Tag Archives: valve

From the Learning Center: Valve Selection

Posted by J.R. Banks  –  Processing & Flow Control
July 16, 2014

ButterflyValveNelson-Jameson has a wide variety of valves to offer our customers. The following list presents some criteria to help identify a suitable valve for a given application or service:

Fluid Service
The type of fluid, whether it is a gas, liquid, slurry, clean, abrasive, etc… determines the type of valves to be chosen. The chemistry of the fluid service determines the material of construction to be chosen for the valve.

Pressure and Temperature Conditions
Operating pressures and temperature conditions will affect the type of valve and material of construction to be chosen.

Line Size
The line size can be a crucial factor in determining the valve type. For very large pipes, compact valves such as butterfly valves may be chosen at times due to smaller size and weight. Availability of a particular type valve for the chosen line size is also an important factor. All types of valves may not be available for the chosen line size.

Throttling (controlling flow) Characteristics
Only some types of valves offer good throttling characteristics (e.g. globe or diaphragm valves).

Pressure Drop
Larger pressure drops increase the pumping cost. Smaller pressure drops increase the valve cost because a larger valve would be needed.

Special Functional Requirements
The actual function for which the valve is required may allow for special criteria in selecting the valve. For example, if the application requires the valve to open quickly, a ball valve would be a good fit.

Please consider these criteria to select the valve that is right for you. For further assistance, please contact our Process Flow Department at 800-826-8302.

To shop our selection of valves available online, click here.

Source: Engineering Design Encyclopedia

About Our Learning Center
To make informed decisions in the food, dairy and beverage industries, you need to have in-depth product knowledge and a variety of educational resources. Our Learning Center is designed to help you with all that. Visit our Learning Center today!

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Pumps & Valves 101

Posted by J.R. Banks  –  Cheese & Dairy Products, Processing & Flow Control
December 18, 2013

1000709Pumps and valves are the hearts and lungs of a dairy processing plant. They control the flow of fluid milk, cheese curds, ice cream mix, and other dairy products through a facility. Pumps move ingredients from vats to fillers and valves direct liquids to a line and allow for cleaning. Choosing the right equipment for a given application is critical for a plant to lower waste and increase production.

downloadAny pump or valve considered for a processing system should bear a 3-A symbol. 3-A Sanitary Standards Inc. is an independent, non-profit corporation dedicated to advancing hygienic equipment design for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. The 3-A symbol assures that the equipment is configured and built to exacting sanitary standards.

A well designed pump or valve allows for complete and efficient CIP (Cleaning in Place). The pump or valve would have minimal dead zones, no sharp corners, or other places where product entrapment could occur. Product entrapment may result in cross contamination and loss of product.

Unique Mixproof changed

Along with an easy to clean design, it is important to use proper seal materials and elastomers. Seal materials should be compatible with all product ranges. Choose the seal material that stands up to the most demanding application. EPDM is often the standard elastomer for pumps and valves because the material is resistant to most fluids used in a dairy processing plant. However, high temperatures and product compatibility may require different types, such as Viton, Buna, Silicone, etc….

Proper design coupled with the correct seals and elastomers will allow for an efficient, clean, and productive pump or valve. Here at Nelson-Jameson are in the unique position of offering these products to our customers, and possessing baseline knowledge will help us provide the service they have come to expect. Pumps and valves are critical in the day to day operations of a dairy plant. For more information on pumps and valves, contact our Process Systems Department at 800-826-8302 or see our website.

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Tech Tip: Choosing the Proper Lubricant for Pumps & Valves

Posted by Nelson-Jameson, Inc.  –  Food Safety, General, Processing & Flow Control, Production & Material Handling, Sanitation & Janitorial
March 13, 2013

EPDM is the standard elastomer on many pumps and valves and is not compatible with petroleum-based products. Using lubricants such as the popular Petro-Gel in these applications is not a good choice as it will degrade your equipment elastomers and decrease the life of your parts.

Due to the high melting point, Petro-Gel and similar non-CIP lubricants have the potential to contaminate your product with bacteria such as Listeria. Petro-Gel has a melting point of 190°F, and typical CIP cycles are only 160-180°F, meaning the residue will not melt and clean away. If a spare part somehow came in contact with bacteria, the high melting point of these non-CIP lubricants would function to protect the bacteria during the CIP cycle and could contaminate your products!

To lubricate your EPDM pump and valve parts, use Haynes or McGlaughlin CIP films (312-2020 or 435-2005). With melting points of 120°F, they will wash away completely during your CIP cycle.

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