Sanitary Divert Valves & Tube Fittings for High-Viscosity Food Processing: Ketchup, Chocolate Syrup & Salad Dressing Applications(Part 2)

Selection and Process Adaptation of Divert Valves and Tube Fittings
The selection of divert valves and tube fittings in high‑viscosity food processing requires comprehensive consideration of three dimensions: material properties, process requirements, and hygiene standards.

Ball valves – the first choice for high‑viscosity materials. The Alfa Laval SBV sanitary ball valve is specifically designed as a product valve for the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. The full‑bore design with no flow obstruction makes it the ideal choice for viscous liquids or liquids containing solid particles. The precision‑machined ball with a bore is located inside the valve body, with 90° rotation for on/off operation. Featuring PTFE seats and EPDM seals, the temperature range reaches 10°C to 130°C. The internal surface is polished to Ra < 0.8μm. The Type A forged sanitary ball valve features a fully open valve cavity design that creates no fluid resistance, making it particularly suitable for conveying high‑quality hygienic liquids and handling viscous or particulate‑containing fluids.

Divert valves – the core tool for multi‑way switching. Sanitary divert valves are manufactured from 316L stainless steel and meet 3‑A sanitary standards. The ISO80 flex bellows formed design is suitable for reliable performance in CIP systems. The GEA FLOWVENT divert valve series covers all important applications in the food, dairy, brewing, and beverage industries. Divert valve design requires special attention to dead volume – any dead corners can cause retention and spoilage of high‑viscosity materials.

Insulated ball valves – assurance for temperature‑sensitive products. For high‑viscosity, temperature‑sensitive products such as chocolate syrup, sanitary insulated ball valves are critical equipment for ensuring clear pipelines. Insulated valves circulate hot water or steam through the jacket to maintain material temperature in the pipeline, preventing viscosity increase and solidification blockage caused by temperature drops.

Tube fitting configurations – building a complete system. Sanitary tube fittings include 90° and 45° elbows, equal tees, reducing tees, concentric and eccentric reducers, and more. Fittings are designed according to the no‑retention principle, ensuring no sanitary dead corners. Connection methods include clamp‑type and quick‑connect, facilitating installation, maintenance, and CIP cleaning.

Key considerations in selection include: media temperature, pressure, viscosity, and corrosivity; whether CIP/SIP compatibility is required; whether 3‑A or EHEDG certification is needed; and the level of system automation and control requirements.

For the production of ketchup, chocolate syrup, and salad dressing, a properly selected divert valve and tube fitting system is the foundation for ensuring continuous production, product quality, and hygiene safety. From the mixing tank to the filling head, from the product transfer circuit to the CIP cleaning circuit, a well‑designed sanitary divert valve and tube fitting system ensures that high‑viscosity materials flow smoothly through the entire production process, with no retention and no contamination.