Finding the right cleaning in place (CIP) solution for your plant, in the food and beverage industry but also in manufacturing and pharmaceuticals, is not just a matter of compliance but a cornerstone of operational efficiency and consumer safety. High product quality and safety, increased production time, less downtime for cleaning and environmental efficiency can only be achieved by using a CIP system.
In manufacturing, where precision and cleanliness are paramount, CIP systems play a pivotal role in ensuring the integrity of production lines. One notable innovation is the introduction of automated CIP systems equipped with intelligent sensors and real-time monitoring capabilities. These systems not only streamline the cleaning process but also provide valuable data insights for predictive maintenance, optimising resource utilisation and minimising downtime.
Similarly in the pharmaceutical industry, where product purity and safety are paramount, CIP systems are critical for ensuring compliance with stringent regulatory standards such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Recent advances in this field focus on enhancing the sterility and traceability of cleaning processes to mitigate the risk of cross-contamination and ensure product integrity.
However, food and beverage is where the technology is most predominant as stringent hygiene standards are non-negotiable, CIP systems are indispensable for maintaining sanitary conditions and preventing contamination. Recent innovations in this sector focus on enhancing the sustainability and eco-friendliness of cleaning processes while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
SOFTWARE TOOLS
GEA, a provider of systems to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, asserts that its digital solutions – GEA Smart Filtration CIP and GEA Smart Filtration Flush – have the potential to slash water and power usage during the cleaning of membrane filtration plants by as much as 50%. This process is commonly employed in food manufacturing and dairy processing. The software is designed to autonomously manage CIP operations, regulating pump pulsations and membrane flushing in real-time based on water quality assessments.
Historically, cleaning this equipment has been resource-intensive, demanding significant energy and water usage. It involved executing three or four distinct cleaning stages, each requiring the circulation of specific chemical cleaning agents throughout the equipment for a designated duration before rinsing it thoroughly with water.
In contrast, GEA Smart Filtration Flush employs sensors to continuously assess the quality of permeate water throughout the flushing procedure, thereby decreasing the need for freshwater. Gone are the days of pre-setting blanket rinsing intervals and water volumes, as the software halts the process promptly upon achieving the requisite hygiene level and discharges the cleaning agents. Depending on factors such as the plant’s type, size, and water characteristics, operators can potentially halve their freshwater demands.
“A typical dairy whey protein concentration process needs two to four filtration plants connected in a series. This setup can require more than 100,000 litres of water per cleaning cycle,” explains Nils Mørk, R&D engineer for membrane filtration at GEA. “Today, we know from plant tests that we can save well up to 50,000 litres of water per cleaning in such large plants and 500-700 litres per CIP in small productions.”
He adds that, when less water is fed into the process, the amount of wastewater which must be discharged is decreased. “Many manufacturers can only clean their filtration systems successively because the peak flows during flushing of filtration plants often exceed pipeline capacity. That can create a potential safety hazard for staff and cause contamination in the production area. We eliminate this peak water flow problem with Smart Flush because we can significantly reduce pressure fluctuations in the water supply and reduce the overflow of drain lines.”
The second software module, GEA Smart Filtration CIP, is dedicated to optimising cleaning efficiency. It operates by pulsating the pumps instead of maintaining continuous operation. Consequently, the pumps consume up to 50% less energy during the CIP process. Traditionally, achieving optimal results involved cleaning with high shear forces, such as mechanical washing with a vigorous rinse flow. This method entailed applying the maximum allowable pressure drop across the membranes during the CIP process, resulting in higher energy consumption. GEA Smart Filtration CIP breaks away from this inefficient approach while maintaining effectiveness.
Tests conducted by GEA on various membrane plants demonstrate that consistent hygienic cleaning levels can be attained even when the pump operates at brief intervals, if time, temperature, and chemical concentration remain constant.
“Our method, now applied to membrane plants, mirrors the basic principles used successfully by washing machines: agitate the clothes followed by intervals of rest, allowing the cleaning agent do its job,” explains Mørk.
In contrast to plants using standard pump operation at full load, small-scale production plants employing GEA Smart Filtration CIP could potentially save between 5-7 kilowatt hours per cleaning cycle, while large filtration plants could save between 60-100 kilowatt hours per CIP process.
MOBILE SOLUTION
Addressing the call for a more flexible approach, Axium Process has introduced an innovative Mobile CIP System suitable for all industry sectors. This system is touted to provide a cost-effective and compact plug-and-play solution, offering versatility compared to traditional fixed-in-place methods.
This package embodies a versatile and easily maintainable CIP solution, meticulously crafted with mobility and hygiene as its primary considerations. Fully customisable, it offers a spectrum of options from manual to automatic operation, ensuring adaptability to diverse needs. The system can be tailored to include an integrated control unit via a panel-mounted touchscreen HMI and PLC, providing user-friendly functionality. Additionally, with remote monitoring and ongoing technical support available as needed, the system can be programmed to record historical data, accessible on-site by an operator or remotely by one of Axium’s engineers.
STANDALONE SYSTEMS
HRS Heat Exchangers provides CIP and SIP (Sterilisation-in-Place) systems designed for comprehensive cleaning and disinfection across various hygienic industries, including food and pharmaceutical sectors. Its range encompasses both single- and multi-tank HRS CIP/SIP Systems, which come equipped with a control system facilitating automated cleaning cycles for enhanced efficiency.
These systems are fully skid-mounted and feature modular designs, ensuring swift and hassle-free installation at the site. The single-tank system is tailored for straightforward cleaning applications where the recovery of cleaning fluid is unnecessary, while multi-tank systems are adept at handling more intricate scenarios.
For small, portable applications, the tank can be heated to 85°C through electric heating elements, or alternatively, steam heating via an HRS K Series multitube heat exchanger is offered. Starting at a capacity of 500 litres, these units can accommodate single tank systems up to 2,500 litres. Larger systems can be configured using multiple tanks, with centrifugal sanitary pumps included as standard equipment.
The systems are entirely automated through Programmable Logic Controller systems and Human-Machine Interfaces, which can either function independently or be seamlessly integrated into the factory’s primary control system.
As industries continue to prioritise cleanliness and compliance, CIP systems have emerged as indispensable tools for ensuring hygiene and operational efficiency. From automated monitoring systems in manufacturing to sustainable solutions in food and beverage and advanced sterilisation techniques in pharmaceuticals, the latest innovations in CIP technology are driving a change in thinking in hygiene protocols across various sectors. By embracing these cutting-edge solutions, companies can not only meet regulatory requirements but also enhance productivity, sustainability, and consumer trust in their products.