Damper drives can provide linear or rotary motion to meet certain application requirements. The damper positioning is a process control function that is used to increase efficiency, reduce maintenance, control harmful emissions, and lower fuel consumption.
Damper drives have been installed in commercial and industrial application for many decades, and the replacement of older and obsolete models is an ongoing concern for operators. Retro-fitting an existing damper drive application can be mechanically challenging and labor-intensive. "Drop-in" refers to fitting in the existing drive's footprint, bolting pattern, and overall size envelope, so any replacement claiming "drop-in" compatibility is favorable in terms of time and materials.
Rotork, a globally recognized manufacturer of valve and damper actuators, has developed a product series within their damper drive line that specifically addresses the drop-in replacement of legacy damper drives.
Rotork's PM and DM Series drives, a portion of the company's Type K Damper Drive line, provide rotary operation in the 30 to 100 degree range and are available as pedestal mount or direct mount versions. As a subset of this broad offering, the company has crafted the FasTrak Series, which are preconfigured as ready-made units to replace common, older legacy damper drives. Twelve models cover the most commonly occurring pneumatic or electric damper drive replacements. The manufacturer states that the FasTrak drives will:
- Bolt to the floor where the old drive was mounted
- The existing link rod and clevis will attach to the FasTraK drive lever
- Simply verify envelope dimensions to assure that there are no external obstructions
