Hydroformed diaphragm valve bodies are the sustainable way

22 October, 2024

Reliability and hygienic conformance

Although cost saving and sustainability improvements are highly important, valve body performance is fundamental. 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 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, create trust in hygienic conformance.

Meeting standards in 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 pharmaceutical, food & beverage, or cosmetics manufacturer with the sustainability credentials they need from a supplier. Integrating light, strong tube valve bodies, these producers can reduce costs in production as well.

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According to the independent verifier, Trusted Footprint, comparing 1” tubing, up to 38% less gCO2 equivalent can be saved by using a hydroformed design, like the Bürkert Tube Valve Body, rather than a forged variant. Taking carbon emissions in 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.

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