7 CIP Questions To Ask Before Building a Clean-in-Place System

How do you know a system capable of being cleaned in place? Before creating clean-in-place (CIP) designs, it's essential to understand the various CIP processes used after production runs or when changing products on processing lines. These processes vary based on parameters like temperature, time, and chemical use, and each CIP cycle is customized to meet specific needs in industries such as food, beverage, and pharmaceuticals. Know the answers to these seven strategic questions:

Understanding CIP Systems

What is Clean-in-Place (CIP)?

Clean-in-Place (CIP) is a method designed to clean the interior surfaces of process equipment, pipelines, and tanks without the need for disassembly. This automated cleaning process utilizes a combination of cleaning solutions, controlled temperatures, and specific flow rates to effectively remove residues, dirt, and microorganisms from the equipment. CIP systems are integral to maintaining hygiene and cleanliness in industries such as food, beverage, dairy, and pharmaceuticals. By ensuring that processing equipment is thoroughly cleaned in place, CIP systems help maintain product quality and safety standards.

Benefits of CIP Systems

CIP systems offer a multitude of benefits that make them indispensable in various industries:

• Efficient Cleaning: CIP systems are designed to clean equipment quickly and thoroughly, significantly reducing downtime and boosting productivity.
• Improved Hygiene: By effectively removing microorganisms and residues, CIP systems help minimize the risk of contamination, thereby enhancing product quality.
• Reduced Labor Costs: The automation of the cleaning process reduces the need for manual cleaning, cutting down on labor costs and minimizing the risk of human error.
• Increased Safety: Automating the cleaning process reduces the risk of accidents and injuries that are often associated with manual cleaning methods.
• Environmental Benefits: CIP systems are designed to be resource-efficient, reducing water and energy consumption and minimizing the use of cleaning chemicals.

By leveraging these benefits, industries can achieve a more efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly cleaning process.

Cleaning Solutions and Agents

Types of Cleaning Solutions

CIP systems employ various types of cleaning solutions, each tailored to address specific types of residues and dirt, including:

• Caustic Solutions: Commonly used in the food and beverage industry, caustic solutions are effective at breaking down protein-based residues and dirt.
• Acid Solutions: These are frequently used in the dairy and pharmaceutical industries to remove mineral-based residues and dirt.

The choice of cleaning solution depends on the specific application and the type of residue or dirt that needs to be removed. Additionally, the concentration and temperature of the cleaning solution are critical factors that influence the effectiveness of the cleaning process. By selecting the appropriate cleaning solutions, industries can ensure that their CIP systems operate at peak efficiency, maintaining the cleanliness and hygiene of their process equipment.

How do you know a system capable of being cleaned in place? Before creating clean-in-place (CIP) designs, know the answers to these seven strategic questions.

CIP FAQs

1. Have you worked with a chemical supplier to identify chemicals, contact time, and temperature?

A good chemical supplier can analyze the water the plant has, the soil, and select a chemical that will provide the fastest and most effective reaction to break it down. Often, they can recommend the time it will take to finish the reaction (contact time) and the best temperature to aid soil breakdown. Establishing detailed cleaning procedures for plants and equipment is crucial to maintain hygiene standards in food processing facilities.

2. What metric will QA use to validate the system is clean?

Some process plants do different types of swab testing to determine if the system is clean. ATP is a common one. Cleaning in place (CIP) is an automated method that ensures consistent and reproducible cleaning results, which is critical for maintaining food safety. It’s always good to know upfront what the goal is.

3. Were your tanks designed to be CIP'able?

Older process systems often have tanks that are not designed to accommodate spray balls used in cleaning processes, which are crucial for ensuring microbial safety and compliance with hygiene regulations. For some of those systems, ports can be added to the tanks and will work effectively. However, with many tanks, issues such as solution leaks often occur when spray balls are added to an old tank that wasn’t designed to be cleaned in place.

4. Are your PD pumps CIP'able?

If your pump wasn’t created to be CIP’able, then it never will be. However, even with CIP’able pumps, you must have the proper setup. CIP’able positive displacement (PD) pumps often require additional valves and controls to clean during CIP. Also, in order to facilitate proper drainage, the ports must be installed vertically.

The final rinse step in the CIP cleaning process is crucial to remove any remaining chemical residues, ensuring all contaminants are flushed out to maintain the quality and safety of the equipment being cleaned.

5. Does your system have a variety of line sizes within the same process?

A good practice in the food industry is to have five feet per second of velocity of cleaning solution to maintain hygiene and prevent contamination in food processing equipment. If the line sizes change, you have to plan for the largest segment. Sometimes that makes CIP pump sizing difficult, if not impractical unless you’re willing to make changes to the process.

6. Can you eliminate dead leg areas?

Cleaning solutions must be capable of flushing through all runs of piping for it to clean. If the product can wet a surface and you can’t flush across it, it is likely not getting cleaned properly. It is also crucial to flush residual cleaning agents from the system to enhance both effectiveness and cost efficiency.

7. Do your process lines have the proper slope to allow for adequate drainage?

Water left in the line between steps in the cleaning cause carry-over, making cleaning less effective. Standing water in a system becomes a spot where bacteria will start to grow during downtimes.

Using these seven strategic questions, you can determine whether your system is able to be cleaned in place with only a few adjustments, or if it will require a major overhaul to implement the CIP process. By preparing ahead of time and Guidelines for Choosing the Right Type of CIP System, you'll save yourself a lot of time and frustration.