Best Practices: Elastomer Sealing Systems for Ultra-Pure Water, CIP and SIP

Related Vendors

DÜPERTHAL Sicherheitstechnik GmbH & Co. KG

Italvacuum, Srl

Angst+Pfister AG

C. Otto Gehrckens GmbH & Co. KG

Sealing Tests under Real Conditions

Storage tests or tests using special testing systems are not always sufficient, as they are only capable of simulating practical conditions. Here it is irrelevant whether it is a matter of sealing substances being used in connection with a new or an existing system. Many production plants in the foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals industries and in biotechnology are individually designed, and so can only deliver conclusive results based on suitable field trials, carried out directly on site and under real conditions. This is the only way of meeting the required safety standards.

In practice the test samples are installed in existing production plants or prototypes, and the seals are tested under real conditions, also over a standard period of use. Only this kind of practical test will show whether a new substance actually has potential for use with the specific application.

For this reason some producers of sealing materials are increasingly cultivating partnerships with companies in the relevant industries, so as to have the opportunity of testing their substances under realistic production conditions. These tests also give other users better security, as the substances — having successfully withstood testing, first at an independent laboratory and then under practical conditions — generally have a lot of potential for the application they are interested in.

In a nutshell, the introduction and use of modern elastomer sealing substances in the foodstuffs, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals sectors is a matter for professional consultation. Certification in accordance with foodstuffs directives such as FDA or USP Class VI is rarely sufficient today. These high-performance substances also need to withstand the standard interactions with media that are found in the production process. This is a difficult challenge, which only few sealing substances are capable of meeting. Manufacturing competence, experienced application consultancy and external independent testing offer the best basis for safe and impeccable sealing results.

* The author is Head of Application Technology at C. Otto Gehrckens GmbH & Co. KG, Pinneberg, Germany. Contact: Phone +49 (0) 41 01 / 5 00 20

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