GEA’s control top generation provides explosion protection
GEA has completed the T.VIS control top series with a version for potentially explosive processes, the GEA T.VIS E-20 in the the dairy industry, among others, which process highly flammable hazardous substances.
In the food, dairy, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, where powders and liquids are processed, gas and dust explosions are among the greatest production hazards. Examples of highly flammable substances include alcohols, dyes and hydrocarbons, but can also be found in everyday products such as flour, pudding powder, instant coffee, sugar, milk powder, potato and soup powder.
“Usually, fine dust is produced when solid materials are ground. When this comes into contact with oxygen, even small amounts of energy are sufficient to cause ignition,” explained product manager Bernd Porath, who is in charge of valve controls at GEA.
Manufacturers must protect their equipment from explosion (“Ex”) hazards. For valves controlling the flow of products at the interfaces between important process steps, it is all the more important to adapt all components and functions to the challenge of operational reliability.
“Every new development must pass global Ex certification, Porath added. “For example, manufacturers want to identify the status of a valve at a glance. Therefore, we developed an Ex-compliant status indication. We use LEDs with limited ignition energy that glow like a star in the hood of the control top, clearly indicating the active position.”
Like all control tops of the T.VIS family, the new Ex-protected version has a very compact design. The low installation height of only 160 millimetres facilitates installation and maintenance. The T.VIS E-20 also does without the switch rod, which was still used in the predecessor model GEA SES for the mechanical status indicator of the valve. Since it protruded from the hood, it required a lot of installation space.
Along with the new GEA T.VIS M-20 control top generation, the shock resistance has more than doubled to 10 g. For example, internal spring-loaded terminals secure the electrical connections under heavy stress caused by vibrations.
All components feature the highest level of dust and moisture protection according to the IP6k9k standard. GEA also converted the internal pilot valves to tappet technology for better sealing performance and a very long service life.
To make the GEA T.VIS E-20 one of the first Ex-protected control tops on the market. it has all major approvals for use in potentially explosive atmospheres worldwide.
“Previously, our customers had to go through the complex legal requirements applicable to their process technology in potentially explosive areas separately for each region. We’ve taken the hassle away from them and now offer our Ex-protected control top with documented spec sheet for global use.”
This includes, for example, ATEX and UKEx for Europe, as well as the international IECEx system, which is also the basis for certification according to CCCEx in China. GEA expects the T.VIS E-20 to be approved for the North American market this year.
