This case study analyzes the integration and validation of hygienic-grade stainless steel butterfly valves into the fluid transfer system of a brewery. The project was initiated to modernize the facility's piping, improve automated Clean-in-Place (CIP) performance, and eliminate potential sources of microbial contamination that were difficult to clean with the previous valve technology.
Background and Project Scope
The customer is a craft brewery that currently uses outdated stainless steel butterfly valves with design flaws, such as dead chambers and poor sealing, which not only hinder effective cleaning work but also pose a risk of contamination.
The customer orders modern sanitary butterfly valves from Jianen to improve hygiene standards.
Establish consistent and validated cleaning procedures to reduce product loss and contamination risks caused by poor sealing, in compliance with food and beverage hygiene standards.
engineering Design and valve selection
The engineering team selected Jianen's 3A pneumatic clamp butterfly valve (specific model NO.JG1176) and 3A pneumatic threaded butterfly valve (specific model NO.JG1166).
Clamp joints were used for connection and welded by qualified personnel to ensure smooth joints.
| Feature | Engineering Consideration | Rationale and Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Material | All product-contact surfaces were specified to be AISI 316L stainless steel. | 316L offers superior corrosion resistance, important for preventing bacterial harbor points. |
| Valve Seat Design | New sealing design to minimize dead spaces. | T-smart valves include a design for defined seal compression and a hygienic leakage system to prevent product entrapment. |
| Cleanability | Compatibility with automated CIP/SIP. | The valves feature a smooth, gap-free design and leakage ports for verifying cleaning. |
| Automation | Integration into the automated system. | Valves were paired with pneumatic actuators and Alfa Laval ThinkTop control units for automated operation and efficiency. |
Disassembly diagram of the sanitary stainless steel pneumatic butterfly valve
Conclusion
The new valve significantly improves hygiene, efficiency, reliability, and process transparency. Automated cleaning reduces cleaning time by 20%, sturdy seals and 316L stainless steel reduce the risk of leakage, and the automated control unit provides data for tracing cleaning history.
This case study emphasizes the importance of sanitary design and material selection in valves used for sensitive processes. The sanitary butterfly valve of Jianen Company was replaced with the existing valve, successfully solving the hygiene and efficiency problems of the brewery, improving product quality, and optimizing the production process.