20 years of the Glatt TKS containment valve
Two decades of innovation in pharmaceutical containment
The Glatt TKS containment valve marks its 20th anniversary, reflecting two decades of continuous development in safe and reliable containment technology for pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Since the market launch of the first TKS containment valve in 2005, the system has evolved into a proven solution for contamination‑free product transfer at critical process interfaces.The development of the TKS containment valve was driven by increasing requirements for operator safety, product protection and environmental control, particularly in the handling of highly potent pharmaceutical substances. From the beginning, the design philosophy focused on simplicity, reliability and reproducible containment performance.
A key milestone in the evolution of the TKS system was the introduction of the Twin‑Static‑Seal Split Butterfly Valve design. By using identical static seals on both the active and passive valve halves, the TKS containment valve eliminated the need for inflatable seals. This concept significantly simplified installation and maintenance while ensuring permanently tight connections during docking and undocking operations. As a result, the system achieves consistently low emission levels and supports high containment performance up to demanding OEB classifications. Over the past 20 years, the TKS containment valve has been continuously optimized both technically and economically.
Today, it is available in a cGMP‑compliant design, manufactured from robust stainless steel and fully compatible with validated WIP and CIP cleaning concepts. The valve can be seamlessly integrated into manual, semi‑automated and fully automated pharmaceutical processes, thereby enabling the safe execution of all transfer steps in OSD processes across all required OEB levels.
The long‑term success of the TKS containment valve is reflected in its broad adoption across the pharmaceutical industry worldwide. Its combination of reliable containment performance, ease of handling and lifecycle‑oriented design has made it a central component in many containment strategies, contributing to stable processes, reduced downtime and improved safety at critical transfer points.
After 20 years on the market, the TKS containment valve remains a core element of Glatt’s containment portfolio and continues to set benchmarks for safe, efficient and compliant product handling in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
