APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OPERATING PAINT COLOR VALVES IN A PAINT SPRAYING SYSTEM

摘要

An apparatus (10) and method for selecting a fluid material to be supplied to a material applicator (24) from a plurality of fluid materials (23), the material applicator being located in a hazardous area (12), include a control circuit (26) located in a non-hazardous area (11) for generating a coded address signal representing a selected fluid material and for generating a predetermined amount of electrical power, a valve selection circuit (27) located in the non-hazardous area and connected to the control circuit and being responsive to the coded address signal for generating the predetermined amount of electrical power at a selected one of a plurality of outputs corresponding to the coded address signal, and a valve actuation circuit (28) located in the hazardous area and including a separate valve (22) connected to each of the valve selection circuit outputs. The valve (22) includes electrically actuated valves (46) mounted on and pneumatically actuated valves (47) releasably retained in a manifold assembly (41) formed of a plurality of blocks (42, 43, 44), each having a material distribution passage (62) connected to the material applicator (24) and a material inlet passage (60) connected to the fluid material supply (23). The control circuit (26) limits the predetermined amount of electrical power to a value sufficient to actuate one of the electrically actuated valves (46) and permit fluid material flow from the material inlet passage (60) to the material distribution passage (62) through the associated one of the pneumatically actuated valves (47).