Food safety and reliability ensured!

Festo’s MPA-C valve terminal meets IP69K requirements

Augmenting Festo’s ‘Clean Design’ portfolio, the MPA-C valve terminal sets a new industry standard by meeting the requirements for protection class IP69K and CRC4 - the highest corrosion resistance class from Festo. The MPA-C boasts many innovative valve functions and the modular sub-base design facilitates maximum flexibility to easily expand to a maximum of 32 valves or solenoid coils.

“Safety in food production is ensured by international directives and standards such as the EC Directive 2006/42/EC for Machinery and EN 1672-2 and EN ISO 14159 for hygiene requirements,” explains Jacqui Hanbury, Product Manager at Festo. “To help system builders and food producers meet these requirements as simply as possible, Festo has developed a range of automation components for use in hygienically critical environments and those subject to intensive cleaning.”

With FDA approval for all external materials and the valves being lubricated using NSF-H1 food-grade grease, the valve terminal can be used in both food and splash zones. A redundant seal system allows trouble-free, intensive cleaning with high pressure jets or foam, enabling installation in locations with harsh environmental conditions subject to cleaning in accordance with IP69k.

Offered with the electrical interface on the front or back, the MPA-C supports multi-pin, fieldbus or Ethernet communications. Individual sub-bases are combined to provide between 2 and 32 valve positions offering exactly the right amount of valves for your application and each valve can be in a separate pressure zone if required. In addition, dependant on the level of protection required, each position can be supplied with or without manual override. Valve types include a 5/2-way single solenoid valve, which for safety applications can have a mechanical spring return; a 5/2-way valve with double solenoid and a 5/3-way valve, which can be exhausted, pressurised or closed in mid-position. Dual versions of 3/2 and 2/2-way valves are also available and the MPA-C 3/2-way valve can accommodate a specific air supply connection per valve if required.