Reducing the total cost of ownership is paramount for manufacturers of dairy, food and beverage products. Using the new Aseptic Mixproof Valve (photo) instead of alternatives can deliver a total cost saving of up to 45% for manufacturers using aseptic processing. Estimated savings are based on a comparison of capital expenses and maintenance costs of an aseptic 2.5-in. valve over a five-year period if service is done onsite. If maintenance is done offsite by a third-party provider, competing technologies become even more expensive. Instead of steel bellows, this new aseptic double-seat valve uses a well-proven diaphragm with a PTFE face and reinforced EPDM backing. This drastically reduces the total cost of ownership of a double-seat valve, yet still ensures the hermetic seal required for sterile processing. The optimized design of the Aseptic Mixproof Valve makes cleaning and sterilization easier, proven by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. — Alfa Laval Kolding A/S, Kolding, Denmark