Dec Safe Dock Valve: Flexible connection with full containment

Dec Group has unveiled the latest addition to its ‘Containment out of the Box’ powder handling solutions, the Dec Safe Dock-Valve.

Safe Dock Valve allows connection of a Powder Transfer System (PTS) flexible hose to rotating equipment in a fully contained way, using a unique split valve system.

Applications and Features

The Safe Dock split valve can be used in various applications:

• Contained discharge from a dryer via continuous liner using the PTS–DosiValve system
• Container sampling with an MPTS system
• Filling of suspension in a dryer

In all cases it maintains full equipment function and flexibility, combined with very high degree of powder containment.

Design and Engineering

The valve is full bore with various internal diameters, from DN 25 to DN 80, matching PTS hose bores, to prevent any product blockages or obstruction to flow.

The split valve features a flexible ‘active’ section, hosting all valves and controls, that mates with a ‘passive ‘section that is rigidly attached to the equipment.

This provides a solution that is easier to manipulate and operate, as well as a CIP capability that can be used before disconnection to ensure total containment.

Cleaning and Drying

In cleaning tests, a Safe Dock Valve that had been used for one hour of powder circulation (using Lactose) was subjected to three minutes of cleaning with water injection. The result was no powder left inside the split valve.

The split valve system is also easy to dry. Water CIP cleaning, as described above, was followed by five minutes of drying with air injection resulting in all surfaces 99% water-free.

Features and benefits

The Dec Dock Valve delivers a series of clear user benefits:

• Free and unobstructed powder flows
• Assured high containment
• Low OEL levels
• Easy connection and disconnection
• Direct access to valve controls
• Easy and thorough CIP/SIP
• Easy drying in place

Dec Group

Dec (Dietrich Engineering Consultants) Group is the leading global provider of contained powder handling systems and is recognized as a world-leading expert in process containment technologies. It has been supplying the pharmaceutical, chemical, food and cosmetic industries for 30 years.

Headquartered near Lausanne, Switzerland, Dec Group has a global presence with subsidiaries and agents in more than 30 countries including European subsidiaries in the UK, Ireland, Germany and Poland, together with Asian offices in India and China, and a North American subsidiary in New Jersey.

In excess of 200 companies worldwide have successfully integrated more than 4000 Dec systems into their production sites. These include a wide range of patented products that enhance safety, hygiene, containment, reliability and productivity in powder handling.

Dec offers innovative approaches across the range of powder handling and process containment applications, including transfer, micronizing, filling/emptying, sampling, mixing/blending, dosing, aseptic solutions, milling, isolators and advanced cleaning (CIP/SIP) features.