Compressor valve stem fracture

Issues such as loose set screws on the valve cover, valve stem fracture caused by vibration, and cracks in the valve cover occur. It is necessary to intensify inspection efforts to promptly eliminate any looseness in the set screws.

The set screw is not loose, and the compression sleeve is properly compressed; the air valve should not vibrate

What material is the valve stem made of? Do an analysis to see if it’s a material issue

It’s a material issue; the original poster shouldn’t hesitate to replace it with a new type of valve. We have also encountered such problems before; sometimes, the air valve had to be replaced five or six times during a single shift, and the issue remained the same – the stem of the main air valve in stage five of the compressor, as well as the valve housing, were damaged. At that time, we took the following measures: 1. Modify the valve stopper by slightly reducing its outer diameter and increasing its total length, in order to prevent vibrations that could occur due to poor fitting between the stopper and the air valve. 2. Thicken the valve stem. 3. Reduce the lift of the valve disc, as well as the strength and length of the spring. But nothing worked; in the end, we contacted other manufacturers and replaced the air valves, and such problems never occurred again.

Breakage of the valve seat and lift restrictor has been observed; breakage of the valve stem is rare； If the installation is successful, it’s still a good idea to conduct a material analysis.

We have now thickened the valve stem, changing it from M12 to M16; it’s much better now

It’s not just the type of medium; whether there is a medium or not has an impact on the valve stem material, which can lead to fracture.