AV03 or AV05? Matching an Aventics Valve Terminal to Flow, Response and Cabinet Space
Aventics (the pneumatics line that used to live inside Bosch Rexroth and is now part of Emerson) makes the choice between its two modular valve terminals harder than it needs to be, because both the AV03 and the AV05 look almost identical in photographs and both scale to 64 valve positions on one manifold. The real difference is flow, and everything that follows from it — response time, tubing size, and how much machine cycle you can actually get through the terminal.
AV03 is the compact, high-speed option, built around smaller valves and intended for handling systems with cylinders up to roughly 32 mm bore. AV05 is the high-flow workhorse for cylinders up to about 80 mm, trading a few milliseconds of switching time for roughly double the air. The quick reference below is the version we keep pinned above the bench.
| Specification | AV03 | AV05 |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal flow Qn | 300 l/min | up to 700 l/min |
| Nominal switching time | approx. 8 ms | approx. 13 ms |
| Operating pressure | −0.9 to 10 bar | −0.9 to 10 bar |
| Pilot/control pressure | 3 to 8 bar | 3 to 8 bar |
| Supply voltage | 24 V DC ±10% | 24 V DC ±10% |
| Max. valve positions | 64 | 64 |
| Protection class | IP65 (with plugs fitted) | IP65 (with plugs fitted) |
| Ambient / medium temperature | −10 to +60 °C | −10 to +60 °C |
| Air quality | ≤40 µm particles, 0–5 mg/m³ oil, filtered compressed air | |
| Bus options | Multipol D-Sub, or fieldbus via AES modules (Profibus, Profinet, EtherNet/IP, IO-Link); OPC UA / digital-twin ready | |
How we shortcut the decision
- Start from cylinder bore. Up to about 32 mm, AV03 carries the flow comfortably and saves cabinet space; from 40 to 80 mm, AV05 is the sensible default.
- Check the cycle, not just the flow. If the machine repeats short, fast strokes, the roughly 5 ms difference in switching time accumulates over thousands of cycles per shift — one more reason AV03 suits compact handling.
- Count spares, not valves. Both terminals use the same modular base-plate concept, so a mixed line can share AES I/O modules and spare valve positions instead of stocking two complete systems.
- Plan the air prep. The 40 µm particle limit and 0–5 mg/m³ oil window are hard numbers; an undersized filter unit shows up as sticky spools long before anything fails outright.
If the application sits exactly on the boundary — say a 40 mm cylinder with moderate cycle rates — the honest answer is to size the tubing first: AV03 wants Ø4/6 mm lines, AV05 Ø6/8 mm, and the pressure drop across a longer run can flip the decision on its own.