Valves in action -
Pressure reducing valve DM 462
No ultra-pure steam – no pharmaceutical factory
Most of the production sites in many industries require steam as an essential energy source. Steam is used whenever the supply of heat is mandatory for process engineering circuits. When it concerns pharmaceutical companies, the pure steam generator is among the most important devices, because it serves to produce ultra-pure, sterile and pyrogen-free steam from fully demineralised water. Such ultra-pure steam is suitable for SIP sterilisation of equipment components, for instance tanks, mixing tanks, pipeline systems, bottling machines, filters, room humidification systems for clean rooms etc. The long list shows the broad spectrum of flow rates generally needed for pure steam generators.
Main component of a pure steam generator is a tube bundle heat exchanger connected to an evaporator with a high-volume water feed. Evaporation is done in the natural circulation mode. The device is heated with saturated steam, which is not yet sterile, through the heat exchanger jacket. Pressure reducing valves reliably reduce the pressure of the steam which is conducted into the heating jacket as well as downstream of the heat exchanger towards the branching to the plant component or components. In doing so, various sizes of the Mankenberg pressure reducing valve DM 462 are employed. The valve is available in nominal diametres from DN 25 through to DN 80 or DN 100 for pharma applications with tempered (electropolished) surfaces and all types of connections such as aseptic flanges, Tri-Clamps or similar. In addition, the use of 1.4435 steel and low deltaferrite contents, that are frequently demanded by the pharmaceutical industry, are ensured with the DM 462.
