All valves that are designated as pneumatic are designed to be used on compressed air types of systems. This can be compressed air systems that are used in production facilities, for powering handheld tools and equipment, and for the operation of a variety of different types of equipment in various industries.
A shuttle valve is a type of valve that is used for routing the flow of the media through the valve body. Shuttle valves can be used in hydraulic systems, where they control or direct the flow of hydraulic fluids, or they can be used in air or pneumatic systems.
The Basics of a Shuttle Valve
A pneumatic shuttle valve is used in a system that is transporting air under pressure. As with all valves, the shuttle valve is designed with inlet and outlet ports. In most cases, there are two possible inlet ports at each end, and an outlet port in the middle.
Within the quality pneumatic shuttle valve is a ball that can freely flow along the body of the valve. When one inlet port on one end is supplying air, the ball is pushed to the other end, sealing off that inlet port. The air coming into the valve is directed through the middle outlet port and into the system.
Should the air pressure on that inlet port drop below the air pressure on the other inlet port, the ball is pushed back down, allowing the second port to supply air to the outlet port.
In this way, a pneumatic shuttle valve controls the use of two air canisters or systems to maintain an even pressure for the outlet port and the system. These valves work automatically and are designed to have a very long duty life with no maintenance required.
