DFT® Valves

A Guide to DSV® Sanitary Check Valves in the

Pharmaceutical Industry

DFT® Inc. 140 Sheree Blvd. PO Box 566, Exton, PA 19341

toll-free 800-206-4013 fax 610.524.9242 e-mail dft@dft-valves.com

website www.dft-valves.com 2

In sanitary manufacturing applications that employ the use of fluid systems, such as in the

pharmaceutical industry, regulating fluid flow and pressure is essential to maintaining high

product and production quality. Common issues—such as backflow, water hammer, and

cleanliness – significantly affect the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the system.

For these situations, DSV® sanitary check valves serve as an ideal solution.

DSV® sanitary check valves meet 3A Standard

58-02 and is designed to only allow fluid to

flow in only one direction through the piping

system.

Once installed in a fluid system, these valves

open by virtue of the fluid flow pressure.

When the pressure drop across the disc

drops, due to decreasing flow, the valve

eliminates the risk of backflow and water

hammer, as well as damage stemming from

these hazards.

When selecting a sanitary check valve,

it is essential to keep in mind the cracking

pressure—i.e., the minimum upstream

pressure needed for the valve to operate.

The chosen valve should accommodate

the system’s pressure outputs to function

as intended.

Basics of DSV® Sanitary Check Valves

DFT® Inc. 140 Sheree Blvd. PO Box 566, Exton, PA 19341

toll-free 800-206-4013 fax 610.524.9242 e-mail dft@dft-valves.com

website www.dft-valves.com 3

DSV ® sanitary check valves consist

of five main components: the body,

the seat, the disc, the spring, and

the body gasket.

Both the disc and seat are lapped to ensure

tight shutoff capabilities.

They feature a certified “Clean-in-Place” design,

which facilitates cleaning operations. Their

bodies and seats are constructed from 316L stainless steel and feature an internal high-quality finish

of 32 Ra, which prevents the build up of bacteria and other contaminants. The option of 15 Ra is also

available when electro polished materials are selected.

These valves are available in sizes ranging

from 1/2 inch to 4 inches. Additionally,

they come in variations that accommodate

both horizontal and vertical piping system

arrangements.

Construction of DSV® Sanitary Check Valves

Types of DSV® Sanitary Check Valves

DFT® Inc. 140 Sheree Blvd. PO Box 566, Exton, PA 19341

toll-free 800-206-4013 fax 610.524.9242 e-mail dft@dft-valves.com

website www.dft-valves.com 4

Horizontal Valves

The horizontal valve models are suitable for use in horizontal piping lines that require a self-draining

valve. The pressure of forward flowing process fluid pushes the disc away from the valve seat, allowing

the fluid to flow through the valve. Both the removal of forward flowing pressure and the introduction

of back flowing pressure cause the disc to return to its closed position and stop any additional fluid

from flowing into the system.

Vertical Valves

The vertical valve models are designed for use in vertical piping lines or horizontal piping lines that

do not require a self-draining valve. They are joined using a quick-release clamp and gasket body

seal, which allows for fast and easy access to internal components during maintenance and repair

operations.

Unlike other check valves available on

the market, DSV® sanitary valves meet

3A sanitary standard and are designed for

use in applications with high sanitation

requirements. As such, they are ideal for

the manufacturing operations of products

intended for consumption or direct contact

with consumers, where unsanitary conditions

can result in illness or injury. 316L stainless

steel offers the corrosion resistance

needed to prevent the contamination

of process fluids.

Types of DSV® Sanitary Check Valves

What Makes DSV® Sanitary Check Valves Different?

DFT® Inc. 140 Sheree Blvd. PO Box 566, Exton, PA 19341

toll-free 800-206-4013 fax 610.524.9242 e-mail dft@dft-valves.com

website www.dft-valves.com 5

In the pharmaceutical industry, using high-quality

components in fluid systems is critical to meeting

sanitary standards. The use of DSV® sanitary check

valves in fluid systems facilitates safer, cleaner, and

more efficient manufacturing operations.

DSV® Sanitary Check Valves for the Pharmaceutical Industry

The key design features that make these valves suitable for

use in such applications are:

• Meets 3A Standard 58-02

• 32 Ra or 15 Ra finish

• Clean-in-Place Design. This design

style allows for cleaning operations

to take place without requiring the

disassembly of the system. Some of the

design elements include stainless steel

construction (to minimize the risk of

corrosion), crevice-free construction (to

reduce the risk of material entrapment),

polished contact surface integration

(to mitigate material buildup), and high

temperature sanitary O-rings.

• Low Cracking Pressures

• Non-slam Spring Assisted Silent

Closing - Designed to prevent flow

reversal and eliminate water hammer.

• Tight Shut-off – Seat and disc are

lapped to provide excellent shut-off

Some of their most common applications include use in:

• Condensate lines

• Evaporators

• Gas purgers

• Process lines

• Pump discharge

• Steam lines

• Water

• Purified Water

• Vacuum breakers

DFT® Inc. 140 Sheree Blvd. PO Box 566, Exton, PA 19341

toll-free 800-206-4013 fax 610.524.9242 e-mail dft@dft-valves.com

website www.dft-valves.com 6

Purified Water for Pharmaceutical Use

Industries that produce consumable products require water that meets stringent treatment standards.

Extremely sensitive industries such as pharmaceuticals may require more comprehensive treatment to

produce ultrapure water for testing, research, manufacturing, and more.

Some of the most common applications of pure water in pharmaceutical plants include:

• Manufacturing: Use as a solvent, reagent, excipient, or

inactive medium for active medicinal ingredients

• Research: Use in developing and testing botanicals,

enzymes, nutraceuticals, and personal care products

The Role of Water Treatment Processes for Pharmaceutical Facilities

To ensure that facilities meet consistent water purity

standards, laboratory water supplies can’t simply be taken

from municipal sources. Not only do they vary from region

to region, municipal water standards often fall short of

regulatory standards in strictly monitored industries. The

water must be treated through a variety of physical and

chemical mechanisms to remove additional contaminants

that standard municipal systems may miss. 

These treatment processes can be cumbersome. Ensuring

the safety of the water adds an extra step to any

manufacturing or testing process, and additional treatment

equipment can be costly. Companies facing production

pressures have to deal with time-consuming water treatment

processes, capital tied up in water treatment equipment, and

the inefficiencies that water processing can introduce.

DFT® Inc. 140 Sheree Blvd. PO Box 566, Exton, PA 19341

toll-free 800-206-4013 fax 610.524.9242 e-mail dft@dft-valves.com

website www.dft-valves.com 7

How Sanitary Check Valves Help

A sanitary check valve is an essential component for managing these competing interests.

Our DFT® DSV® Sanitary Check Valves can help speed up processing and reduce the risk of

system contamination or malfunction. These valves prevent fluid backflow as water moves

between points during multi-stage water treatment processes. 

At DFT®, we build each valve to meet rigorous quality control standards so that they can follow

sanitary codes during field applications. The interior of each valve resists both scaling and corrosion,

both of which could reintroduce contaminants to partially purified water or decrease the functionality

of the purification system. The design also facilitates a high flow rate to reduce the time-spend for

water treatment.

The clean-in-place design makes sanitary check valves key in the water treatment process, no matter

how many stages are involved to remove contaminants. We recommend installing a sanitary check

valve at each pump or filtration point to fully control the flow of water and prevent backflow. This

ensures more consistent clean water for every pharmaceutical application.

DFT® Inc. 140 Sheree Blvd. PO Box 566, Exton, PA 19341

toll-free 800-206-4013 fax 610.524.9242 e-mail dft@dft-valves.com

website www.dft-valves.com 8

DSV® Sanitary Check Valves From DFT®

At DFT®, our DSV® sanitary check valves are designed to meet the strict sanitary standards of the

pharmaceutical industry.

By eliminating crevices and cavities from the valve design and achieving

smooth, polished finishes on internal and external surfaces, we minimize

the risk of material and bacteria buildup in our valves.

DFT® offers superior performance in batch processing systems for pharmaceutical and other

industrial facilities.

Our team is fully committed to ensuring our valve products meet the highest standards for quality,

reliability, and performance. In addition to maintaining tight control over manufacturing conditions,

DFT® inspects each valve for defects before and after the assembly stage. Some of the factors

we focus on during inspections include casting quality, machining quality, and electropolished

finish quality.

We test 100% of our check valves before shipping them out to customers.

DFT® Inc. 140 Sheree Blvd. PO Box 566, Exton, PA 19341

toll-free 800-206-4013 fax 610.524.9242 e-mail dft@dft-valves.com

website www.dft-valves.com 9

A DFT® DSV® Sanitary Check Valve Success

A major engineering firm contacted us on behalf of several pharmaceutical companies. The firm needed to

find a check valve solution for their noncorrosive medical waste drain system. The check valve needed to

operate at 20 psig or less with a flow of 3 GPM, have sanitary end connections, provide tight shutoff,

have a low cracking pressure to open and be able to be steam cleaned in place.

The check valve had to withstand high temperatures, as the firm used 330°F steam to clean the entire

medical waste process system 3 times a day. The valve also needed an extremely smooth finish to maintain

sanitary conditions.

Responding to the challenge, a DFT® 2 inch DSV® vertical check valve was specified. Designed to prevent

flow reversal, this non-slam, full-body valve came equipped with a 0.1-psi cracking pressure spring. We also

designed it with tri-clamp connections for ease of disassembly. The product was so successful that the firm

has continuously used DFT® DSV® products for nearly a decade without failure or replacement.

DFT® offers a wide range of customized check valve solutions that will help you maintain your sanitary system

standards goals. Our DSV® check valves come in many configurations and sizes depending on the fluid process

conditions they will be required to handle.

For additional information about our DSV® valves and how they suit the needs of the pharmaceutical

industry, check out our spec sheet or contact us today.

Pharmaceutical Success Story

DFT® Inc. 140 Sheree Blvd. PO Box 566, Exton, PA 19341

toll-free 800-206-4013 fax 610.524.9242 e-mail dft@dft-valves.com

website www.dft-valves.com 10

DFT® Inc., formerly known as Durabla® Fluid Technology, manufactures world class, problem solving, in-line, axial flow, nozzle style, silent check valves, and severe service control valves. DFT® engineers design products using the latest CAD, FEA, and CFD design technology software. Our staff responds quickly and our systems are designed to deliver reliably within our ISO9001-2015 quality management system. For more than seventy-five years DFT® has solved check valve problems, prevented check valve failure, and water hammer.

We take pride in working closely with our customers to solve complicated problems. The results are valves that provide superior performance, long service life, and low maintenance costs. For more information contact us at www.dft-valves.com or 800-206-4013.

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