Tyco opens new Dutch Hovap pla

Tyco Valves and Controls has opened a new purpose-built plant at Sneek, near Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, for the production of hygienic valve applications, including the Hovap brand.

The company says the 1340m2 factory, with 460m2 of office space, will service not only Dutch customers but will form an important support for overseas markets.

Hovap is a range of flow control equipment specifically designed to offer solutions for hygienic and sanitary applications within the dairy, brewing, food processing, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. The Sneek plant will provide a production and test facility for the often extremely large dairy industry manifolds to verify that they are 100% leak-proof.

The company has also expanded its range of valves for hygienic applications with the introduction of the new Keystone F250D double block and bleed butterfly valve (BFV). The unit consists of two sets of standard F250 BFV components mounted in tandem within a single integral valve body to provide an inline separation cavity when both valves are in the closed position. The cavity permits the isolation of two non-compatible fluids such as CIP detergents and product.

The separation cavity has two pneumatically interlocked poppet valves, tangentially opposed to provide for the introduction and draining of CIP or flushing liquids. The positioning of the poppet valves results in a turbulent washing action, as well as the provision of a drain to atmosphere, should either of the separate BFV seats fail.

The F250D BFV has a special linkage, which also operates the poppet valves, and a safety guard that means that only one actuator is required. A travel-limited actuator facilitates disc overlap so that the leakage cavity volume can be minimised.