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FEATURE HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS
THE SUSTAINABILITY ADVANTAGES OF HYDROFORMED VALVE BODIES
The Bürkert Tube
Valve Body generates 58% less emissions in carbon dioxide equivalent during its manufacture
DURABILITY To ensure optimum durability, the design and manufacturing techniques of the valve body have to meet burst and leak pressure specifications. A safety factor multiple times the required real- world level can be achieved through the hydroforming and annealing processes, combined with the necessary conformance in wall thickness. It’s also essential to ensure that any welding can withstand the sudden temperature changes of sterilization and cooling, as well as resistance to cracking under vibration. Equally crucial is hygienic conformance. 316L
Kieran Bennet, industry manager food & beverage, chemical & petrochemical at
Bürkert, looks into the benefits of hydroformed valve bodies for fluid control applications
I
n sectors such as pharmaceuticals and food & beverage production, diaphragm valves can be used to meet hygiene requirements.
Not only do these prevent contamination, but their design enables cleaning and sterilisation to meet regulatory standards. Clean in place (CIP) and sterilisation in
place (SIP) practices are essential, however these require time and energy. An hygienic system, comprising tubing and valves, is steam sterilised to over 100˚C and then air cooled to below 45˚C. The longer each process takes, the lower the system’s production capacity – and the more energy used. Although they comprise just a fraction of
the system’s total length of tube, even when hundreds might be used, production cannot resume until the valve bodies are cleaned, sterilised and cooled. Valve body specification is therefore highly important.
SAVINGS Diaphragm valve bodies are traditionally forged, with the stainless steel heated and compressed into place. A forged valve body has a longer heat transfer capacity, so a cast design, where the stainless steel is shaped in a mould, is preferable. A valve body manufactured with hydroforming will be faster at both heating up and cooling down. This involves high pressure fluid to create the design and can be combined with annealing to increase durability by relieving residual stress and improving corrosion resistance, as well as laser welding to establish a hygienic seal. Together, these manufacturing techniques
create a more lightweight valve body design, and this low mass achieves rapid heat transfer. While a forged valve body can take nearly ten minutes to cool down to 45˚C from the sterilisation temperature, a comparative hydroformed valve
52 DESIGN SOLUTIONS JUNE 2024
body reaches the mark in just over four minutes – speeding up production turnaround. A hydroformed design also
reduces the steam requirement, and hence energy use, necessary during SIP. This can represent a significant cost saving, especially when multiplied across all installed valves. Hydroformed valve bodies can also be as much as 75% lighter, which saves costs in installation with fewer supporting structures required. According to the independent verifier, Trusted Footprint, comparing
1” tubing, up to 38% less gCO2 equivalent can be saved by using a hydroformed design – such as the Bürkert Tube Valve Body – rather than a forged variant. Taking carbon emissions in
stainless steel achieves this and the design, including weld lines, has to remain corrosion- free under intensive saline testing. Ultimately, a material inspection certificate 3.1 according to EN10204, with a CIP-capable design that meets EHEDG Type EL, CLASS I Certification, as well as 3-A Sanitary Standards, creates trust in hygienic conformance.
SUSTAINABILITY While reliability and hygienic conformance should be a given in specification, optimising valve body design can not only increase productivity but can also enhance sustainability. Lower energy use in operation, in addition to the lower carbon emissions in valve body manufacture, can help provide a pharma, food
“While reliability and hygienic conformance
should be a given in specification, optimising valve body design can not only increase
productivity but can also enhance sustainability”
valve body manufacture into consideration, hydroforming is also far greener. For a 1.5” device, Trusted Footprint confirms that the Bürkert Tube Valve Body generates 58% less emissions in carbon dioxide equivalent during its manufacture, which includes steel production as well as processing techniques, compared to a forged body of the same size.
& bev or cosmetics manufacturer, with the sustainability credentials they need from a supplier. Furthermore, light, strong, tube valve bodies, can help to reduce production costs.
Burkert Fluid Control Systems T: 01285 648761
www.burkert.co.uk
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