In conformity with the Machinery Directive, the valves are designed for all applications with special requirements for process safety. This includes the food and beverage industry, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, as well as industrial water systems. The new Bürkert components are installed in emergency systems for immediate process shut-down, for example, as well as for increased safety in processes involving high temperatures and hot vapours. In addition to the safety aspects, users also benefit from fast and easy installation of the components, compatibility with existing valve products and compact dimensions, which allow altogether smaller control cabinet solutions. Their compact size allows the use of the new valve versions in existing valve islands from Bürkert, which can be constructed with much smaller dimensions than in the past, due to the combination of pneumatics, field bus interface and I/O modules on the control cabinet floor or the wall.
In general, Bürkert valve islands and automation systems are suitable for use in many different types of hygienic process environments, for which they readily fulfil the stringent requirements. This is ensured by the integrated process safety features of the Type 8640 valve island and the Type 8644 automation system – features which are especially important in hygienic processes. Check valves integrated in the exhaust air duct guarantee that in the event that all actuators are shut down simultaneously during a disturbance in the system, no back pressure can accumulate in a valve block, which could result in unwanted switching of a process valve, with serious consequences for the process. The time-proven hot-swap function allows replacement of faulty valves even during operation, without the risk of loss of air pressure on the entire valve block. The combination of a valve terminal or automation system with the AirLINE Quick adapter provides an especially compact system solution for even more flexibility in a smaller space.
