What Do "Position" and "Way" Mean in a Solenoid Valve?

For those who do not frequently use solenoid valves, the concepts of "position" and "way" can be quite confusing. However, they are actually simple to understand. "Position" refers to the working state of the solenoid valve, while "way" refers to the number of connection ports on the valve. Below is a detailed explanation:

What Is "Position" in a Solenoid Valve?

The working position of the valve spool is called a "position." The number of switchable working positions a valve spool has determines whether it is a two-position, three-position, or multi-position valve.

• If a spool has three working positions, the valve is called a three-position valve.

• If the spool is in the middle position and all the inlet and outlet ports are closed, it is referred to as a closed-center solenoid valve.

• If all the output ports are connected to the exhaust port, it is called a pressure-release center valve.

• If all the output ports are connected to the input port, it is called a pressure-supply center valve.

The number of positions simply refers to how many working states the valve has. If you look at pneumatic symbols, the number of squares (with arrows or "T" lines inside) represents the number of positions.

What Is "Way" in a Solenoid Valve?

The number of switching ports (including input ports, output ports, and exhaust ports) determines whether a valve is a two-way, three-way, four-way, or five-way valve.

• "Way" refers to the number of connection points on each square of the symbol.

• A two-way valve has two independent ports.

• A three-way valve has three independent ports.

• A four-way valve has four independent ports, and so on.

The Relationship Between "Position" and "Way"

"Position" and "way" are two key concepts in pneumatic directional control solenoid valves. Different combinations of these two parameters create different types of pneumatic directional control valves.

• "Two-position valve" or "three-position valve": Refers to how many working positions the valve spool has.

• "Two-way valve," "three-way valve," "four-way valve": Refers to the number of independent ports on the valve body that can connect to different air or oil pipelines.

Graphical Symbol Meanings

1. The number of rectangles in a symbol represents the number of positions.

2. Arrows inside the rectangles indicate the airflow path, but the actual airflow direction may vary.

3. The symbols "┻" or "┳" indicate a blocked passage.

4. The number of external connection points represents the number of ways the valve has.

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