A pneumatic conveying system moves product from one place to another, and sooner or later it must change destination — between silos, between receiving bins, or from a common line into two different processes. That is the job of a diverter valve, and in a conveying line it has to do it without leaking air, without leaking product and without wearing out.

In gravity duty a diverter only has to redirect product. In a pneumatic line it also has to maintain the integrity of the conveying air. Air that escapes through the inactive port of a diverter does not merely waste energy: it can drop the conveying velocity below the saltation point, and the line plugs.

So in a conveying line, seal tightness is not a quality nicety. It is a functional requirement.

The second conveying-specific issue is material retention. Any cavity, recess or ledge in a diverter will hold product. In a single-product line that is merely a hygiene concern; in a line that alternates between products it is a contamination source, because the retained material is delivered into the next batch.

Diverters intended for multi-product duty are designed without cavities, and are often chosen with a rotating-element design so that there is no ledge for product to sit on.

The VAB flap diverter valveuses an aluminium body. In conveying installations that matters more than it first appears: diverters are often mounted high in a plant, at the end of a line, or on equipment whose structural capacity is limited. A light valve reduces structural load and makes maintenance access easier.

Aluminium is well suited to light dry powder and air-conveyed granular product. It is not the material for high pressure, heavy abrasion or aggressive chemistry.

Read more in the flap diverter valve guide and see the WZK two-way diverter valve for straightforward two-destination routing.

Tell us the line and the routing and we will specify a design. Browse the diverter valve range or read the pneumatic conveying valve guide.