Liquid Dispenser Question

Ranthalion

Hi,

I've been looking for a way·to dispense a set amount of liquid.· I tried looking for pumps or electronic valves, but I haven't been able to find anything that suits my application.· I'd like something similar what is in a refrigerator, where you press the button on the door, and it dispenses water on a fairly small scale.· I would need to dispense up to 12 oz at one time.
Does anyone have any ideas on how I might accomplish this?

Thanks,
Ranthalion

Ranthalion

Thanks!· I knew something like that must exist, I just couldn't find it and didn't know what to call it.·
It seems like most of them are 24 volts.· I was hoping for something that could work off lower voltage, so I'll have to keep looking.· They also seem a bit expensive, especially considering I'm looking for 10 - 12 of these.· [noparse]:)[/noparse]
Thanks again!

Vern Graner

Ranthalion said...
I've been looking for a way to dispense a set amount of liquid.

I was looking for the same thing for my RoboSpinArt project. After looking at various pump/valves I settled on using a peristaltic pump. The main reason was I was afraid the material I would be pumping (in this case paint) might contaminate or clog the pump if not completely flushed and cleaned after each use.

Peristaltic pumps are great for situations such as this and also where the material being pumped would be best delivered without coming in contact with impellers, solenoid valve parts or possible contaminants (metal filings, oil etc). Because of the specific application (i.e. pumping paint and having control of the amount down to the "drop" level) one of my fellow Robot Group members (Rick Abbott) crafted peristaltic pumps that operate via servo motor. I've attached a few pics here.

Vern

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Ranthalion

Thanks for the replies!· I've read a bit about the peristaltic pumps, and I think I'm going to go with the solenoid valves because I don't want the noise from operating 10-12 of the motors, and I want the liquid to dispense quickly.· Now I just have to work up the courage to buy the valves.· I've found them for $15 each, but it's kind of a lot of money when I need that many of them.