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Informative Content About Our Products and Industry
Determining the Proper Actuator for Your System
When you need a complete valve and actuator assembly, many actuators are already matched to the valve you’re looking for as a pre-configured complete unit. To decide which one you need, there are a few questions you should ask. 1) What kind of environment will the actuator/valve assembly be installed in? Wash down, hazardous, outside ... Determining the Proper Actuator for Your System
What Is A Sanitary Ball Type Check Valve and How Does It Work?
TOP-FLO® Ball-type check valves are one of the styles of check valves used for low-viscosity fluid backflow prevention in sanitary piping systems. Typical applications for a Steel & O’Brien ball check valve in a sanitary system include water, CIP, raw and finished milk, soft drinks, and fruit juice. This style of valve depends on downstream ... What Is A Sanitary Ball Type Check Valve and How Does It Work?
Do You Need Help Assembling a Centrifugal Pump?
Are you struggling with centrifugal pump assembly? You’re not alone. In this video, we’ll walk you through the full step-by-step process of assembling a centrifugal pump correctly. From preparing your components to aligning the pump and motor, we’ll share expert tips to avoid common mistakes and ensure your pump runs smoothly. Whether you’re an engineer, ... Do You Need Help Assembling a Centrifugal Pump?
Hygienic Valve Considerations For Compendial Water Systems
Hygienic valve selection plays a critical role in maintaining product quality, reducing contamination risk, and ensuring reliable system performance. From valve design and seal materials to sanitization methods and operating conditions, every component must be evaluated to support safe and efficient processing in sanitary applications. Typical system operating parameters Most hygienic processing systems operate within ... Hygienic Valve Considerations For Compendial Water Systems
Over-Pressure Protection for Hygienic Processing
Unexpected pressure spikes and pump over-pressure conditions can damage sanitary processing equipment, leading to downtime and costly repairs. The Definox DCX3 adjustable relief valve is designed to protect piping and equipment in food, dairy, beverage, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical applications. The sanitary valve design allows operators to easily adjust the cracking pressure using the fine-thread adjusting ... Over-Pressure Protection for Hygienic Processing
Diaphragm Valve Manual Bonnet Selection
Since 1997, Steel & O’Brien manual bonnet assemblies have delivered proven performance in demanding sanitary processing applications. Built on a time-tested design, these assemblies combine durability, reliability, and user-friendly operation with premium standard features that are often considered optional upgrades on competitive models. Standard features include: Sanitary internals FDA FKM O-ring sealed hand wheel and ... Diaphragm Valve Manual Bonnet Selection
Clean-in-Place Made Simple: Pumps You Can Rely On
Reliable pump performance is essential in sanitary processing environments where efficiency, cleanability, and product integrity are critical. From craft breweries to dairy plants and food production facilities, processors need pumps that can handle demanding applications while supporting hygienic operation and easy maintenance. Steel & O’Brien’s TOP-FLO® centrifugal pumps are designed to meet those challenges. Trusted ... Clean-in-Place Made Simple: Pumps You Can Rely On
Choose the Best Pump for Your System
Selecting the right sanitary pump is essential for maintaining efficient product flow, system reliability, and hygienic operation. Steel & O’Brien’s pump data sheet is designed to help gather the critical application details needed to properly size and configure a pump for your process. By providing accurate operating conditions, product characteristics, and system requirements, Steel & ... Choose the Best Pump for Your System
What Is That Clicking Noise In My Pump?
If you hear a clicking noise during a CIP cycle, it is often a normal part of your pump’s self-cleaning operation. The TOP-FLO TF-C Series Pump is specifically designed for Clean-in-Place (CIP) applications, allowing processors to clean and sanitize product-contact surfaces without disassembling the pump. The TF-C Series features angular grooves on the impeller hub ... What Is That Clicking Noise In My Pump?
What makes a MPTFE faced diaphragms “steam grade”?
Steam-grade MPTFE faced diaphragms are manufactured in a specific way to increase their life expectancy under repeated SIP (Steam-In-Place) conditions that occur during bioburden control of a pharmaceutical system. Modified PTFE (MPTFE) is used for steam-grade-rated diaphragms in lieu of virgin PTFE due to its superior physical and mechanical properties. The finished MPTFE diaphragm face ... What makes a MPTFE faced diaphragms “steam grade”?
How to Choose the Right Sanitary Sample Valve
In sanitary processing environments, accurate product sampling is critical to maintaining product quality, consistency, and safety. Whether in pharmaceutical production, food processing, brewing, or dairy applications, sample valves play an essential role in validating process integrity at every stage of production. Choosing the right sample valve helps ensure reliable sampling while supporting cleanability, drainability, and ... How to Choose the Right Sanitary Sample Valve
What Is NPSHr For Pumps?
When selecting a sanitary pump for food, beverage, dairy, pharmaceutical, or personal care applications, understanding NPSHr is critical to ensuring reliable pump performance and preventing costly damage. NPSHr, or Net Positive Suction Head Required, plays a major role in determining whether a pump will operate efficiently or experience cavitation issues that can shorten equipment life ... What Is NPSHr For Pumps?