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Unread 18-12-2010, 21:44
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Tristan Lall Tristan Lall is offline
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Re: Festo Solenoid Valves and Manifold

The pneumatics rules are often exceptionally specific, and change from year to year. Therefore, there's no practical way to be sure what quantities or part numbers will be legal in 2011. (Except for the fact that one VUVG-L10-B52-T-M7-1P3 valve, catalogue number 566475, is a FIRST Choice option, and ought to be legal in at least that quantity.)

In 2010, FIRST was quite permissive, but that wasn't true for many previous years. There have also been issues in the past relating to the question of whether a manifold counts as a "connecting fitting" (which was permissible under the rules), and whether an entire manifold preloaded with valves, when sold as a unit, qualified as "[s]olenoid valves" (also legal, subject to additional restrictions). See last year's <R72> for more information.

Since you were looking at VUVG-S10-B52-T-M7-1P3—the manifold-mounted version of the valve in the kit—you'll need to wait until the season begins to be sure that's a legal part, and to see if there's a quantity limit. (As far as I can tell, they're the same valve, but the S10 version is sold with accessories like seals and screws.) And if the rule isn't clear from the outset, you'll have to ask on the Q&A forum to get official clarification.

In a sane world, it would absolutely be legal; in fact, in a sane world, if that model of valve was specified (because that's what was supplied free in the KOP, or for whatever reason), the rules would also permit anything listed by part number in any December 2010 or later version of the Solenoid valves VUVG/valve terminal type 26 VTUG catalogue. That way, you'd be able to also buy a full range of compatible accessories without worrying about legality, and FIRST wouldn't have to worry about excessive flow.