Valves in action -
Pressure reducing valve DM 652
Pressure regulation of clean steam in a filling plant
In the foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals industries as well as in hospitals, cleanliness alone is not sufficient but special attention must be paid to sterility. Without the use of sterile plants and packagings, the application life of food and medicine is considerably reduced.
In general, steam is used for the sterilisation of entire production plants. In its capacity as transport medium for thermal energy, steam ensures that all plant components are heated to abt. 121 °C and possibly existing germs are effectively killed. The steam used for this purpose is normally produced in a central steam generator and subsequently cleaned to correspond to the required quality and then reduced to the pressure level needed on the spot.
If, for example, cleaning of the entire plant is required after sterilisation liquids have been aseptically filled, clean steam in the secondary circuit is brought to the necessary pressure level by means of Mankenberg’s pressure reducing valve DM 652. The valve made of deep-drawn stainless steel with DN 32 aseptic flanges and PTFE elastomers meets the severe requirements of the pharmaceutical industry and is also used in the foodstuffs industry.
The customary steam flow rates amount to 300 kg/h at a temperature of max. 190 °C. In this case the pressure reducing valve DM 652 reduces the inlet pressure of abt. 5 bar to a constant outlet pressure of 2.5 bar. The high volumetric flows and regulating accuracy of the DM 652 facilitate the fast and effective sterilisation of the plant. Short downtimes allow for longer production cycles and enhance the productivity of the plant.
