Food, beverage and animal feed industries

The food sector was once just a downstream branch of the agricultural sector that processed the produce from agricultural companies but today it has become a much broader sector. Valves have an important function in the processing, production and transport of various different products – namely controlling transport flows.

Following the emergence of synthetic products, mass production and the processing of large amounts of food, the image of the food, beverage and animal feed industries has now changed fundamentally.
Ever larger and more complex production processes make it possible today to produce, process and package greater amounts in less and less time.

Plant engineering plays one of the most important roles in this industry because almost every new kind of food requires its own specially developed production plant. Against the background of increasing automation, valves and control devices have naturally become indispensable in this sector because the huge number of different products mentioned above must be transported, stored, dosed, filled and packaged.

Pinch valves from AKO Armaturen can be integrated into numerous different processes in the food industry, beverage sector and animal feed processing industry. They are used here to control and dose various different substances and products, from liquids, syrups, mash, powder and granulates through to whole foods such as nuts and dried or frozen fruit and beans.

Food

Pinch valves can be used almost universally in the food processing industry. Due to their dead space-free and thus hygienic design, they are very easy to clean “in place” and also very low maintenance. Therefore, they are ideally suited for all types of food and stages of aggregates whether they are in viscous (e.g. syrups), powder or granulate form or as unprocessed foods such as nuts, fruit and beans. If you are required to use certified valves for your process, AKO Armaturen can also provide you with special valve configurations with EHEDG certification.

Beverages

Pinch valves can also be used for a diverse range of applications in the processing of beverages. Pinch valves from AKO can be used to transport the basic ingredients – such as syrups, pieces of fruit or powder – and also in the filling technology for barrels, cannisters, bottles and cans. AKO pinch valves have, for example, been used very successfully to control and shut off mash in viniculture for more than 30 years.

Animal feed

Pinch valves can also be used in the processing of animal feed right through to the direct feeding of the animals in livestock farming. The fields of application also range here from production and filling through to integration in automated feed systems in agricultural operations.