PFA-Lined Valves for Food & Beverage Processing

Hygienic Flow Control for Dairy, Brewing, Beverage Production, and CIP Systems

Food and beverage manufacturing demands equipment that maintains product purity while withstanding aggressive cleaning regimes. Clean-in-Place (CIP) systems—essential for hygienic production—circulate caustic soda, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, and sanitizers through process equipment multiple times daily. These chemicals quickly degrade conventional valve materials, leading to contamination risks and frequent replacements.

GFT9 manufactures PFA-lined valves and sight glasses from our Clean Room Series, featuring electropolished stainless steel bodies with virgin PFA linings. These components deliver the chemical resistance required for both food-contact applications and aggressive CIP cleaning cycles—ensuring product safety while extending equipment service life.

Our products serve dairy processors, breweries, beverage manufacturers, and food production facilities where hygiene, chemical resistance, and cleanability are essential requirements.

View Clean Room Product Range

Why Food & Beverage Processing Requires PFA-Lined Components

Modern food and beverage facilities face a dual challenge: equipment must be inert during production to avoid contaminating products, yet must also survive repeated exposure to harsh cleaning chemicals during sanitation cycles.

The CIP Chemical Challenge:

Clean-in-Place systems are the backbone of hygienic food processing. A typical CIP cycle includes:

• Caustic wash (sodium hydroxide, 0.5–4% concentration, 50–80°C) — removes fats, proteins, and organic residues
• Acid wash (nitric acid or phosphoric acid, 0.5–2% concentration) — removes mineral scale, milk stone, and beer stone
• Sanitizer rinse (sodium hypochlorite, peracetic acid, or hydrogen peroxide) — eliminates microbial contamination

These chemicals attack conventional elastomers, degrade standard plastics, and can corrode even stainless steel components over time. Valve seats, seals, and internal surfaces are particularly vulnerable, leading to premature failures, contamination risks, and costly replacements.

Why PFA is the Solution:

PFA (Perfluoroalkoxy Alkane) provides exceptional resistance across the full spectrum of CIP chemicals:

• Complete resistance to sodium hydroxide (caustic) at all concentrations and temperatures
• Unaffected by nitric acid and phosphoric acid used in descaling
• Resistant to oxidizing sanitizers including hypochlorite and peracetic acid
• Smooth, non-porous surface prevents product adhesion and biofilm formation
• Easy to clean and validate—supports HACCP and food safety programs
• FDA-compliant materials suitable for food-contact applications
• No extractables or leachables that could contaminate food products

By combining electropolished stainless steel bodies with virgin PFA linings, GFT9 Clean Room Series products deliver the durability CIP systems demand while maintaining the hygienic standards food safety requires.

Applications Across Pharmaceutical Production

Food and beverage facilities require chemically resistant, hygienic components throughout their production and sanitation systems. GFT9 products serve critical functions across multiple process areas.

Dairy Processing

Dairy operations face particularly demanding conditions—milk proteins and fats create stubborn deposits, while milk stone (calcium phosphate scale) requires regular acid treatment. PFA-lined valves handle both product flow during processing and aggressive CIP chemicals during cleaning. Sight glasses enable visual verification of product flow and CIP solution circulation.

Brewery and Beverage Production

Breweries use caustic cleaning to remove protein and yeast deposits, with phosphoric acid treatments to remove beer stone. Soft drink and juice processors face similar cleaning challenges. PFA-lined components survive these repeated chemical exposures while maintaining the sanitary conditions essential for beverage quality.

CIP Distribution Systems

CIP skids distribute cleaning solutions throughout the facility, with chemical supply lines, valve manifolds, and return piping all exposed to concentrated cleaning agents. PFA-lined ball valves control chemical flow, while sight glasses verify solution circulation and rinse completeness.

Ingredient Handling

Food-grade acids (citric, phosphoric, lactic) are used as ingredients and pH adjusters throughout food production. PFA-lined components safely handle these materials without contamination or corrosion concerns.

Thermal Processing

Pasteurizers, sterilizers, and heat exchangers require cleaning with both caustic and acid solutions. PFA-lined valves and sight glasses in these systems withstand both the thermal cycling of production and the chemical exposure of cleaning cycles.

Clean Room Series for Food & Beverage Applications

  • PFA Lined Control Valve NPS 1½ NPS 1½ - Valve with pneumatic multi-spring actuator for fast, cost-efficient operation. - High quality industrial valve by GFT9

    PFA-Lined Ball Valves – Spheron9

    Reliable shut-off and flow control for hygienic process systems. The Spheron9 features an electropolished stainless steel body with full PFA lining, providing chemical resistance for both food products and CIP cleaning solutions. The smooth, non-porous PFA surface prevents product adhesion and simplifies cleaning validation.

    • Sizes: DN15 to DN100
    • Pressure Rating: PN16 / ANSI 150
    • Temperature Range: -20°C to +150°C
    • Body: Stainless Steel 1.4408, electropolished finish available
    • Operation: Manual lever, pneumatic, or electric actuator
    • Suitable for: Product flow, CIP chemical distribution, ingredient handling


    View Ball Valve Range →View Control Valve Range 
  • PFA Lined Ball Check Valve NPS 8 NPS 8 - On vertical mounting up to 60°, the center-guided ball closes the valve automatically. - High quality industrial valve by GFT9

    PFA-Lined Sight Glasses – Videron9

    Visual process monitoring for production verification and CIP validation. The Videron9 sight glass enables operators to verify product flow, check CIP solution circulation, and confirm rinse completeness—all without opening process systems or risking contamination.

    • Sizes: DN25 to DN100
    • Pressure Rating: PN16
    • Window Material: Borosilicate glass
    • Body: Stainless Steel 1.4408
    • Applications: Flow verification, CIP monitoring, level indication

    View Sight Glass Range → 
  • PFA Lined Sight Glass NPS_10 NPS_10 - Sight glass mounts vertically or horizontally for easy installation in any environment. - High quality industrial valve by GFT9

    PFA-Lined Sample Valves – Provaron9

    Hygienic sampling for quality control and process verification. The Provaron9 enables contamination-free extraction of product samples for laboratory analysis, supporting HACCP programs and quality assurance requirements.

    • Sizes: DN25 to DN80
    • Pressure Rating: PN16 / ANSI 150
    • Temperature Range: -20°C to +150°C
    • Body: Stainless Steel 1.4408
    • Applications: Product sampling, quality verification, batch release testing

    View Sampling Range → 
  • PFA Lined Strainer NPS 6 (on request) NPS 6 (on request) - Main view - High quality industrial valve by GFT9

    Custom Solutions for Food Processing

    Food and beverage facilities often have unique requirements based on their specific products, processes, and regulatory environment. GFT9 offers custom PFA solutions and works with equipment manufacturers to develop application-specific components.

    Our engineering team can support:
    • Custom port configurations and connection types
    • Integration with existing CIP systems and process equipment
    • Special documentation for food safety audits
    • Development partnerships for OEM applications

    Contact our engineering team to discuss your specific requirements.

    Custom Made Solutions 
1 4

Technical Specifications for Hydrogen Applications

Technical Specifications

Size Range (DN) DN 15 – DN 100
Size Range (NPS) ½" – 4"
Pressure Rating (DIN) PN 16
Pressure Rating (ANSI) Class 150
Temperature Range -20°C to +180°C (-4°F to +356°F
Extended range on request
Body Material (Standard) -
Body Material (Clean Room) Stainless Steel 1.4408 (CF8M), 1.4571, electropolished finish available
Lining Material Virgin PFA (Perfluoroalkoxy), cleanroom processed
Lining Thickness 2.5 – 3.5 mm
Face-to-Face Standard EN 558-1
Flange Standard (DIN) EN 1092-1
Flange Standard (ANSI) ASME B16.5
Certifications PED 2014/68/EU, ISO 9001:2015, FDA/USP Class VI material compatibility
Custom Engineering Available:
Electropolished surfaces (≤0.8 µm Ra), material certificates 3.1, custom configurations. Development partnerships welcome.

Chemical Compatibility

Chemical Compatibility

Chemical Formula Concentration Max Temp Rating

Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic)

 NaOH 0.5–4% 80°C

Nitric Acid

 HNO₃ 0.5–2% 60°C

Phosphoric Acid

 H₃PO₄ 0.5–2% 60°C

Sodium Hypochlorite

 NaOCl 50–200 ppm 40°C

Peracetic Acid

 CH₃CO₃H 0.1–0.5% 40°C

Citric Acid

 C₆H₈O₇ All concentrations 80°C

PFA provides complete resistance to all CIP cleaning chemicals used in food and beverage processing. Our Clean Room Series components support hygienic production while surviving aggressive cleaning cycles. Contact us for specific chemical service verification.

Excellent Full resistance, suitable for continuous use Good Suitable for most applications Limited Verify for specific conditions

Quality and Documentation for Food Safety

Food and beverage processors require equipment that supports their food safety programs and regulatory compliance. GFT9 provides the quality assurance and documentation that hygienic manufacturing demands.

Material Compliance:

• FDA-compliant PFA materials suitable for food contact
• USP Class VI compatible materials
• Stainless steel bodies meet food industry requirements
• Electropolished surfaces available (≤0.8 µm Ra) for enhanced cleanability

Quality Documentation:

• Material certificates (EN 10204 Type 3.1)
• PFA material certificates with batch traceability
• Pressure test reports per EN 12266-1
• Surface finish certificates for electropolished components
• Declarations of conformity

Our documentation supports HACCP programs, food safety audits, and regulatory inspections.

Read the Full Project Story →

German Engineering for Critical Applications

  • Manufacturing Excellence:

    All GFT9 products are manufactured in Germany under strict quality control. Our facility in Kempen combines traditional valve manufacturing expertise with modern PFA lining technology, ensuring consistent quality across every component.

  • Documentation and Traceability:

    Hydrogen projects demand comprehensive documentation for safety compliance and operational records. GFT9 provides complete documentation packages including material certificates (EN 10204 3.1), test reports, declarations of conformity, and—for control valve projects—digital valve passports with QR code access to lifetime records.

  • Technical Support:

    Our engineering team understands the specific requirements of hydrogen applications. From initial specification review through commissioning support, we work alongside project teams to ensure our products meet exact application needs.

  • Flexible Delivery

    With standard products available from stock and custom solutions delivered within project timelines, GFT9 supports both urgent replacements and planned capital projects.
About GFT9

Discuss Your Food & Beverage Project Requirements

Whether you're specifying components for a new production facility, upgrading CIP systems, or replacing equipment in existing operations, our technical team is ready to support your project.

Contact Options:

Email: sales@gft9.shop
Phone: +49 2152 9154990

We support projects from initial specification through delivery, with technical consultation available for material selection, sizing, and application engineering.

Collections

1 3