AUMA SQ Part-Turn Actuator (Ball / Butterfly Valves)
Overview: The Standard for Quarter-Turn Valve Automation
The AUMA SQ Part-Turn Actuator is an electric quarter-turn actuator engineered for the automation of butterfly valves and ball valves, transmitting torque to the valve for less than one full revolution as defined by ISO 22153. Unlike multi-turn actuators, part-turn units like the SQ do not need to withstand operational thrust, allowing a more compact, purpose-built design optimized for the rotational swing angles – typically 75° to 105° – that quarter-turn valves require.
As a trusted supplier of AUMA valve actuators, Seven Star LLC sources and supplies the SQ part-turn actuator to refineries, water treatment facilities, and process industries across Oman and the wider GCC. Because SQ actuators serve as the workhorse automation solution for ball and butterfly valves across countless applications, Seven Star LLC helps engineering and procurement teams specify the correct size and configuration for their valve automation project.
Working Principle: Precision Quarter-Turn Actuation
The SQ actuator drives a valve stem through its rotational swing angle using an electric motor coupled through a gear train, with internal end stops allowing precise, repeatable approaching of the fully open and fully closed positions during both motorized and handwheel manual operation. This internal end-stop design is a deliberate engineering choice for part-turn service: because butterfly and ball valves rotate through a defined arc rather than traveling linearly along a threaded stem, the actuator’s own mechanical limits – rather than the valve’s seating torque alone – can define accurate end-of-travel positioning.
SQ actuators are rated for open-close duty and positioning duty (ISO 22153 Classes A and B), corresponding to short-time duty S2-15 min, making them suited to on/off isolation service and occasional intermediate positioning rather than continuous modulating control – the modulating-duty counterpart within the same platform is the SQR range. A mechanical position indicator provides local visual confirmation of valve position at the actuator itself, independent of any remote signaling.
Engineering Design of the SQ Actuator
The SQ actuator is built to IP68 protection standard with output flange dimensions conforming to ISO 5211, ensuring straightforward mechanical compatibility with butterfly and ball valves manufactured to the same international standard. Three-phase and single-phase AC motor options are available, with the actuator covering a torque range of approximately 50 to 2,500 Nm and rotation angles from 75° to 105° to accommodate the range of quarter-turn valve designs in common industrial use.
A handwheel is fitted as standard for manual operation, supporting commissioning, maintenance, and emergency positioning without requiring electrical power. High enclosure protection and high-quality corrosion protection support reliable operation across wide ambient temperature ranges, from -30°C to +70°C as standard, and the SQ can be combined with a range of AUMA actuator controls – from simple OPEN-CLOSE control through micro-controlled versions with operating data logging or fieldbus interface – to match project control architecture requirements.
Key Features
The AUMA SQ Part-Turn Actuator delivers dependable, ISO-compatible quarter-turn valve automation. Key characteristics include:
- ISO 5211 output flange for direct mechanical compatibility with standard butterfly and ball valves.
- Torque range from approximately 50 Nm to 2,500 Nm across the model range.
- Rotation angle from 75° to 105° to suit common quarter-turn valve designs.
- IP68 protection class with high-quality corrosion protection.
- Handwheel for manual operation and mechanical position indicator for local visual confirmation.
- Compatible with a range of AUMA actuator controls, from simple OPEN-CLOSE to fieldbus-integrated versions.
- Operating time range from approximately 4 to 100 seconds for a 90° travel.
Industrial Applications
The SQ actuator is deployed across water and wastewater treatment plants, refineries, power generation facilities, and general process industries wherever butterfly or ball valves require reliable open-close or positioning automation. Its ISO 5211 compatibility and broad torque range make it a versatile specification choice across pipeline isolation duty, HVAC and utility systems, and process valve automation projects of varying scale.
Seven Star LLC supports water authorities, refinery engineering teams, and EPC contractors across Muscat, Sohar, Salalah, and the broader GCC region – including coastal sites where the KS corrosion protection package extends service life – with sourcing of AUMA SQ part-turn actuators, helping projects standardize on a proven, widely serviceable valve automation platform.
Technical Specifications
The table below summarizes the core specifications of the AUMA SQ Part-Turn Actuator as supplied by Seven Star LLC.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Model | AUMA SQ Series |
| Type | Electric, part-turn (quarter-turn) actuator |
| Standard | ISO 5211 output flange |
| Motor | Three-phase or single-phase AC |
| Protection Class | IP68 |
| Torque Range | Approx. 50 Nm to 2,500 Nm |
| Rotation Angle | 75° to 105° |
| Operating Time (90°) | Approx. 4 to 100 s |
| Ambient Temperature | -30°C to +70°C |
| Duty Rating | Open-close and positioning duty (Classes A and B), S2-15 min |
| Manual Operation | Handwheel with mechanical position indicator |
| Corrosion Protection | KS (high-quality corrosion protection) |
| Position / Torque Sensing | Integral limit and torque sensing |
| Type Range | SQ .2 |
| Functional Safety | Up to SIL 2 in selected configurations; up to SIL 3 with AC 01.2 SIL controls |
Choosing Between the SQ and Its Range Siblings
The AUMA SQ Part-Turn Actuator sits in the SQ .2 type range, which AUMA publishes with a torque span of 50 Nm to 2,500 Nm for the standard non-explosion-proof unit. Two neighbouring variants are commonly confused with it at specification stage. The first is the explosion-proof SQEx, which shares the same mechanical concept but is published with a slightly narrower torque span of 50 Nm to 2,400 Nm and a reduced ambient window of -30 °C to +40/+60 °C, against the standard SQ’s -30 °C to +70 °C – a real constraint on unshaded outdoor installations in Oman, where cabinet and pipework surface temperatures routinely sit well above ambient. The second is the modulating part-turn variant, which carries the Class C duty rating the SQ does not; where a butterfly valve sits in a continuous control loop rather than isolation service, the SQ is the wrong specification and a modulating unit – or, for multi-turn stems in a hazardous area, a SAREx – should be selected instead.
Control Options and Functional Safety
Because the SQ is supplied as a platform rather than a fixed assembly, the controls choice is made separately from the actuator size. AUMA offers everything from a simple OPEN-CLOSE control through to a micro-controlled version with logging of operating data or a fieldbus interface, so the same actuator body can be delivered as a hardwired contactor-driven unit on a small water-network butterfly valve or as a fully diagnostic, bus-connected device reporting torque profiles back to a DCS on a refinery isolation valve.
For safety-instrumented applications, AUMA publishes functional safety up to SIL 2 in selected configurations, rising to SIL 3 in combination with AC 01.2 SIL actuator controls. Valve attachments follow DIN and ISO standards, which is what allows an SQ to be retrofitted onto an installed butterfly or ball valve without machining a bespoke bracket – a significant advantage when replacing failed pneumatic actuators on existing plant during a short shutdown window.
Request a Quote for AUMA SQ Part-Turn Actuator (Ball / Butterfly Valves)
As a trusted AUMA distribution supplier, Seven Star LLC supplies the AUMA SQ part-turn actuator with full manufacturer documentation and regional technical support. Contact our instrumentation and valve automation division for a formal RFQ, to confirm the correct actuator size for your ball or butterfly valve, or to obtain the complete technical datasheet for project specification. Seven Star LLC ensures every unit shipped across Oman and the GCC is genuine, correctly configured, and backed by local engineering support.
For modulating duty on quarter-turn valves, see the AUMA SQR modulating part-turn actuator.
Related Products
- Datasheet AUMA SQ 05.2 - SQ 14.2 Datasheet Download
AUMA actuator and gearbox types
SA multi-turn actuators handle open-close duty on gate and globe valves, and SAR is the modulating version; the listing includes the SA 07.2, SA 10.2 and SA 25.1. SAEx and SAREx are the explosion-proof equivalents. Part-turn duty on ball and butterfly valves is covered by SQ and the modulating SQR, or by an SA actuator combined with a GS part-turn gearbox. LE linear thrust units convert multi-turn output to thrust, and GHT multi-turn gearboxes extend the torque range up to 120,000 Nm. PROFOX is the compact actuator line. Special items include the seawater-resistant SGM and SGMR part-turn actuators with bronze housings, the SVC and SVCR globe valve actuators and the FQM fail-safe unit. Integral controls come as AM or AC versions.Where AUMA electric actuators are used
AUMA actuators are found in water, power, oil and gas, marine and general industry. In practice that means isolation and control valves in water treatment and pumping stations, power plant steam and cooling systems, tank farms and pipelines, and sluice gates and dampers.Ordering AUMA actuators and parts: what we need
For a replacement send photos of the actuator, motor and controls nameplates: type, order number, serial number and wiring diagram number. For a new actuator we need:- valve type, required torque or thrust, and turns or stroke
- valve mounting flange and stem or shaft details
- output speed, duty (open-close or modulating)
- supply voltage and frequency, control signals or fieldbus
- enclosure protection, ambient temperature, Ex requirement
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