Valves are like electrical outlets in a food plant: They’re everywhere, and little attention is paid to them until they fail to deliver as expected.
But the underappreciated family of valves—and it is an extended family, with branches in every corner of a production facility—is undergoing a transition. The highest profile change is in mix-proof dairy valves, where the stream of certified continuous-process units continues to flow. Of more general interest is the improved control, networking and monitoring of valve functionality.