A dairy processor acquired a single barrier aseptic routing cluster which was removed from a decommissioned dairy plant. The aseptic routing cluster integrated two dual barrier sterile tank valve clusters and two sterile tank End of Line valve clusters. Most of the valve design did not meet customer requirements; to save equipment costs, the decommissioned valves were utilized on new valve clusters. JCS was able to fully disassemble the routing cluster skid and repurpose all aseptic diaphragm valves for the new valve clusters that met customer requirements.
Figure 1: Decommissioned Aseptic Routing Cluster
While cost savings were a main driver for utilizing used valves, quality was paramount for the success of the project. Each valve was inspected, cleaned, polished, and received a new aseptic diaphragm and air fittings. A small group of valves required additional inspection and polishing to ensure adequate operation and sealing. To reduce the risk to the project, these valves were sent to SED for additional analysis. All the valves sent out for analysis received additional polishing by SED and passed a valve seal test, removing the need to purchase replacement valve bodies and avoiding additional project costs.
Figure 2: Decommissioned Aseptic Routing Cluster
With the repurposed valves, JCS assembled two (2) dual barrier UltraBlocks™ and four (4) filler End of Line valve clusters; two of the End of Line valve clusters did not require piping modifications and were simply inspected and cleaned. This further reduced project costs by limiting the disassembly and welding costs for the two (2) EOL valve clusters. The decommissioned valves allowed JCS to trim six (6) weeks out of the delivered project scheduled. By reconditioning and repurposing the decommissioned valves, JCS was not only able to save upfront costs but also able to reduce the lead time of the overall project.
Figure 4: New Dual Barrier UltraBlock™