CHICAGO — At the 2003 Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo), Sporlan Valve Co. (Washington, Mo.) introduced the new EBV Ball Valve Series as part of its isolation valve product line.

The hermetic and bidirectional valves can be used on liquid or vapor and are ideal for commercial refrigeration systems, the company said. The full-port EBV Series is manufactured of forged brass with extended copper fittings and is mechanically welded.

Available fitting sizes range from 3/8 to 3-1/8 inch ODF. To ensure leak-free integrity, the company said every EBV valve is 100 percent factory-tested at the design working pressure.

Product manager Dave Dorste stated, “The large valve bodies will help to dissipate heat during brazing, which will reduce the chance of overheating the seals. Additionally, the stem and stop plate ensure accurate one-quarter-turn actuation and are more reliable than forged brass stops.”

New Temp Controllers

Five models of diverse temperature controllers were also introduced by Sporlan. The electronic controllers are primarily designed for self-contained refrigeration equipment. They have been widely available in commercial refrigeration in Europe since the 1980s, the company said, but are “the new kid on the block” in the U.S.

The controllers are being manufactured in Italy to North American specifications. The company said they will satisfy federal legislation regarding maximum temperature limits for designated foods in commercial refrigerators.

The Omni-Stat, for example, has more than 50 settable parameters for temperature, alarms, and defrosts. All parameters have defaults so the customer sets only those desired. The Omni-Stat Plus features a three-relay power board to control a compressor, fans, and defrost functions.

Other models feature a real-time clock that allows defrost scheduling by the hour (rather than scheduling limited to intervals); a traditional button-function design that resembles a mechanical thermostat; and a packaged unit called Coldmaster that can control a coldroom.

Four of the models meet readiness standards for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), the company said, and can be upgraded for usage with a PC or the Internet.

“Our electronic controllers are ideal to install in a refrigerated reach-in cooler,” said Brian Dolin, Sporlan product manager. “A single controller can replace several mechanical devices, and provide the customer with useful information that’s never been available before at such an affordable price.”

Brazing Services

Finally, the company announced that it is offering brazing to OEMs for distributor/tube assemblies, with or without thermostatic expansion valves.

The company’s dual-cell brazing station uses the gas flux method, which is said to produce strong, aesthetically pleasing joints and eliminate undesirable oxidation.

“Our brazing techniques, which we’ve been gradually expanding for the past three years, also prevent clogging in the copper tubes,” said Jim Ruether, Mechanical Controls product manager. “Clean tubes, of course, mean that the evaporator coil performs most efficiently.

Sporlan said it can protect the thermostatic element during the brazing process and has produced assemblies for approximately 100 products. Tube lengths of 48 inches and assembly lengths up to 52 inches can be accommodated. Straight tube lengths with plain ends are preferred, though tube bending is available on a limited basis, the company said.

Publication date: 02/17/2003