New Festo VMEF/VHEF manual or mechanically actuated valves deliver great precision
Mississauga, ON, March 2020 – Festo’s new VMEF/VHEF directional control valves put precision actuation literally at your fingertips, or even just a pinky. A single finger can be used to activate these valves – or a hand, or a workpiece making contact with a trigger mechanism.
These valves are based on touch actuation with minimal force – there is no energy to convert, no long cables or additional response time. They perform functions that directly result in a followup action, like clamping or closing safety doors (if manually actuated) or acting as a signal generator (if mechanically actuated). The actuated stem switches the valve and triggers that next step in the process.
For manual actuation, the VHEF offers a choice of “triggers” ¬– a finger, handle or toggle lever or a pushbutton. VMEF offers a stem, roller-lever or one-way roller-level actuation.
These ergonomic manual/mechanical valve series have a robust metal housing and are capable of withstanding sudden, significant force to allow for occasional rough treatment. They can be installed without backlash in just a few simple steps. And they are attractively priced.
All configurations are available as 3/2 way and 5/2 way valves with G1/8 and G1/4 connections as well as NPT variants. More variants like 5/3 way valves are available, depending on model selected.
Festo at a glance
Festo, the world’s leading supplier of automation technology and technical education, is deploying its products and services to meet the challenges of digitization and smart production. Founded in 1925, the family-owned company based in Esslingen, Germany supports a wide range of needs for advanced solutions in factory and process automation. In Canada, Festo has been supporting Canadian industry for almost 50 years, continuously elevating the state of manufacturing in this country with innovative products, optimized motion control solutions and unrivalled support. Globally, some 300,000 customers put their trust in the company’s pneumatic and electric drive products and technology. In addition, Festo Didactic provides state-of-the-art training equipment and educational programs for industrial companies and educational institutions – about 56,000 customers worldwide. The Festo Group registered sales of €3.65 billion in the 2023 financial year and is represented worldwide at 250 locations with about 20,600 employees. About 7.7% of its annual turnover is invested in research and development.