Processing plants producing food, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and cosmetics require a high level of purity during production. While general site hygiene is vital, the real hassle is cleaning those enclosed pipes and tanks in the factory.
Insteps Clean in Place (CIP) systems to the rescue. Seeing that disassembling these pipes, and enclosed equipment is hardly feasible, an automated system to clean them became necessary.
It is an automated system that works to keep those hard to reach parts of your plants clean, ensuring healthy products continue to be produced.
CIP systems are efficient and effective as they can clean hard to reach pipe interiors to a high degree. This ensures that hygiene is maintained. It gets even better with this automated system that reduces the need for manual labor while also satisfying compliance.
Adding a CP system to your plant is no longer an option with most compliance institutions ensuring you have one setup. It is also helpful for your products integrity and safety. Which is why understanding how the Clean-in-Place system works.
When it comes to the working system of the CIP system, there are some key steps to note. And even though this process is automated, learning how this works will help you quickly pick out when a process is lagging so you can call on the professionals to take a look.
Here are the 7 steps for clean in place systems from the initial stage to the final drying ready for reuse. Ready?
Step 1: Pre-Rinse
The first step of the CIP system is the pre-rinse where fresh water is circulated through the equipment and piping. This automated flush pushes out visible residues, loose particles, and any leftover product from the production run.
With the system using ambient or slightly warmed water at high velocity to dislodge these materials without needing manual intervention.
Pre-rinsing is crucial because it lightens the burden on later chemical washes. By clearing away the bulk of the soil early, it helps prevent clogs and ensures the detergents work more effectively on stubborn deposits. Without a solid pre-rinse, the entire process could take longer and use more resources.
The best results happen around m for water temperatures around 40 to 60 degrees Celsius and flow rates that achieve turbulent conditions in the lines.
A properly designed CIP system can optimize these parameters automatically, reducing water consumption while maintaining thorough coverage.
Step 2: Alkaline Wash
Next comes the alkaline wash, where the CIP system pumps a detergent solution, usually based on caustic soda or similar compounds, throughout the setup.
This phase targets organic matter like proteins, fats, and carbohydrates that cling to surfaces. Its automation system handles the circulation, heating the solution as needed to enhance its cleaning power.
Using alkaline to wash these parts is essential as organic buildup can harbor bacteria and affect product quality in industries like dairy or brewing. A good alkaline wash breaks down these layers at a molecular level, paving the way for a hygienic outcome that meets regulatory standards.
Depending on the soil level, a solution at 60 to 80 degrees Celsius with a pH between 10 and 12, and running for 20 to 30 is perfect for an alkaline wash. When these systems are installed with precise temperature controls they can hold these conditions steady, which boosts efficiency without overworking the equipment.
Step 3: Intermediate Rinse
After the alkaline phase, the system switches to an intermediate rinse. Wondering how this works? It’s simple, it floods the lines and tanks with clean water to wash away any remaining detergent and dissolved soils.
It plays a key role in avoiding cross-contamination between cleaning agents. Leftover alkaline could neutralize the upcoming acid wash or even cause scaling issues down the line. Getting this rinse right keeps the process balanced and protects the integrity of the equipment.
Typically, this lasts until conductivity drops below a set threshold, which might take just a few minutes.
A well-installed CIP setup with integrated monitoring can end the rinse exactly when needed, saving water and time in high-volume operations.
Step 4: Acid Wash
Towards the middle of the process, the acid wash follows, introducing an acidic solution such as nitric or phosphoric acid into the circuit.
The CIP automation circulates this to handle inorganic deposits like mineral scales and beerstone that the alkaline couldn’t touch. It dissolves these buildups effectively under controlled conditions.
Think of this as a two factor authentication with the alkaline wash. This is essential for long-term equipment health and compliance in sectors like pharmaceuticals. Scales can reduce heat transfer efficiency or create spots for microbes to hide, so removing them ensures consistent performance and safety.
Designs that include corrosion-resistant materials and accurate dosing pumps improve safety and extend the lifespan of components during this aggressive step.
Step 5: Final Rinse
Rinsing doesn’t end until this final rinse, the system pushes through more fresh water to eliminate all traces of the acid solution. Automation takes care of the flow, ensuring every nook gets flushed without human oversight.
Without this thorough rinse, residual acids from the previous washes might corrode parts or taint the next production batch. It guarantees the equipment returns to a neutral state, ready for sanitization and reuse.
To confirm the completion of the process, you should be aiming for low conductivity readings under 10 parts per million. Properly designed systems can incorporate water recovery features here, which help minimize waste in environmentally conscious facilities.
Step 6: Sanitization
After the whole rinsing process, sanitation comes in to ensure the cleanup. Sanitization involves the CIP system applying a disinfectant, either through hot water, steam, or chemical agents like chlorine dioxide or peracetic acid. The process circulates these to reach all surfaces, killing off any surviving microorganisms.
This step is vital for preventing contamination in sensitive industries. It achieves microbial reduction to levels that comply with standards like HACCP, ensuring product safety and shelf life.
Installations with validated flow paths can enhance uniform exposure, making the kill more reliable across complex setups.
Step 7: Drying/Air Blow
Finally, the drying or air blow phase uses compressed air or nitrogen to purge moisture from the system. The automation directs blasts through the lines and vessels to evaporate or displace water droplets.
Moisture left behind could foster bacterial growth or dilute products upon restart. This step speeds up the return to production and maintains hygiene.
Target relative humidity below 50 percent in 5 to 10 minutes. A system designed with efficient nozzles and pressure regulation can shorten this time, improving overall cycle turnover.
Final Thoughts
Your plants require the best hygiene both around and inside equipment like pipes and valves that are hard to reach. And the best way to clean these areas is using the automated clean-inplace system.
This system helps with compliance for standards like the HACCP while ensuring proper hygiene and product quality. With the CIP system automated to follow a set number of processes depending on your needs. Typically, there are some at 3, 5, or 7 stages.
This guide focused on the 7 stages that includes several rinsing processes. It rinses with fresh water, alkaline, and acid to ensure proper cleaning while also sanitizing and finally drying before production continues.
Installing the right CIP system and ensuring it works efficiently is vital for your plant and the quality of the produce. Brands like DeJong Consulting have the expertise to handle everything about your clean in place system design while ensuring your processing company continues to meet its demands.