AutoQuiz is edited by Joel Don, ISA's social media community manager.

Today's automation industry quiz question comes from ISA's technical training course, Control Valve Mechanics and Operations from Analog to Digital. The course takes a deep dive into the control valve’s mechanical composition, actuation and positioning accessories, including a detailed study of digital valve controllers. Training is hands-on and lab intensive, and is designed to offer a real-world, working knowledge of valve mechanical configurations, valve operations and positioner calibrations.

Solenoids can be:

A) 2-way
B) 3-way
C) 4-way
D) 5-way
E) All of the above

The correct answer is E, all of the above.

A pneumatic solenoid valve is a switch for routing air to any pneumatic device. A solenoid consists of a core, which channels the air to the appropriate port, coupled to a smaller linear solenoid. The valve allows a small current applied to the solenoid to switch a large amount of high pressure air. Pneumatic solenoids may have two, three or more output ports (and the requisite number of vents).

Want to learn more about control valves? Sign up for ISA's training course, Control Valve Mechanics and Operations from Analog to Digital.

About the Editor
Joel Don is the community manager for ISA and is an independent content marketing, social media and public relations consultant. Prior to his work in marketing and PR, Joel served as an editor for regional newspapers and national magazines throughout the U.S. He earned a master's degree from the Medill School at Northwestern University with a focus on science, engineering and biomedical marketing communications, and a bachelor of science degree from UC San Diego.

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