Filling or discharge nozzles
A nozzle – also known as a connection nozzle, flange, pipe connection or inlet/outlet – is a permanently installed pipe connection on equipment or containers through which substances are fed in or discharged. The design, sealing and mounting options vary depending on the application, industry or standard variant.
Types of nozzle connections:
- DIN flange with PN marking
This is the classic variant in mechanical and apparatus engineering, especially for applications with pressure-bearing requirements. The flange has screw holes and is pressed against a counterflange with a flat gasket and screws. The PN marking (e.g. PN10, PN16) indicates the nominal pressure rating in the unit [bar].
- Hygiene flange
This design is specially designed for the requirements of the food and pharmaceutical industries. Instead of a flat gasket, an O-ring is used, which bulges slightly when coupled and seals directly in the product area. This creates a dead space-free connection that meets cleaning requirements (e.g. CIP - Clean-in-Place). The advantage: The connection does not have to be dismantled for wet cleaning.
- Tri-clamp connection
Tri-clamp connections (also known as clamp connections or sanitary clamps) are particularly compact, hygienic pipe connections. They consist of two short pipe sockets with sleeves that are connected by a two-part clamping ring. This connection is easy to assemble, disassemble and clean. This also applies to the internal seal.
They are used worldwide in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and comply with standards such as ISO 2852 and ASME BPE.
Inlet / outlet
In mixing and process engineering, the terms inlet connection (material feed) and outlet connection (material discharge) are also frequently used.
In English-language documentation, ‘nozzle’ is often the more general term for any connection piece, while ‘flange’ specifically refers to the flange with screw connection.
The design of the connection piece also influences how easy it is to clean and the risk of water adhesion after wet cleaning and drying.