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Nik Ocello, Sales DirectorIn food processing, that can mean a surprising amount of usable product is left behind after a production run. Consider a yogurt plant with a 30,000-gallon tank feeding a filling machine. Once the tank has been emptied, yogurt still occupies the pipeline. Before modern clean-in-place practices became standard, manufacturers often flushed such lines with water or dismantled them for cleaning. Neither approach did much to recover the product itself.
Laufer Valve Technology addresses that gap with its LIAG® DMV pigging system. A pig is sent through the line to push the remaining product out before cleaning starts. The system can remove about 99 percent of the product left in the pipeline, depending on the application.
“I would say that the biggest savings are probably in the reduction in lost product,” Nik Ocello, Sales Director, Laufer Valve Technology.
The economics are fairly simple. Product sitting in a pipe has already been mixed, processed and paid for. If it can be recovered and packaged, it becomes saleable rather than waste. Reduced cleaning time, chemical use and freshwater consumption can be additional benefits, but Ocello identifies lost product as the biggest source of savings.
Built for the Reality of Plant Piping
The pig itself is central to how the system works. Laufer uses a soft material comparable to surgical-grade silicone rather than a rigid construction. That allows it to travel through standard-radius 90-degree and 45-degree bends. For an older plant, this can be significant. Existing pipework does not necessarily need to be redesigned with long, sweeping turns solely to accommodate the pigging system.
Its sealing mechanism also adapts to conditions inside the pipe. The pig’s lips can flare outward or compress against the internal diameter as it moves, maintaining contact through straight runs and bends. Ocello notes that this dynamic seal requires less pushing pressure than harder, oversized pigs.
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I would say that the biggest saving are probably in the reduction in lost product.
That becomes useful with products that are difficult to move once a line sits idle. Chocolate, soft cheese, dressings and other viscous materials can cool or harden between batches. Promptly removing the bulk of the material leaves the CIP system with considerably less to clean.
LIAG’s pigs are also kept outside the process line until a pigging operation takes place. They are not continuously exposed to flowing product, an approach intended to reduce wear and limit product accumulation around the pig. The company is one of four 3-A certificate holders for CIP pigging systems. Its systems are also distributed by competitors, including another 3-A-certified pigging provider.
Designed around the Plant, Not the Other Way Around
No two processing plants look exactly alike, so Laufer / LIAG® does not treat pigging as an off-the-shelf installation. Engineers begin with the layout and available infrastructure, reviewing P&ID and PFD drawings, line lengths, plant air, propulsion options and CIP capability. Automation is another consideration. Some customers want a fully automated closed-loop system, while others prefer manually loaded pigs with automated steps in between.
The engineering process can also reveal opportunities to simplify a system. Where several process lines are close together, a single launcher or catcher may sometimes serve more than one line.
One recent installation involved a wet pet-food manufacturer with lines running 200 to 300 feet through three- and four-inch piping. The amount of residual product was substantial. The facility later replaced its previously specified pigging supplier and has used LIAG® exclusively for approximately three to four years. It also recently commissioned three additional lines.
Laufer / LIAG® stays involved after the design work is complete. The company coordinates with mechanical contractors and control engineers, provides PLC signal information and participates in startup and testing. Support continues after commissioning when changes to a line or its operation affect system performance.
A pigging system is a relatively straightforward idea, but making it work reliably inside an existing food plant requires attention to the details of that plant. Laufer Valve has built its approach around those details, from pipe geometry and product characteristics to automation and long-term operation. Recovering product that would otherwise remain stranded in process lines helps manufacturers capture more of what they have already produced. That practical focus makes Laufer Valve Technology / LIAG® a fitting recipient of the Top Food Processing Product Recovery System 2026 award.
Recover More Product Without Rebuilding the Line
Food processors lose margin in places that are easy to ignore on a production drawing. Product trapped in transfer lines after a batch may never reach packaging, yet it has already absorbed ingredient and processing cost. The same residue also increases the burden on cleaning cycles, particularly when lines carry viscous foods or products that cool and harden between runs. Product recovery systems deserve scrutiny not as auxiliary piping hardware but as part of yield control.
Economics should be tested at line level rather than against plant-wide averages. A few gallons left in a short line may be trivial, while the same percentage loss across large-diameter piping and frequent batches can materially alter annual yield. Recovery value also changes with product cost and batch frequency. Cleaning savings matter, but they should be treated as application-specific rather than assumed as the main source of return.
Recovery performance depends on how much usable product the system can move out of the line without forcing a plant to redesign the route around it. Existing factories rarely offer ideal pipe geometry. Bends and diameter tolerances are common in legacy layouts, and a recovery device that depends on sweeping pipe changes can turn a retrofit into a larger capital project. Buyers should examine how the recovery element seals against the pipe wall and behaves through standard bends. Driving pressure deserves separate attention because thick or temperature-sensitive products make slow movement or poor sealing more costly through added residue.
“Laufer Valve Technology / LIAG®'s DMV pigging systems use a soft silicone pig that dynamically conforms to the pipe’s internal diameter, allowing product recovery through standard-radius bends while reducing the pressure needed to move the pig.”
Automation budgets and sanitation practices can make an otherwise capable system awkward to live with. A recovery system has to match the site’s preferred level of automation and its cleaning method without creating unnecessary operator intervention. Some lines justify closed-loop movement while others need a simpler one-way arrangement. The better design decision is the one grounded in the actual line rather than a preset package. Air availability, cleaning-in-place practices, available space and the desired recovery direction all shape the design. Control integration matters as well because poorly coordinated valves or unclear sequencing can undermine a sound mechanical concept.
Commissioning exposes a different risk. Product recovery equipment delivers little value if operators stop using it because a process change or controls problem goes unresolved. Buyers should look closely at startup support and the supplier’s willingness to work with mechanical contractors or controls engineers. Documentation for valve signals and commissioning routines can reduce handoff friction. Continued troubleshooting after startup is equally important in plants where line conditions or operator practices change over time.
Against those buying conditions, Laufer Valve Technology / LIAG® merits consideration as the premier choice for food processing product recovery. It’s DMV pigging systems use a soft silicone pig that dynamically conforms to the pipe’s internal diameter, allowing product recovery through standard-radius bends while reducing the pressure needed to move the pig. Laufer configures each system around the actual process, from manual load-and-unload arrangements to automated closed-loop designs, and it coordinates startup with the plant’s controls and piping teams. The pig remains outside the process line until recovery begins, which limits unnecessary exposure during production. Laufer also holds 3-A certification for pigging systems used with clean-in-place processes. For buyers balancing retrofit constraints with recovery performance, that combination is practical and well matched.
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Food Processing Product Recovery Systems Info
Q1
What Are Food Processing Product Recovery Solutions?
Residual material left inside process lines can be recovered before cleaning rather than sent into wastewater or lost during a production change. Food Processing Product Recovery Solutions use methods such as pigging to move remaining product through the pipeline and into the next stage of processing. This can reduce product loss while leaving less material for clean-in-place systems to remove. For food plants, the approach connects product recovery with more controlled use of ingredients, water and cleaning resources.
Q2
How Does Laufer Valve Technology Apply Food Processing Product Recovery Solutions?
A soft pig travels through the process piping in Laufer Valve Technology’s LIAG® DMV pigging system, pushing residual product out of the line. The system can recover about 99 percent of product remaining in a pipeline, depending on the application. Its flexible construction allows movement through standard-radius 90-degree and 45-degree bends. The sealing mechanism also adapts to the internal pipe diameter, allowing Food Processing Product Recovery Solutions to work within existing plant layouts.
Q3
What Processing Problems Can Product Recovery Systems Address?
Material left in a pipeline can become difficult to recover when products such as chocolate, soft cheese or dressings cool or harden during an idle period. Food Processing Product Recovery Solutions address this loss by clearing usable product before the cleaning cycle begins. That leaves less residue for the clean-in-place process to handle and can reduce cleaning demand, chemical consumption and freshwater use. The actual effect depends on the product and the installation.
Q4
What Should Plants Consider When Selecting A Product Recovery System?
Pipe geometry, line diameter, pipe length and available plant air all affect how Food Processing Product Recovery Solutions fit a production line. Buyers also need to consider propulsion methods, CIP capability and the level of automation required. Product behavior matters too, since viscosity can affect movement and recovery inside the line. Reviewing these conditions in relation to the existing piping arrangement can help prevent an unsuitable system configuration.
Q5
How Can Food Processing Product Recovery Solutions Support Plant Efficiency?
Recovering product before cleaning can keep material that has already been processed from becoming waste. Food Processing Product Recovery Solutions may also reduce the amount of product presented to CIP systems, which can influence cleaning time, chemical use and freshwater demand. The benefit varies with the product, piping arrangement and operating method. For plants looking to reduce avoidable losses, the recovery stage can become part of the broader production workflow rather than an isolated piece of equipment.
Q6
How Does Laufer Valve Technology Approach System Design And Implementation?
Before configuring Food Processing Product Recovery Solutions, Laufer Valve Technology reviews the plant’s P&ID and PFD drawings, line lengths, plant air, propulsion and CIP capabilities. Automation requirements are also considered. Depending on the project, the setup can use a fully automated closed-loop arrangement or manually loaded pigs with automated steps. The company works with mechanical contractors and control engineers, provides PLC signal information and participates in startup and testing. This process keeps the recovery system tied to the plant’s existing infrastructure and operating requirements.
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Company
Laufer Valve Technology / LIAG®
Management
Nik Ocello, Sales Director
Description
Laufer Valve Technology Inc. provides hygienic arc valves and product recovery systems for food processing, cosmetics and chemical industries in North America. Its LIAG® technology includes customized pigging systems designed to recover product from process lines while supporting cleaning efficiency and production continuity.
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