The opening and closing response time of a precision air valve is a core performance indicator, and its mechanical structure influences response speed throughout the entire process of design, materials, manufacturing, and assembly. From the valve body structure perspective, the flow channel design of the valve cavity directly affects the smoothness of gas flow. If the flow channel has abrupt changes in cross-section or sharp angles, eddies and energy loss will occur as gas passes through, leading to pressure transmission delays and thus prolonging the opening and closing response time. Optimizing the flow channel shape, using a gradually expanding or contracting smooth transition structure, can reduce gas flow resistance, allowing the valve core to act faster under air pressure.
The valve core, as a key component directly controlling the gas flow, has a significant impact on response time due to its structural form. Common valve core types include conical, spherical, and flat types. Among them, conical valve cores are widely used in precision air valves due to their good guiding and sealing properties. However, the cone angle of a conical valve core needs precise control: if the cone angle is too small, the contact area between the valve core and the valve seat is large, increasing friction and decreasing the response speed; if the cone angle is too large, it may lead to poor sealing and leakage. Through simulation analysis and experimental verification, the optimal cone angle range was determined, minimizing opening and closing resistance while ensuring sealing.
The spring is the core component in a precision air valve that enables automatic reset. Its stiffness and preload directly affect the valve core's response speed. Excessive spring stiffness requires greater air pressure to overcome the spring force and actuate the valve core, leading to a prolonged opening response time. Insufficient spring stiffness may cause impact due to excessively rapid valve core movement, affecting valve lifespan. Setting the preload is equally crucial; excessive preload increases the initial difficulty of valve core opening, while insufficient preload may cause the valve to open prematurely before reaching the set pressure. By optimizing the spring material (e.g., using alloy spring steel with high fatigue strength and low creep rate) and heat treatment process, stable stiffness and preload can be ensured during long-term use, thus maintaining the valve's rapid response performance.
The valve seat, as the component that cooperates with the valve core to achieve sealing, also has a significant impact on response time due to its surface quality and hardness. Excessive surface roughness of the valve seat increases friction between the valve core and seat, leading to sluggish valve core movement. Insufficient surface hardness results in wear and tear over time, causing leakage and forcing frequent valve adjustments, indirectly affecting response speed. Using precision machining techniques (such as grinding and polishing) to reduce valve seat surface roughness and surface hardening treatments (such as nitriding and quenching) to improve hardness and wear resistance can effectively reduce friction loss and improve valve response stability.
The connection structure between the valve body and cover is also crucial. Insufficient connection rigidity can cause slight relative displacement between the valve body and cover during valve opening and closing, leading to misalignment of the valve core and seat, increasing resistance and prolonging response time. Using high-strength connection methods (such as bolted connections with locating pins) and optimizing the rigidity design of the connection points ensures structural stability during high-frequency opening and closing, reducing response delays caused by deformation.
The opening and closing response time of a precision air valve is the result of multiple factors. By optimizing the valve body flow channel, valve core structure, spring parameters, valve seat surface quality, and valve body connection structure, the valve's response speed can be significantly improved, meeting its requirements for fast and precise control.
