Hygienic Outlet Valves for Gericke Mixers

Bottom view of hygienic outlet valves in open and closed position.

Gericke batch mixers are now available with an additional type of discharge valve. This innovative and patented valve offers high process reliability, meeting all hygienic requirements, reduces the overall height of the mixing line and even lowers energy consumption. Gericke has hereby innovated a mechanical component that is often underestimated in its relevance. Mixer outlet valves not only serve to empty the mixer but are an important interface that is crucial in terms of cross-contamination and mixing quality. In other words, choosing the right outlet valve is crucial if high homogeneity is to be achieved in the mixing process.

A general concern of many mixing processes is the recipe trueness. A leaking or malfunction valve may alter the mixing content to be guaranteed. This leaking can be caused by e.g. product layers which have been built up during the production cycles.  

The new GERICKE outlet valve closes tightly, even with sticky product thanks due to an inflatable seal. Furthermore, this configuration allows monitoring of the tightness of the outlet flap and in case of a malfunction the process can be stopped immediately, which allows to avoid product recalls. This function can also be part of an automation strategy to online track the condition and parameters of a process and the equipment used (“Internet of Things”).

The Swiss Gericke Group has been designing and manufacturing equipment and systems for modern bulk material processes, as well as providing design and consultation services, for more than 125 years. Gericke bulk materials processing technology can be found throughout the world in many sectors including the food, chemical, pharmaceutical, plastics and construction material industries.

Gericke’s fully owned group companies employ more than 300 experienced professionals and are located in Switzerland, Germany, Great Britain, The Netherlands, France, USA, Brazil, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and China.