What is Cleaning in Place (CIP) ?
CIP is defined as a method of cleaning equipment whilst maintaining minimal dismantling, and with the least possible operator involvement.
CIP has been used in industry for approximately 50 years now. Mostly within, but not exclusively to, the hygienic industries such as food, beverage and pharmaceutical.
How does CIP work?
CIP works on the principal of applying a suitable detergent or solvent at a satisfactory flow, pressure, temperature and concentration, for the correct length of time.
The science is based on applying the required amount of energy to the equipment ensuring that it is hygienically cleaned. Primarily there are three energies needed: -
1. Thermal Energy – provided by the solution temperature.
2. Chemical Energy – by the use of detergents or solvents.
3. Kinetic Energy – the application of pipeline velocities or pressures.
Some of the benefits of CIP
- Allows validateable procedures to be carried out.
- It is consistently reproducible, repeatable and produces controllable results.
- Reduced cleaning time
- Automatic cycle ensures every item is cleaned every time.
- Increased productivity through reduction of down time.
- Chemical handling reduced and therefore improved Health & Safety procedures.
- Stronger Chemicals and higher temperatures can be used over manual cleaning
- Easy and simple operation.
- Cost savings on chemicals, water and effluent, labour time etc.
- Batch traceability and records, which is so important in the hygienic industries.
- It allows more complex processing systems to be employed, as there is no need to dismantle
- Environmental Issues including saving of energy, chemicals, water used and effluent generated.
Ampco Hygienic Centrifugal Pumps
Ampco offers a complete line of hygienic centrifugal pumps that conform with 3A hygienic standards. High efficiency, heavy duty LC, LD, LF, LH and SP Series pumps are designed to meet all your hygienic centrifugal pump applications. Most L Series pumps are interchangeable hydraulically and dimensionally with competing brands. These pumps prove the perfect equipment to deliver the CIP cleaning process to your processing equipment.
AC/AC+ pumps are a cost effective option for most hygienic applications. Ampco’s AC+ models incorporate an improved shaft design for longer seal life. Built to deliver quality flow and pressure during the cleaning process.
The Result of CIP
In-place cleaning results in the equipment being thoroughly clean. This is defined as "the removal of all residues of soil and all CIP agents so that contact with the cleaned surface does not result in physical contamination". If the equipment being cleaned needs to be micro-biologically clean then an additional process can be carried out. This process is called SIP - Sterilization In Place
The PureCIP ™ is a Total Loss Cleaning In Place system supplied worldwide to critical hygiene processing industries.
Complying with ASME BPE, GAMP, ISPE and 21CFR11.
Built to hygienic and sanitary standards it incorporates a number of CIP buffer vessels for storing, batching and delivering CIP fluids. It also includes heating facilities, detergent dosing facilities, valving, pumps, instrumentation and an in-built control system.