USI Instrumentation
The actuators of USI are built to provide motion control of uncomplicated dependability for industrial systems that absolutely must work in a reliable and repeatable manner. USI's actuators are easy to install, easy to maintain, and rugged enough to use continuously for years. They are found in systems such as HVAC, water works, and manufacturing lines wherein valve or damper positioning to some degree controls a process; and these actuators are some of the simpler electric, pneumatic, and mechanical devices to use and understand in such systems when compared to other valve and damper automating devices.
The USI electric model offers smooth, accurate positioning, with options for on/off, floating, or modulating control. The pneumatic model delivers fast response and high cycle life. Both of USI's package designs are simple to adjust and use in the field and have as many applications as can be imagined.
FAQs
What are USI actuators used for?
USI actuators are used to control valves, dampers, and mechanical equipment in HVAC, water and wastewater, manufacturing, and industrial automation systems.
What types of actuators does USI offer?
USI provides electric, pneumatic, and mechanical actuators designed for on/off, modulating, and floating control applications.
Do USI actuators work with standard valves and dampers?
Most USI actuators include universal mounting options and standard interfaces to fit common industrial valves, dampers, and control systems.
Do USI actuators offer fail-safe options?
Some models include spring-return mechanisms or electronic fail-safe features to return valves or dampers to a safe position during power loss.
How do pneumatic USI actuators perform compared to electric models?
Pneumatic actuators provide fast response and high cycle life, making them ideal for facilities with existing compressed air systems.
Analog and Digital Control Signals: The Basics
Digital Signals
Digital signals are represented in either a true or false. There is no gray area with digital signals. An example of this might be a light switch. A light switch is either on or off. Another example of this might be a motor that is running or not running. Digital signals can be generated with both AC and DC circuits with varying voltages, currents and resistance. Some practical examples of using digital signals in an industrial environment might be if a pump is running or not running or a whether a valve is open or closed.
Analog Signals
Analog signals convey information in the form of a range. A light switch might be on or off as a digital signal, but a dimmer switch would be an analog signal. It can be on or off, but it can also be somewhere in between. A practical example of using analog signals in an industrial environment would be if there is a need to measure the level of a tank; whether it's full, empty or somewhere in between. Analog signals can take many different forms with some of the more common being a 4 to 20 milliamp signal or a 0 to 5 or 0 to 10 volt signal.
Communication
Communication in a device can either be sent or received. Whether that data is sent or received depends on the type of information. Is there a need to monitor the status of something? If so, an input needs to be received about that information. Is there a need to control something? If so, an output needs to be sent about what needs to occur. Receiving inputs and setting outputs are both things that can be accomplished by using both digital and analog signal types. Therefore, the signals are referred to as analog outputs (AO), analog inputs (AI), digital inputs (DI) or digital outputs (DO).