Buerkert Werke Gmbh

Birgit Stadelbauer

Klaus-Guenther Beck

Sven Scheufler

A drive unit for a micro valve comprises a housing, a spring and at least one shape memory alloy element which is attached to the housing in a deflectable manner. The shape memory alloy element is loaded by the spring towards a deflected position and is movable in response to a temperature increase and the shape memory effect activated thereby, into a position which is at least less deflected against an increasing load by the spring. A normally closed micro valve includes a fluid housing, at least one valve seat, a sealing element opposite the valve seat, and a drive unit of the type mentioned above. The shape memory alloy element cooperates with the sealing element and exerts an operating force on the sealing element for closing and opening the valve seat with or against a compression spring force.

Drive unit for a micro valve comprising a shape memory alloy, and micro valve

Microvalves are composed in a stacked design of a plurality of components comprising at least two housing parts, a membrane clamped between the two housing parts, and an actuator. A plurality of identical components are respectively arranged on a common, individual support plate and positioned next to each other in one plane. The manufacturing method for the microvalves comprises the steps of: providing the support plates with respectively identical components positioned in a grid pattern each having with the same grid dimension, inserting the support plates on top of one another in a retaining device, connecting at least some of the stacked components arranged on the support plates on an outer edge delimiting the components by a joining method, separating the microvalves by punching, and punching the membrane from a membrane support plate during connection of the components.

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Ludwigshafen, Germany

Birgit Stadelbauer