Burkert Valves

[widow_twanky]

OK, I'm absolutely stumped!!

What are the main cause of a Burkert valve not firing?

I've done the obvious:

- Check on a change of state of the relay (It's being switched between 0 and 34v ish)
- Check the buffer tank is under pressure (30bar)
- Check solenoid is 24v DC (yep)
- Pointy arrow thing showing flow pointing towards ram (yep)

So, press button and get absolutely nowt. It's a brand new valve.

Is there anything perculiar with these valves which I need to do to make it work?

Andy

......................Sits back and awaits Clives response about not knowing what I'm doing

[leorcc]

Do you hear it click?

[widow_twanky]

Do you hear it click?

Not sure as when i was looking at it it was in the robot with the covers on. There was a click but that could equally be the relay.

As i recall from dtk, the click on the valve is relatively significant isn't it? Will check when i get home.

Andy

[Mouldy]

run a cable from the positive and negative of the solenoid valve to an LED visible on the outside of the robot (like your power LED) so when the valve has power running to it the LED will turn on. Will help during tech checks and problem solving in cases such as this.

[robotwars]

Andy,

There should be a significant click.... on ripper when ive used burkets... the click is enough to be heard through the robot even with the covers on. Its a loud one.

Burkets can be temprimental things, but new ones should work, never had an issue with a new one, they dont like liquid getting to them.

I'm assuming youve got the right ones... rated to 50bar.


John

[widow_twanky]

Andy,

There should be a significant click.... on ripper when ive used burkets... the click is enough to be heard through the robot even with the covers on. Its a loud one.

Burkets can be temprimental things, but new ones should work, never had an issue with a new one, they dont like liquid getting to them.

I'm assuming youve got the right ones... rated to 50bar.


John

In that case no, there's no significant click.

Yes, the burkerts were ordered as the right one (high pressure solenoid valve at 50bar etc) but suppose it's worthwhile just double checking the reference to make sure they are supplied right.

Just thinking about it, it did fire once (or maybe twice) at Whitwick but it was totally random so not what you call reliable.

Would a blocking diode across the coil help (read that 500v 1A diode may be helpful - can remember the details but can't remember where i read it)

Had to deal with liquid for Trevors regulators so the bottle is fitted with a dip tube which sorts that out and then it goes through the buffer tank before it gets to it. But I think the fact that the reg sits there quite happily is an indication that isn't a problem.

At Whitwick it was running on 10 bar and was running through the victor with low pressure pipes which would have blown off with any significant liquid in them.

That said, it's useful to eliminate all these things, so if you've got any more throw them at me (s'called brainstorming ).

Out of interest does mounting position have a significant effect. Instructions say preferably horizontal but any will do. It's in with the body vertical at the moment. I'd be interested to know if anyone else mounts them like that.

Andy

[robotwars]

Hiya,

Mounting has no effect.. ive had them in alsorts of positions.
Check the rating on the actual valve.. 24v and 50bar.
Next id put 24v from a good battery driect to the connectors.. pos and neg, not the 3rd earth if it has one and there will be a large click, and you feel the coil activate.

If it clicks, come back, if not, send it back as faulty.

[Mouldy]

vertical / horizontal/ upside down.. doesn't make a difference, Ive mounted them in all ways before and they worked fine in either orientation.

You've answered your own question really, it doesn't click (at least not loudly) and its intermittent...

check the voltage getting to the terminals by firing it on the bench (without the gas turned on!) and see what voltage its getting..

if that seems dodgy take 2 wires directly from the valve, take your flipper arm off, gas up and fire it from a safe distance directly from a battery supplying the correct voltage... if that works you know its your switch that's playing up.

What r/c switch are you using?

[Mouldy]

Beat me to it john!

[beast]

if u dont feel the coil enerjise say or hear the click

have u wired it up right ie the 2 oposite spades not the top as thats earth

and a good 24v suply

if it clicks and then u put gas in and it does not fire then thats another fault

and is it a 5404 ? burkert
or a cheap one it should say on it look at woodys page http://www.teamonslaught.fsnet.co.uk/co2_info.htm#valve