How to Choose the Right Piezoelectric Jetting Valve

 

Part Two: Accuracy Requirements Play a Big Role in the Decision-Making Process

In the first part of this two-part series, we discussed the differences between pneumatic vs. piezoelectric jetting technology. If you’ve determined that piezoelectric dispensing is the ideal solution for you, it’s time to look into which piezo jetting valve is best suited for your application.

In this final part, we’ll identify the key differences between our two piezo jetting valves and how to choose the best one for your application.

PICO Pµlse vs. PICO Pµlse XP Jetting Valves

At Nordson EFD, we offer two types of piezoelectric jetting valves, our PICO Pµlse® and PICO Pµlse XP. While both jetting valves can achieve precise, repeatable non-contact dispensing results, the PICO XP has advanced technology to reach levels of accuracy that the PICO Pµlse cannot achieve.

The PICO XP has one-of-a-kind sustained stroke target seeking to self-adjust and maintain its micron-level max stroke setting of between 100 and 125 µm for long periods of time. This is important because it compensates for changes in stroke to improve repeatability and consistency of the jetted volume over time. We can see below in Figure 1 that the PICO XP levels out much faster than the PICO Pµlse and is closer to the initial dispensing parameters required.

     Figure 1

When extremely precise deposits are needed, especially to meet strict FDA requirements, the PICO XP is the better choice because it self-adjusts when the initial stroke changes due to heat generated within the valve. It can also accurately dispense at micron levels about the thickness of a piece of paper.

PICO Toµch vs. PICO Toµch XP Jetting Controllers

The PICO Pµlse jetting valve is only compatible with our PICO Toµch controller. Named appropriately, this controller features an innovative, touchscreen interface for simplified, quicker setup and easy programming at the point of dispense. It replaces older technology where a laptop was needed to scroll through endless menus and navigate to hard-to-find settings to make adjustments to dispensing parameters.

The PICO Pµlse XP jetting valve works exclusively with our PICO Toµch XP controller. This controller has everything the PICO Toµch controller has to offer with the addition of more adjustable parameters for greater control and fine-tune dispensing performance for a wider range of application requirements. Some of these settings include automatic self-regulating calibration that recognizes changes in stroke as well as the ability to program stroke settings at the micron level rather than as a percent, for a more accurate dispense.

 

Quick Release Clasp

The innovative quick release clasp is a component that is shared by both PICO jetting systems. This makes it easy to swap out the fluid body without removing the valve from the end of arm tooling and allows manufacturers to continue production with minimal downtime, reducing serviceability to seconds.

In Conclusion

In most cases, the level of precision and repeatability that the PICO Pµlse provides is more than enough. It’s when you’re dispensing at the micron level and your application requires an even greater level of repeatability over time that the PICO XP is recommended.

As always, with jetting technology it’s important to speak with an experienced application specialist who can determine which valve is the right fit. You may even require a complimentary application test with our jetting technology to determine which valve will work for your specific application requirements. Please don’t hesitate to email us at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to set up an application test.

 

 

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