FloSource has recently become an authorized stocking Worcester Distributor. With this appointment, we have spent a tremendous amount of time working with the Worcester Series 39 Pneumatic Actuator. Below is our own internal review of this actuator.
The Worcester Series 39 has been around for several decades. It has set the standard that all of other Rack & Pinion Pneumatic Actuators are judged on. There are several reasons for this, but most notable is Worcester was the first manufacturer to utilize support rods within the actuator. This ensures that any side loads generated by the pistons are transmitted through bearings in the end cap and not the body. Therefore the bore of the body is only used as a sealing surface and not the bearing surface, hence increasing the life of the actuator. This feature distinguishes the Worcester actuator from the standard rack and pinion design providing reliability, long life and high performance.
A few other features that we really think customers will value include:
- For fail-safe operation in a fire,polished support rods retain fire-safe capability even if bearings are fire damaged
- Blow-out proof pinion eliminates risk of pinion ejection even after pinion retaining ring is removed
- Unique unrestricted air flow through support rods gives fast operation speeds as standard
- End Mounted Travel Stops – The design takes advantage of the moving support rods within the actuator and uses two stops in the end cap to limit their travel and therefore adjust the rotation of the actuator in both directions.
The updated version of the Worcester Series 39 is the F39. The change between the F39 and the Series 39 can cause confusion. The only difference is the “F” stands for female drive. This female drive allows the mounting kits to become shorter in overall height, and also makes the actuator interchangeable in a lot of cases with competing brands. If you have an old male drive series 39 and need to purchase a new actuator, FloSource can provide a SS adapter to make the F39 male drive. This will eliminate the need for new mounting kits.
For more information please take a look at our Worcester Page or go to http://www.flowserve.com.