These exact criteria were used to design the revolutionary Robolux
valve from Bürkert, which, now compatible with its ELEMENT control heads
offers a cost saving, space saving, intelligent field device which is
ideally suited for use in pharmaceutical, chemical, food and beverage
processing applications..

Hygienic processing places high demands on the reliability and
cleanability of production facilities. Common challenges such as
corrosion in pipe systems, valve manifolds and tank installations in
different pharmaceutical, chemical and biotech facilities for example
can be reduced, thereby reducing costs and improving plant availability –
by using multiport valves and multiport-based manifolds. Multi-port
solutions such as the Robolux valve were developed with exactly this
type of high-purity installation in mind..

Reduced installation space

The stand-out feature of the patented Robolux valve design is that
two independent process switching functions can be achieved with one
membrane. This reduces the installation space requirement, eliminates
T-adapters and minimises the overall number of valves and membranes
required. The multi-port membrane valves were designed for high-purity
installations and make it possible to design complex systems that are
considerably more compact than those using conventional fluid control
valves..

The design is also intended to minimise the internal volume and
produce no dead flow zones, which results in a number of advantages: In
addition to improved flow and evacuation properties, both cleaning and
changeover of the interfaces for the manufacture of other products is
easier and faster, with less wastage of expensive chemicals and
ingredients..

This technology makes it possible to replace two traditional shut-off
diaphragm valves and at the same time eliminate all dead legs and one
tee-piece with one single valve. When combined with reduced installation
and commissioning costs, the Robolux valve delivers a number of crucial
advantages to process control within hygienic applications..

Unique testing ability

Bürkert is able to test cleaning cycles and provide 100% reliability
on the flow properties and cleanability of the complete valve by using a
riboflavin test rig. As part of a factory acceptance test, Bürkert is
currently the only manufacturer of fittings and valve interfaces in the
world that owns and operates such a test rig. In hygienic applications
where CIP / SIP are operated, it is essential to be able to ensure the
cleaning cycle is both effective and efficient; a criterion which can be
completely fulfilled and demonstrated by Bürkert..

Intelligent field device

As part of the concept to decentralise valve control systems, the
Robolux valve can now be combined with Bürkert’s ELEMENT control head to
provide a complete process solution which is compatible with the entire
valve product range. The valves at field level can be equipped with all
the required automation components including pilot valves, electrical
feedback units and optical status indicators. By integrating an AS
interface as a field bus interface, the entire range of advantages of
this approach can be fully utilised. All that is required for power
supply, feedback and communication is a two-wire line connecting the PLC
with up to 62 valves. .

Decentralised control

The new decentralized automation concept can provide a viable and
extremely compact alternative to the use of central switching cabinets
by integrating all the required automation functions in the control
heads themselves. This provides considerable savings in installation
costs and also provides commissioning and maintenance engineers with an
instant indication of the status of each valve, which reduces the amount
of time required for installation and trouble-shooting..

Operational feedback

Using the control head as a central unit for the control of the
hygienic process valves, enables it to perform all pneumatic actuation,
feedback and diagnostic functions, as well as bus communication. A
three-colour optical status display with high-power LEDs, which is
integrated in the control head, provides for a visual overview of the
valve status at the field level. In addition to electrical feedback to
the master controller, it also signals the current switching position of
the process valve, facilitating diagnosis and maintenance within the
system itself..

Due to the compatibility of the IP67 ELEMENT control head with a wide
range of process control valves from Bürkert and many other
manufacturers, greater plant standardisation can be achieved by
equipping process system with components from the ELEMENT platform..