Direct contact
Nadira Begic +49 (0) 7303 - 92874 - 33 begic@ttv-gmbh.de
VALVOtec Handelsgesellschaft mbH, based in Düsseldorf, has been a reliable partner to the international vending industry for over two decades. The company supplies customers worldwide with components, spare parts and accessories for commercial vending machines. With a product range of over 3,000 items and a strong focus on quality, availability and customer-orientated solutions, VALVOtec has established itself as a specialist in a dynamic market. Close communication with customers, flexible product customisation and short delivery times are just as much a part of the company philosophy as the pursuit of economical and customised solutions - even for new generations of vending machines.
The initial contact between VALVOtec and ttv took place as part of a specific project enquiry: the company was looking for a high-performance piston seal that would ensure a permanently secure seal in the brewing unit of industrially used coffee machines - even under demanding conditions. The seal previously used had proven to be too susceptible to wear and tear, resulting in short service lives and therefore frequent maintenance intervals.
Daniela Pisciotta, VALVOtec
The piston seal fulfils a central function: it prevents fine coffee grounds from entering the inside of the machine during the brewing process - a critical point in terms of hygiene and function. The particular challenge was to make the seal permanently resistant to steam, pressure and temperature - and at the same time to prevent coffee oil from depositing on the silicone filling, which previously led to premature wear. The jointly developed solution is based on a green PTFE sealing ring with a stainless steel spring and an FDA-compliant silicone filling in a convex shape. This shape specifically reduces the build-up of coffee residue - a decisive improvement on the previous sealing design.
The decisive factor in favour of ttv was the company's innovative engineering. In direct dialogue with the VALVOtec team, it was possible to develop a specially adapted piston seal that not only met the high requirements, but significantly exceeded them. Significantly involved: Mr Casini-Cherici, technical specialist on the ttv Board of Experts, who made a decisive contribution to finding a solution with his know-how.
Several prototypes were developed, tested and optimised in close coordination between the VALVOtec sales team and the technical contacts at ttv. The results were convincing: while the conventional seal achieved an average of 20,000 brewing cycles, the special ttv solution can withstand up to 40,000 cycles - a doubling of the service life and a clear competitive advantage for VALVOtec.
- Doubled service life of the seal
- Reduced maintenance intervals
- Greater process reliability
- Reduced machine wear
Partnership at eye level
What particularly characterises the collaboration is the direct and solution-oriented exchange between the two companies. VALVOtec not only benefited from ttv's technical expertise, but also from its ability to react quickly and its proximity to the customer. The partnership-based communication at eye level made it possible to efficiently translate the requirements into a fully developed customised solution. This resulted in a noticeable reduction in operating costs over the life cycle of the coffee machine - a factor that plays a key role in industrial use.
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