Air Preparation & Pressure Control

Clean, dry, correctly regulated air is the cheapest reliability improvement available to most pneumatic systems. Ditton supplies filtration, regulation and lubrication from ROSS Controls, alongside Fairchild precision regulators and electro-pneumatic transducers for process and machine-tool control.

Specifying air preparation

• Filtration grade — a general-purpose filter (typically 5 to 40 micron) removes bulk water and particulate. Coalescing filters address oil aerosol; they are the wrong tool for bulk water and will flood if used as a primary.
• Flow, not port size — size on required Cv at the lowest acceptable downstream pressure. Regulator droop under flow is what starves an actuator, and it does not show on a static gauge.
• Regulator class — a standard regulator is adequate for most machine circuits. Precision regulators earn their cost where setpoint stability or low hysteresis matters, such as test rigs, tensioning and process control.
• Lubricate or not — modern valves and cylinders are largely non-lubricated. Once you introduce oil you must continue: it washes out the original grease.
• Soft-start and lockout — a soft-start valve prevents machine slam on re-pressurisation. A lockout valve is a safety device for energy isolation, not a shut-off convenience.

Send flow, pressure and filtration requirements, or the existing part number for a replacement.