A modulating 90 degree turn actuator is an actuator that can turn to any position during its 90 degree stroke. This is usually mounted to a 90 degree turn valve such as a ball or butterfly valve and allows the valve to be turned to any position throughout its operation (the valve can operate between open and close, not just fully open or fully closed like most 90 degree turn actuators).

A modulating electric actuator works by a potentiometer and a modulating control card integrated into the actuator which can measure where the actuator is throughout its turn and accept a command to turn to any position through its 90 degree span. Ours also come standard with an output signal which can relay the current actuator position to an output. There are various forms of input & output control however we mostly use 4 to 20 mA as the signal for both input and output.

Like any actuator this depends upon the usage case, its environment, media and how many times it is cycled. Our modulating actuators are certified for 20,000 starts under full load which is part of the CE standard. Obviously, things like running above the rated duty cycle, torque overload, water entering the actuator and other factors will lead to premature failure. The actuator may last well past this point as well if it is looked after and in a clean environment.

These modualting actuators come with a wiring diagram on the cover of the valve and the underside as well. They need to be wired in accordance with these wiring diagrams which can vary between models and voltages. One common failure we see is an incorrectly rated cable entry which lets moisture into the actuator. The actuator is IP67 so it is best to ensure the cable entry gland is rated to at least this to preserve the performance of the actuator.

These have a wide range of uses but we mostly see them on V port ball valves where the flow is to be controlled to an application. This could be in steam, water or another media. The modulating actuator allows the valve to be positioned at any point during its turn so it allows a greater level of control to be gained over the media.

This depends upon where you are based and the freight method chosen. If the express freight option is selected it is usually next day delivery to metropolitan areas in Australia for under 5kg. If free freight has been selected it will go by road freight which can be anywhere from 1 to 10 days depending upon your location. It usually averages 3 days.

All of our products come standard with a 12 month warranty. The good news is we have very strict quality controls and all valves leave our warehouse tested (full material and testing certificates to API598 are available) and inspected so there are rarely any issues. Also once your valve is in and operating it will most likely continue to do so for a very long time.