An overwhelming majority of businesses that rely on compressed air-driven machinery are using the wrong pneumatic valves. If you’re quick to say that you’re sure every workshop you manage has the right kind of equipment, then you should take the opportunity to give it a second thought. More than likely, you’re not using the best designs for your particular use case.

Most people are simply used to regularly replacing valves as they wear out. If they’re experiencing high attrition levels as a result of a mismatch, then they simply put up with it. At SMC Pneumatics, however, we make sure to use industry-leading valve performance advancements that include:

• High flow capacities, even from compact designs
• Very low levels of power consumption
• High response speeds
• Long operational life
• Onboard surge suppressors
• Indicator lamps

Take a look at the following devices and see how these engineering advances and many others can revolutionize your company’s workflow.

• 1) 4 Way Valves



Industry leading valve performance advancements such as remarkably high flow capacities from very compact designs, low power consumption, high speed response, long life, built-in surge suppression and indicator lights. Manifold options, including built-in One-Touch fittings, prewired electric connections and serial interface simplify installation, maintenance and control. Reliability and long life are proven with life ratings of 50 to 200 million cycles.

Designed to meet general industrial standards and are capable of long, trouble-free life under stringent operating conditions. The simple construction, utilizing corrosion resistant aluminum Die Cast bodies with optional heavy duty actuators and Buna N seal design, ensure positive operation and media control. Available in two,three and four way flow configurations, different body sizes, and the capability of mounting a variety of interchangeable actuator assemblies to meet system requirements.

• 2) Specialty Valves

Our specialty valves come in two different varieties, and either is an excellent choice for those specific situations where you need something other than a standard mechanical or soft start valve.

Air timers and time delayed relays are normally used when you need to delay the air signal that goes in or out of your air component. Depending on which option you go with, the delay can be adjusted for as long as a minute or as short as a half-second. Both of our NVR and KLC models are offered in ?” port sizes. Both of these options are normally closed. When the delay trigger hits, they open up. If you prefer to stick with ?” ports but want something that’s normally opened and only closes when the trigger gets tripped, then you might want to look into the KLH line.

NAQ series quick exhaust valves, on the other hand, are used whenever you want to quickly vent off some exhaust air at the cylinder ports. In some instances, you may not want to port the exhaust all the back out through the valve. This makes these attractive in situations where you need to speed up the operation of a cylinder. You’ll be able to find them in all of the following port sizes:

• Air Timers/Timed Delay Relays


Electricity is a wonderful force, and also a potentially dangerous one. Before we learned to harness currents for industrial purposes, many science experiments involving electricity would potentially lead to injury. We’ve had two hundred years to understand basic principles and safety rules. Even so, we should always exercise caution when working with machines.With manufacturing and other industrial purposes, we often work with hazardous substances such as oil and gas. They also will catch fire easily if given an opportunity to combust. These would lead to electric fires, a danger no one wants.One blaze can cause costly damage, and injure people in the workplace if they ignite gases and oils. Obviously, then, it’s not fun for anyone. Insurance also will not enjoy having to cover damage from a fire and raise your rates. Yet the risk will always be prevalent.What is the solution then? You need to have a failsafe that can take action in seconds to prevent an electric fire, or at least reduce the damage. At SMC Pneumatics we have the answer: air timers with programmed delays.

• NAQ Series Quick Exhaust Valve


Quick exhaust valves are used to quickly vent exhaust air at the cylinder ports rather than porting the exhaust all the way back through the valve. They are often used to speed up cylinder operation.

• NAQ Series Quick Exhaust Valve 1/8" Thread Size NAQ2 000-N01
• NAQ Series Quick Exhaust Valve 1/4" Thread Size NAQ2 000-N02
• NAQ Series Quick Exhaust Valve 3/8" Thread Size NAQ3 000-N03
• NAQ Series Quick Exhaust Valve 1/2" Thread Size NAQ5 000-N04



• 3) 3 Way Valves

Some of the more popular options these days come in the form of three-way valves. SMC Pneumatics offers several different types to meet the diverse needs of a number of very unique business operations. No two workshops are quite the same, so there’s no reason that everyone should be using the same valves either.

• 3 Way Mechanical Valves


Industry leading valve performance advancements such as remarkably high flow capacities from very compact designs, low power consumption, high speed response, long life, built-in surge suppression and indicator lights. Manifold options, including built-in One-Touch fittings, prewired electric connections and serial interface simplify installation, maintenance and control. Reliability and long life are proven with life ratings of 50 to 200 million cycles. Designed to meet general industrial standards and are capable of long, trouble-free life under stringent operating conditions. The simple construction, utilizing corrosion resistant aluminum Die Cast bodies with optional heavy duty actuators and Buna N seal design, ensure positive operation and media control. Available in two,three and four way flow configurations, different body sizes, and the capability of mounting a variety of interchangeable actuator assemblies to meet system requirements.

• Lockout/Tagout Valves


This three port valve is used to release residual pressure on downstream side. Tabs on handle allow valve to be locked and tagged per OSHA requirements.

• Lockout/Tagout Valve 1/8" NPT VHS2 0-N01B-Z
• Lockout/Tagout Valve 1/4" NPT VHS3 0-N02B-Z
• Lockout/Tagout Valve 3/8" NPT VHS3 0-N03B-Z
• Lockout/Tagout Valve 1/2" NPT VHS4 0-N04B-Z


• Soft Start Valves


What is your work routine for pneumatic foam-related projects? Do you run through checklists before operating? Clean your machines on a regular basis?
A good checklist will keep you prepared for daily hiccups during daily projects. So will set safety standards and making sure that no debris has gathered within your machines. Clutter benefits no pneumatic device, and neither will negligence.
Even if you have a checklist on hand, you can always make your workplace safer. Also, you can do more to maintain your equipment. Yes, you constantly check the filter regulators and clean them of water and dust. Even so, do you have spare parts on hand, and keep an eye out for technological developments that can save you?
Our valves come in the following models:

• 1/4" NPT NAV2 000-N02-3DZ
• 1/4" NPT NAV2 000-N02-5DZ
• 3/8" NPT NAV3 000-N03-3DZ
• 3/8" NPT NAV3 000-N02-5DZ
• 1/2" NPT NAV4 000-N04-3DZ
• 1/2" NPT NAV4 000-N04-5DZ


• Large 3 Way Valves - Up to 2" Pipe


How many times have you tried to install a new valve only to find that it doesn’t fit the large diameter pipe that your workshop uses? Imagine how much money you could have saved if you got the right size components the first time around. If you represent a small or medium-sized business, then you might find yourself losing sleep over how much your firm has wasted dealing with these kinds of problems. Larger enterprise-level companies can blow a ton of money too, since they’ll often place large bulk orders for valves and then find out later they don’t fit.
In some cases, it can be hard to return these because of issues related to the vendor. In the worst-case scenario, you might not even be able to find the vendor later on. At SMC Pneumatics, we stock large 3-way valves backed by an experienced team who isn’t going to abandon you. These support up to two-inch pipes, so you don’t have to concern yourself with whether or not they’ll fit. Even if you’re using fairly good size equipment, they’ll be able to do the job. Best of all, they’re convertible so they work with either N.C. or N.O. solutions, which makes it easy to integrate them into any business operation.
Our valves come in the following models:

• 1" NPT Pressure Valve 120/60
• 1" NPT Pressure Valve 24DC
• 1" NPT Pressure Valve 12DC
• 1 1/2" NPT Pressure Valve 120/60
• 1 1/2" NPT Pressure Valve 24DC
• 1 1/2" NPT Pressure Valve 12DC



• 2) Vacuum Valves



SMC Pneumatics supplies your facility with top quality vacuum air valves with numerous specifications and sizes.

These vacuum valves are a critical component of pneumatic systems including:

• Industrial pumps
• Factory and plant equipment
• Lage boats
• Certain cars and other vehicles



Vacuum-based machines like vacuum cleaners use these valves. Most people have encountered this piece of equipment if they ever took apart an older style of vacuum cleaner to clear it of debris or replace a part. View rugged vacuum valves with full technical specs from SMC Pneumatics here.