Processing
The Proof Is In The Mix:
Valves for Safe Separation and Product Flow
Valves perform small but
vital functions to control,
regulate, direct and clean
process lines. We speak to
an international fluid
handling expert to find out
the concerns that are
driving the development
of process valves and the
key issues faced by users
who want to obtain peak
performance from their
valve units.
14 FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY/MARCH 2007
W
AY BACK in 1954 in Unna-Königsborn, Germany, a supplier of
stainless steel products to the beverage industry called Rosista
began to develop and produce valves. By 1973, the company had
acquired sufficient command of the field to introduce the DELTA D1 series,
APV’s first double-seat valves.
Rosista was acquired by the British engineering group APV in 1986 and
today, as a part of Invensys plc, the DELTA valve range comprises a broad
spectrum of high performance flow and process control solutions for food
and beverage plants. At the most basic level, problem-free material flow –
including secure shut-off and product changeover control – is provided by
various butterfly and single seat valves, available in both manual and
automatically-operated versions. APV has enhanced the safety of these valves
with designs that incorporate a membrane on the valve stem to prevent
contamination as a result of the stem moving in and out of the valve.
Mix proof valves are designed for safe
separation of different fluids or media. These
include valves with two seals on the valve stem
that prevent product mixing even if one of the
seals should break. There are also valves with
two independent valve stems, each with its own
valve seats, that offer fully leakproof operation
and separation of media such as product and CIP
fluid. Features that preserve the integrity of these
valves include protection against water hammer;
hygienic, crevice-free contours and seals; and
shielding of all moving parts.
Process valves perform a host of other
functions. Safety valves protect tanks against overpressure, while vacuum
breakers keep vessels secure against vacuum. Constant pressure valves
ensure constant pressure in critical process applications like UHT or
fillers. Pressure relief valves guard against pressure dips and surges
respectively. Non-return valves keep media from running backward in
the pipeline. Sampling valves permit the safe extraction of product
from the process line for evaluation.
Increasingly, food and beverage companies are also opting for
greater automation of their valve systems, with intelligent control
units and networks that allow precise monitoring and manipulation
of the valves. Integration with plant field bus and PLC systems
is also sought by producers who want better diagnostic and
feedback capabilities in order to maximise their plant’s
performance.
Designed for greater hygiene
The task of ensuring that the valves and myriad other fittings in
a process line are in tip-top shape falls on individuals such as Herbert
Timmermann, a Customer Service Support Engineer with APV’s Fluid
Handling unit. Midway through a series of service and training visits to clients
 Processing

in the region, Mr Timmermann

took a little time off to share his
observations on valve technology
and maintenance.
“Well-designed equipment will help
While the basic design of reduce downtime,” stressed APV’s
valves has evolved relatively little Herbert Timmermann. “If you have
in recent years, hygiene has equipment which is cleanable-in-place
emerged as the most sought-after but has some design faults, then there
feature by processors. “Users of is still a risk that you could create
backtraps that are not easy to clean.
valves have looked very deeply But if the design of the valve results in
into the cleaning features of optimal velocity, you need much less
valves,” noted Mr Timmermann, time to clean it properly.”
“there is increasing demand for
ultra-high hygienic valves, and the reason for that is the create backtraps that are not easy to clean,” he pointed
desire for longer shelf life products without the need to out. “But if the design of the valve results in optimal
use too many preservatives.” velocity, you need much less time to clean it properly.”
Mr Timmermann gives the example how globular- APV’s standard valves also fulfil the sanitary standards
shaped valve bodies are increasingly coming into play demanded by the European Hygienic Engineering Design
over traditional cylindrical housings. The former has the Group (EHEDG) and the American 3A Association.
advantage “that the inner diameter of the connection port Sampling points can represent a weak link in process
is exactly the same as the inner height inside the valve lines should the extraction of samples result in
housing, which means that you do not have any sumps or contamination of the sample. Maintaining the integrity
dead zones.” The compact, globular housing also helps of the sample is also vital to prevent false positive results.
generate greater flow velocity into the valve, thus making “If there is any wrong sampling result, it can lead to
it easier to clean. dramatic product callback which will have a very negative
Other inherent aspects of valve design that contribute result on the reputation of the producer,” warned Mr
to better hygiene involve CIP-ability. According to Mr Timmermann. “So sampling valves must be very well
Timmermann, APV is the only supplier to offer a double designed to allow for quick and proper sterilisation before
seat valve with an integrated seat lifting cylinder which any samples are taken.”
allows flushing of the shaft seals. This means that “all
product-wetted surfaces and Parts that last
seals can be cleaned-in-place; The true total cost of using third party parts must The lifetime reliability
be considered, which includes the cost of downtime
this means that even the shaft and repairs from poor
of valves is also vital if oft-
seals are flushed in place and quality components. overlooked contributor to
that’s unique to APV valves.” worry-free operation. Mr
A built-in spray nozzle also Timmermann testifies to
helps to clean independently the robustness of APV’s
from seat lifting the leakage valves, having had precious
chamber if required. few encounters with
Such fully CIP-able valves problems involving APV
(see also box story on next installations throughout his
page) also greatly reduces the many years in the field.
need for disassembling valve “We are confident in the
units for manual cleaning. reliability of our products,”
“Well-designed equipment he stated, pointing out that
will help reduce downtime,” APV’s valve actuators are
stressed Mr Timmermann, maintenance free and come
adding that hygiene has to be with a 5-year guarantee.
considered in totality. “If you “We have some special
have equipment which is features which controls the
cleanable-in-place but has compression on the seat
some design faults, then there seals,” he added, “which
is still a risk that you could means that the lifetime of

FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY/MARCH 2007 15

 Processing

New double seal valve cuts

the cost of CIP line separation
APV has just launched the DELTA SWcip4, a double seal valve for demanding
CIP applications in the dairy, beverage and brewing industries.
According to Mr Timmermann, this new valve is ideal for “safe separation
of different liquids,” which in this case involves safe separation of the CIP lines.
“You want to make sure that you do not get any acid in your CIP return line to
the caustic tank,” he explained, “and this can be achieved by a double seat valve,
but it can also be achieved by a double seal valve, which is a cheaper solution.”
Thus, the DELTA SWcip4 fits applications where mostly costly double seat
valves would be overengineered. The same function could also be attained by
installing 3 butterfly valves, but Mr Timmermann pointed out that this “means
you have more input output signals and you need more solenoid valves, so if
you compare the cost of 3 butterfly valves with the cost of one SWcip4 valve,
you will reach the obvious conclusion.”
Based on the established DELTA SW4 single-seat valve and the DELTA
SD4 double seal valve, the SWcip4 features a sturdy ball-shaped housing with
an extra thick wall to minimise stress to the seat area. Wear resistant shaft seals
and bearings increase the seal lifetime and minimise maintenance requirements.
A metallic stop ensures defined compression of the seat area to reduce stress on
the seals.
To indicate potential leaks between the seals, there is a leakage valve, which
is controlled via the pneumatic actuator that comes with a 5-year guarantee.

our seals is much longer compared to a valve where the
seal is fully exposed to the compression of the spring
inside the actuator.”
With seals, gaskets and other spare parts that need
periodic replacement, many users face the issue of third-
party consumables with tempting price lists. Mr
Timmermann’s view is that users should consider the true
costs involved in installing parts that come without the
original equipment manufacturer’s guarantees. He has
seen a number of cases where clients have tried out non-
original consumables but added: “I also know
that after a period of time they came back and
asked for the genuine spare parts, because they
have experienced that the lifetime of these
copied spare parts is much less than the genuine
ones, so they end up paying much more.”
“If you look at the cost of spare parts, you
must not only look at the cost of the physical part,
but also the cost of downtime – the time required
to change the seals – at the end of the day, the user
faces much greater costs that he would have using
genuine spare parts.”
Creating intelligent solutions
Mr Timmermann’s visits to client sites involve
helping to iron out kinks in order to optimise the
process line. But at the same time, “the more the
process is optimised, the better the flow control that’s
needed.” He elaborates: “If you want to have proper
control over your product flow, you need to have either
control units or proximity switches so you always get
feedback of your valve positions, whether it’s open or
closed.”
On this note, it can be quite a challenge helping clients
manage the transition from legacy systems to an
intelligent, automated setup. Mr Timmermann recalls one
case where a user had all his valves equipped with control
units which in turn were supposed to be connected to a
PLC, but “the interesting thing was that not a single
valve was actually connected to the PLC!”
This was due to a technical misunderstanding. The
valves were originally linked to the PLC but they
received some wrong feedback because the proximity
switches were not properly set. “The sensors have to
be in a certain position, depending on the stroke of
the actuator,” explained Mr Timmermann, “And as
they were not in the right position, they did not get
any feedback, and so they thought something was
wrong!” As a simple measure, the user simply
cut the cables to the PLC and ran the system
without getting feedback on the valves’
position, until Mr Timmermann pointed out
the solution to them.
Another visit, this time to a UHT dairy plant,

16 FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY/MARCH 2007


revealed a problem in valve selection. The company was
using single seat changeover valves, which Mr
Timmermann clarified was not the right solution. “If you
have a UHT plant and run your product in a loop until
you reach the desired temperature, you need a double seat
changeover valve when you want to change the product
flow from the unpasteurised to the pasteurised line,” he
explained. “We pointed out the risks which the customer
had already seen for himself” and the user was convinced
that immediate action to change the existing valves was
needed.
Train for future gain
Personnel training is also a key aspect of Mr
Timmermann’s site visits. “Maintenance staff need proper
training so that they are more familiar with the system,”
he remarked, noting that this is one facet in which some
homegrown food companies in the region fall behind their
multinational counterparts. On its part, APV is able to
provide in-plant training sessions to users, and has seen
“very positive responses” to this programme, according
to Mr Timmermann. “We have customers in Malaysia as
well as Thailand who are very interested in this, and we
are organising a schedule and telling the companies of
the time frame and conditions.”
Processing
Maintenance staff are the target audience and the
sessions span a full day, with hands-on training on
assembling and disassembling valves and basic
troubleshooting. “The benefit for the customer is that the
maintenance people become familiar with the valves,”
said Mr Timmermann, “and that they are not afraid of
touching the valve.” This is the case even in Europe, where
Mr Timmermann was once asked by a major Germany
brewery to coach its workers on valve maintenance. “The
reason was that the valves had been installed in this
brewery for more than five years, and they have never
had to do maintenances, so the people didn’t feel
comfortable and asked for training,” he recalled. “They
didn’t want to just take the valve apart, disassemble it
and not know how to change the seals, etc… so there’s
increasing demand for this kind of training.”
Such training schemes are a must for companies
seeking quality certification, but Mr Timmermann stressed
the precautionary wisdom that underlies this demand:
“They realise that it’s very important that their people
are trained properly so that they have the skills to maintain
a product used in the process lines so that the risk of any
contamination or premature failure is eliminated.”
Enquiry No: 017
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY/MARCH 2007 17