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Sanitary Butterfly Valves – All You Need to Know

Sanitary Butterfly Valves – All You Need to Know

Many industries manufacture sanitary butterfly valves. They come in different types. This is mainly to suit the needs of clients. In other terms, they are called the hygienic butterfly valve.

To get the best out of the valves, they must be of top quality. This reflects on the material used to make it. This way, it will not rust or malfunction. Also, the valves should be environmentally friendly. Then, you can use it without damaging the environment.

Read on to know more about the sanitary butterfly valves. 

What Are Sanitary Butterfly Valves?

To begin with, they are the quarter-turn type of valves. In operation, the valve is fully open or closed when the disc is rotated a quarter turn. They are also called the hygienic butterfly valves. They are stainless steel constructed which guarantees a lot of durabilities. It functions by controlling and isolating fluid flow.

They have different kinds of sanitary end connections, which can be the tri-clamp, butt-weld, thread, I-line, and flange, etc.

Uses

Sanitary butterfly valves are used in many industries. They help to regulate the liquid flow on various occasions.

They are used in fields such as, dairy, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and chemical processing. Also, they do well in food, beverages, beer, and winemaking.

Additionally, hygienic butterfly valves function in water filtration, textiles, fragrance, and flavor. The ink and paint industries utilize the work of a hygienic valve.

The valves are fully automated to perform as expected. They start the liquid and stop the flow through a pipe. It is, therefore, very effective and efficient.

As part of the procedure, the equipment has to be inspected. Sanitary and quality assurance bodies take part in the activity. This is to make sure that the valves measure up to health standards. This protects people from consuming harmful substances.

Sanitary Butterfly Valves Design

The body material is made of 300 series stainless steel. This means that the valve is of top-notch standards.

  • Hence, it is resistant against any heat and corrosion.

  • It will not wear out easily. This makes it the best to be used for food and other drinks.

  • They don’t rust at all making them clean and fit for use. The make is ideally for the disc and the body.

As for the seat, the butterfly valve has, silicone or EPDM. It also comprises of Viton. 

  • The seal is heat resistant, which elevates the performance. 

  • The best part about it is that they have been approved by the FDA. Thus, they are safe to be used in all industries.

  • This is particular to the pharmaceuticals and food industries. The materials are all user-friendly and secure.

Valves Sizes

Hygienic butterfly valves come in an array of sizes.

  • For instance, tri-clamp is widely known by people. It measures 1/2 inches to 12 inches.
  • The butt-weld has dimensions of 1/2 inches to 12 inches.
  • As for the thread, it measures between 1 to 6 inches.
  • The flange is about 1/2 to 10 inches in size. Finally, the I-Line end is from 1 to 6 inches as well.

Pressure Ranges

Sanitary butterfly valves work in a number of pressure points. First off, they function at certain psig/bars per diameter nominal. They are as follows:

  • 145psig about 10bar for DN25/1″-DN100/4″
  • 116psig or 8bar for DN125/5″-DN150/6″
  • 73psig approximately 5bar for DN200/8″-DN300/12″

Temperature Ranges

Sanitary butterfly valves operate under particular temperatures. With the different seals, their temperature ranges are diverse. Have a look at how they operate. Some seals can handle high temperatures while others handle them lower.

  • For the EPDM seal, the sanitary valve works at about 14°F to 248°F. In degrees Celsius it is from -10°C to 120°C.
  • Valves sealed with Silicone do well in -22°F to 356°F. This is approximate -30°C to 180°C.
  • The Viton-sealed hygienic valves work at 23°F to 356°F or about -5°C to 220°C.
  • Teflon valves are great performers at -4°F to +482°F. This translates to -20°C to 250°C.

How They Function

The manual operation is usually the common one.

Sanitary butterfly valves have a pull handle. It works in 4 different positions. Thus, they are versatile and flexible.

SIMPLE VALVES also pride in a lever handle that has 6-12 positions.

This heightens the performance level. In addition to that, it has a lockable handle. This means that there will be no liquid overflow. Similarly, the hand wheel turns in a smooth manner. It is adjustable for the valve to work optimally.

Actuators

The hygienic valves have a pneumatic actuator. It works in three ways, which are NC (normally closed), NO (normally closed) and AA (air to air). The normally closed function makes opening up by air, closing by spring. The normally open makes opening up by spring, closing by air input. The air to air function works by air for both opening up and closing. The vertical type is manufactured from 304SS material. The horizontal kind is made of aluminum.

The electric actuator can be turned on and off. Also, it has a signal feedback option, which is convenient. It sends back feedback on how the valve is working. They work by converting energy and make the valves rotate. This way, the actuators power up the entire system.

The actuators are vital for the operation of sanitary butterfly valves. They act as motors that cause the movement of the machine. Sanitary valves that have both functions are great. This is because they make work easier. The actuators are automated. On that note, they do the job faster than the manual function. Although it is by hand, it does a good job too. It is easy to operate due to its flexibility. Consequently, they complement each other. 

Surface Finish

The roughness is at Ra 32 microinches, and 0.8 micrometers as default. SIMPLE VALVES surface finish reaches up to Ra 16μin (0.4μm) as best. This shows that the surface is of quality. It will, therefore, not get any scratches.

Overall, the hygienic valves perform well. They meet the FDA and USDA requirements. This shows that when used for production, they already meet safety precautions. You can’t find pieces of metal in the food or cosmetics. To top it up, the clothes you wear are metal-free.

Conclusion

To sum up, sanitary butterfly valves are vital in many industries. They are of world-class quality since they have been approved. Accordingly, they are of great worth. They function using the actuators and manual handles. They come in diverse sizes and designs.

All in all, they have different seals. Each of them has a particular pressure and temperature range. The stainless steel stands out in the market. They are non-corrosive, which makes them durable.

Contact Us

As a manufacturer of stainless steel sanitary valves, SIMPLE VALVES aims to arm its potential customers with information that would help them in making an informed decision. 

If you would like to contact one of our sales representatives, please feel free to email us at sales@simplevalves.com or submit your request directly in below form.

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