MANIFOLD HANDLING & CARE
Every manifold requires care. Whether through its cleaning processes or other associated maintenance procedures, ensure that your manifold lasts by following the rules for care here.
HOW TO HANDLE A MANIFOLD
As many plastics possess a sensitive nature, they can be prone to scratches when not handled with care ā especially for amorphous plastics (e.g. acrylic and noryl). Manifolds of these materials have reduced tensile strength, and thus they need extra care in handling. They are more vulnerable to stress-cracking and scratching.
The mounting surface for the valves also needs gentle handling, as it is particularly susceptible to scratches and seal cracking between valves and ports. The valves consist of either two or three ports that create a seal with the plastic manifold using a flat gasket or O-ring. The most crucial part of the seal is found between the two connected ports. If mishandled in any way, the resulting leakage will render the valve and, consequently, the manifold itself ineffective. To ensure a leak free operation, manifold design should specify mounting surfaces for valves held to a surface finish of 16 RA or better for flush functioning.
We adviseĀ always placing the manifold on a soft cotton clothĀ when handling for maintenance or any other reason. Never slide a manifold on a flat surface as this will cause immediate irreparable damage. Always pickup and place down carefully.
Bonded manifolds are an investment and need careful treatment for prolonged use. To ensure a long life and accurate assembly, we recommend that customers only engage their most skilled assembly personnel who have had appropriate training to handle these.
TESTING
We strongly urge customers test the components, manifolds, assemblies, and associated products before actual use. While most manufacturers can simulate close to exact operating conditions, real-time usage will provide more insight than what we could come close to mimicking.
To ensure quality, we can conduct certain tests such as decay and bubble tests. We already covered these in the previous section aboutĀ manifolds and components assembly Please reference that section for more information about these tests.
While we primarily use the methods mentioned above, there are additional tests available. These can provide further insights into potential product defects before shipment or use. Please feel free to contact us for more information on these options.
CLEANING YOUR MANIFOLDS
Manufacturers should perform a general cleaning on all manifolds, which includes washing the manifold with hot soapy water, rinsing it with clean water, and using high pressure air to dry. If requested, ultrasonic cleaning is available. Customers can (and usually do) any additional cleaning and sterilization to ensure optimal performance.