Should You Use Metal or Thermoplastic Valve Plates?
Compressor valve plates will need to be replaced eventually because they handle a lot of wear and tear. When worn plates are swapped out for new ones, you might notice quite a boost in the power capacity of the machine and some of the problems that had begun to appear may be resolved. As you prepare to purchase replacement parts, consider the pros and cons to the most common compressor valve plate materials:
Metal Valve Plates
Valve plates and other related supplies provide long lasting use with precision profiling. If you order your parts from a supplier that uses state-of-the-art laser metal cutting as well as metal plate finishing, you can expect to have strong and durable components that meet or exceed OEM standards. Stainless steel plates will be resistant to corrosion.
Thermoplastic Valve Plates
When you need parts that are made to precise specifications, injected plastic plates may be one of your best options. There are a few different plastic-type compressor valve plate materials to consider, such as thermoplastics. These are usually polymers that are pliable above a certain temperature and then very durable once they cool. Thermoplastic valve plates may provide you with a better seal.
- Nylon 6/6: 30% Glass filled for low temperatures
- Nylon 4/6: 30% Glass filled excellent for mid temperatures
- PEEK: Polyether Ether Ketone is an organic thermoplastic polymer excellent mechanical and chemical resistance properties that are retained at high temperatures
Which Is Best for Your Project?
One of the common attributes that these materials have is the ability to withstand high levels of heat. As you consider your options, you will have to determine whether the durability of metal is most important or the flexible strength of polymers are more appropriate for your project.
With a few very good options in compressor valve plate materials, you will have the luxury of choosing between two very good solutions. Take a look at the parts that came with the compressor originally and consider any budget constraints you might have to determine the very best option for your project.
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Metallic Plates
KB Delta manufactures and stocks a complete range of metallic compressor valve plates and rings for the natural gas, refrigeration and P.E.T. industries.
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Thermoplastic Plates
Our specialized precision tooling and proprietary lapping process gives our customers the highest quality thermoplastic plates and rings in the industry.
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Springs
We manufacture our own springs and stock over 2 million springs for a variety of OEM spring styles, forms and materials.
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Peripheral Valve Internals
KB Delta offers one of the most complete lines of valve internals in the industry. All of our parts are manufactured to OEM Standards in performance and efficiency.
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Complete Valve Repair Kits
KB Delta offers a full line of valve repair kits for all the major reciprocating compressor manufacturers.
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P.E.T. Compressor Parts
KB Delta specializes in manufacturing compressor valve parts for high pressure air compressors used in the P.E.T. plastic bottle manufacturing industry.