. The low-temperature variant is designed for arctic regions and covers a temperature range of -50 to 60°C. The high-temperature variant can be used at temperatures of between 0 and 150°C. With its versatile and corrosion-resistant surface coatings, the actuator can also be used in harsh conditions. It can be mounted anywhere and the end positions can be adjusted by ±5° at both ends, ensuring flexibility during operation.

In combination with the CMSX positioner, it is suited for the analogue control of quarter-turn actuators, e.g. in dosing tasks. Furthermore, the sensor boxes SRBC/SRBE/SRBG enable simple digital control and full position sensing. This is said to be possible outdoors as well as in potentially explosive environments.