What is a Pinch Valve ?
Relatively inexpensive linear motion pinch valve consists of a flexible tube (rubber tubing) that is mechanically pinched from the outside of the valve body.
Pinch valves are suitable for on-off and throttling services. However, the effective throttling range is usually between 10% and 95% of the rated flow capacity.
Pinch valves are ideally suited for the handling of slurries, liquids with large amounts of suspended solids, and systems that convey solids pneumatically.
Because the operating mechanism of valve is completely isolated from the fluid, these valves also find application where corrosion or metal contamination of the fluid might be a problem.
The principal advantages of this type of valve are that the flow passage is straight without any crevices, and there are no internal moving parts.
Pinch valve media are isolated from the working parts. The pinch control valve consists of a sleeve molded of rubber or other synthetic material and a pinching mechanism.
All of the operating portions are completely external to the valve.
The molded sleeve is referred to as the valve body. Pinch valve bodies are manufactured of natural and synthetic rubbers and plastics which have good abrasion resistance properties.
These properties permit little damage to the valve sleeve, thereby providing virtually unimpeded flow.
Sleeves are available with either extended hubs and clamps designed to slip over a pipe end, or with a flanged end having standard dimensions.