Challenge
A major snack food manufacturer required proportional control on a biscuit and cracker dough mixer to more precisely regulate the amount of water in its products. In the past, the company had controlled the quantity of water by opening and closing a ball valve. The upgrade to proportional control included the installation of new valves, flow meter, temperature probe, and a programmable logic controller in a compact area. The valves were key elements enabling the mixing equipment to accurately add the correct amount of water for each recipe across a multi-product production schedule.
Results
The snack food maker selected the ASCO 290 series angle-body piston valve in bronze construction for its proportional control project. The valve is renowned as the industry standard for durability and reliability in demanding industrial applications. The 290 series provided precise and variable water input that permitted the equipment to make rapid and more accurate changes from one recipe to another. In addition, the angle-body piston valves were more compact and economical than the ball valve package they replaced. The 290 series valves have performed well and the customer is considering the purchase of additional ASCO products.
Benefits
• Provided precise water input for recipe control
• Enabled rapid changes from one recipe to another
• Compact size met the customer’s space constraints
