Airtac Solenoid Valve Brand Story

In the vast solenoid valve market, Airtac  is a brand that cannot be overlooked. Established in 1988 in Taipei, Taiwan, Airtac initially focused on the production of valve products. Driven by an unwavering commitment to quality and a keen insight into the market, it gradually emerged as a prominent player in the pneumatic equipment field.

In 1992, Airtac expanded its product line to include air preparation units and pneumatic cylinders, offering customers more choices and meeting diverse industrial demands. By 1995, Airtac had comprehensively improved its full range of pneumatic products, signifying the further enrichment and maturity of its product line.

In July 1997, Airtac established its first operating institution in Guangzhou, officially beginning its strategic expansion into the mainland Chinese market. Over the following years, Airtac's business rapidly grew across mainland China. It established its first factory in Guangzhou in July 1998, followed by a North China branch in Jinan in August of the same year, an East China branch in Shanghai in March 1999, and a Southwest China branch in Chengdu in March 2000. In June 2002, Airtac invested in and established Ningbo Airtac Automatic Industrial Co., Ltd. in Fenghua Development Zone, Ningbo, Zhejiang, further expanding its production scale.

After years of development, Airtac now commands three major production bases and one marketing center, with a total factory area of 100,000 square meters. The company employs over 3,000 people globally, including more than 300 professional technicians, with a total investment of $150 million. With an annual production capacity of 50 million sets, its products are well-received in China, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the US. Globally, Airtac has established over 60 directly managed, independent sales companies and service outlets, boasts more than 150 reputable dealers and agents, and maintains a team of over 500 skilled marketing personnel and expert after-sales service staff, providing customers with comprehensive and timely services.

Today, Airtac has become a globally renowned large enterprise group specializing in the production of various pneumatic equipment. It is committed to providing customers with pneumatic control components, pneumatic actuators, air preparation components, pneumatic auxiliary components, and other types of pneumatic equipment, services, and solutions that meet their needs, creating long-term value and potential growth. On February 25, 2025, Airtac ranked 340th on the 2024 Hurun China 500 list, reflecting widespread recognition of its strength and market position.

 

Airtac Solenoid Valve Product Highlights

Diverse Operating Principles

Airtac solenoid valves feature a rich variety of operating principles, primarily including Direct-Acting, Distributed Direct-Acting, and Pilot-Operated types, each with its unique operation and application scenarios.

The Direct-Acting Solenoid Valve works simply and directly. When energized, a powerful electromagnetic force instantly lifts the closure component from the valve seat, rapidly opening the valve for smooth medium flow. When de-energized, the spring firmly presses the closure component onto the seat, closing the valve. Its main advantage is reliable operation under extreme pressure conditions such as vacuum, negative pressure, and zero pressure. However, its port size generally does not exceed 25mm, limiting its use in high-flow applications.

The Distributed Direct-Acting Solenoid Valve combines some advantages of both direct-acting and pilot-operated types, offering a balanced design. It can operate reliably under complex pressure conditions, including zero pressure difference, vacuum, and high pressure, demonstrating strong adaptability. Its limitations include relatively higher power consumption and the requirement for horizontal installation.

The Pilot-Operated Solenoid Valve utilizes electromagnetic force to quickly open a pilot hole, creating a pressure differential that moves the main closure component to open the valve. This type is suitable for higher fluid pressure ranges and can handle larger flow rates. However, it requires a sufficient fluid pressure differential to operate.

Rich Structural Types

Airtac solenoid valves offer a variety of structural types, mainly categorized into six subtypes: Direct-Acting Diaphragm, Distributed Direct-Acting Diaphragm, Pilot-Operagm, Direct-Acting Piston, Distributed Direct-Acting Piston, and Pilot-Operated Piston structures.

  • Direct-Acting Diaphragm : Simple structure, reliable operation, suitable for quick response, low-pressure applications.

  • Distributed Direct-Acting Diaphragm: Combines features, works well under zero pressure difference or varying pressure conditions, suitable for systems requiring high reliability and a wide pressure range.

  • Pilot-Operated Diaphragm : Uses the pilot hole to control the main diaphragm, suitable for large flow control in medium-to-high pressure, large-diameter applications (e.g., city water supply).

  • Direct-Acting Piston : Piston can withstand higher pressure, suitable for high-pressure, high-flow fluid control with good sealing and stability (e.g., hydraulic systems).

  • Distributed Direct-Acting Piston: Adds pilot control to the piston structure, reliable under different pressures, expanding the application range (e.g., high-pressure injection in oil extraction).

  • Pilot-Operated Piston: Precision control of the main piston via a pilot valve, suitable for high-pressure, high-flow systems with high control accuracy requirements (e.g., precision chemical production).

Comprehensive Functional Classification

Airtac solenoid valves are functionally classified to cover a comprehensive range of media and working conditions, including types for water, steam, refrigeration, low-temperature, gas, fire-fighting, ammonia, general gas, general liquid, miniature, pulse, hydraulic, normally open, oil, DC, high-pressure, and explosion-proof applications. Each type is optimized for its specific environment.

Airtac Solenoid Valve Key Advantages

Excellent Performance

Airtac solenoid valves are recognized for their excellent performance in terms of superior sealing, fast response speed, and long service life.

  • Sealing Performance: Utilizes advanced technology and high-quality materials to effectively prevent media leakage, ensuring energy efficiency and environmental protection even in high or low-pressure environments.

  • Response Speed: The response time can be as short as a few milliseconds for direct-acting models and within tens of milliseconds for pilot-operated models, enabling rapid and precise media control in automated production lines.

  • Long Service Life: Typically 2-5 years, often extendable with proper use, thanks to superior manufacturing processes and material selection, ensuring stable performance and reduced maintenance costs over long operating periods.

 

Material and Process Advantages

 

Airtac solenoid valves boast significant advantages in materials and craftsmanship.

  • Inner Bore Processing: The inner bore utilizes a special mirror-surface processing technique, resulting in an ultra-smooth surface with minimal friction. This reduces flow resistance, improves the flow coefficient (Kv value), and extends the valve core's lifespan. The spool structure also enhances sealing and sensitivity.

  • High-Quality Components: Uses imported high-quality sealing rings and coils. The imported seals offer excellent resistance to corrosion, high temperatures, and maintain reliable sealing in harsh environments. The quality coils feature low power consumption and high reliability, ensuring stable operation even under frequent cycles.

 

Ease of Installation and Use

 

Airtac solenoid valves provide great convenience for users in terms of installation and operation.

  • Installation Guidance: Clear markings on the valve body indicate the gas flow direction and pipe thread type. The medium must be filtered with a 40μm filter element to prevent impurities.

  • Operational Adaptation: Advises avoiding use in vibrating environments and suggests anti-freezing measures in low temperatures. It also recommends installing silencers or silencer throttling valves at the exhaust port to reduce noise.

  • Usage Features: Available in various standard voltage levels (e.g., AC220V, DC24V) and includes a manual override device for safe and convenient preliminary and full system debugging.

 

Airtac Solenoid Valve Application Cases

 

 

Automotive Manufacturing

 

Airtac solenoid valves play a critical role in automotive manufacturing, particularly in automated production lines and painting processes.

  • Automated Equipment: Direct-acting solenoid valves are widely used in robotic arms and pneumatic clamps for precise and fast control in component assembly, enhancing efficiency and accuracy. Pilot-operated solenoid valves control the clamping force of pneumatic fixtures.

  • Painting Process: High-precision pulse solenoid valves are essential for precisely controlling paint flow and spray time, ensuring a uniform and high-quality coating. Pilot-operated piston structure valves maintain stability in the high-pressure environment of the painting process.

 

Industrial Automation

 

Airtac solenoid valves are extensively used in other areas of industrial automation due to their versatility.

  • Electronics Manufacturing: Miniature solenoid valves are used in confined spaces, offering excellent sealing and fast response for high-precision processing and assembly, such as controlling etching fluid flow in chip manufacturing.

  • Food and Beverage Production: Airtac offers food-grade solenoid valves made of sanitary materials to ensure hygiene and safety. They are used to precisely control the flow and volume during beverage filling.

  • Plastics Processing: Hydraulic and high-pressure solenoid valves operate stably in high-temperature, high-pressure environments, precisely controlling hydraulic systems for injection molding machines to ensure product quality and dimensional accuracy.

 

Guide to Selecting Airtac Solenoid Valves

 

 

Selection Principles

 

Four key principles must be strictly followed when selecting an Airtac solenoid valve: Safety, Reliability, Suitability, and Economy.

  1. Safety: For corrosive media, use anti-corrosion materials (e.g., plastic or stainless steel, specifically isolated diaphragm type for strong corrosion). In explosive environments, select the corresponding explosion-proof rating. The nominal pressure must exceed the pipe's maximum working pressure.

  2. Reliability: Choose products from reputable brands. Consider the working duty cycle (long-term, intermittent, or short-term) and the switching frequency (use direct-acting and AC power for high-frequency needs).

  3. Suitability: Match the valve to the medium characteristics (state, temperature, viscosity) and flow direction (use bi-directional flow valves if backflow is restricted). The medium temperature must be within the valve's allowed range. For low cleanliness, a back-flush filter valve is required upstream.

  4. Economy: Consider not just the purchase price but also the overall cost, including installation, maintenance, function, and quality. Choosing a cheap, unsuitable valve can lead to significant losses.

 

Selection Based on Site Conditions

 

Detailed selection requires considering six aspects of the site conditions:

  1. Pipe Parameters: Select the port size and model based on the medium flow direction and connection type (flange for DN>50, thread/quick connect for DN≤50). Determine the nominal diameter based on the flow rate (Kv value). For work pressure differentials of 0.04Mpa or more, indirect pilot-operated valves are suitable; for near-zero or zero pressure, direct-acting or distributed direct-acting must be used.

  2. Fluid Parameters: Use corrosion-resistant valves for corrosive fluids and food-grade stainless steel for edible, ultra-clean fluids. Use high-temperature resistant materials and piston structures for high-temperature fluids. High-viscosity fluids (above 50cSt) require a high-viscosity solenoid valve.

  3. Pressure Parameters: The nominal pressure must exceed the maximum working pressure. Use direct-acting or distributed direct-acting valves for low working pressure.

  4. Electrical Parameters: Select AC or DC based on the power source. Prioritize standard voltages (AC220V, DC24V). Use voltage stabilization if fluctuation exceeds tolerance. Select rated current and power consumption based on power capacity, noting the higher starting VA value for AC.

  5. Action Mode: Use multi-position solenoid valves for high control accuracy. Select valves with a short action time for fast response needs. Choose valves with low leakage for strict requirements.

  6. Special Requirements: Use corrosion-resistant or explosion-proof types for hazardous environments. Select waterproof valves for high humidity/rain. Use specialized types (e.g., marine solenoid valves) for environments with frequent vibration and shock. Consider multi-function solenoid valves for limited space due to their compact design and ease of in-line maintenance.

 

Summary and Outlook

Airtac solenoid valves have secured a prominent position in the market thanks to their rich brand history, diverse product range, superior performance, and extensive applications. From traditional sectors like automotive manufacturing and industrial automation to emerging fields like electronics manufacturing and food/beverage production, Airtac provides stable and efficient control support.

With the rapid development of industrial automation and smart manufacturing, the demand for high-performance, high-reliability solenoid valves is growing. Airtac is expected to leverage its technological and brand strengths to develop more intelligent and energy-efficient products, maintaining its competitiveness and continuing to be a preferred brand in fluid control.

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