Brief about CIP System

CIP system, also known as Clean in Place systems is a process in which interior surfaces of piping, fittings, vessels and other important equipment are cleaned without any major disassembly. In the food and beverage industries, automated CIP systems are used for cleaning the product transfer lines, homogenizers, blenders, filters and processing tanks.

On the other hand, the clean out of place or COP method is used to clean the machine parts that need dismantling. Clean out of place is used for cleaning the machine parts such as washers, cabinets, hoses, clamps, buckets, fittings etc. 

To clean the entire machinery effectively, work has to be done on the factors such as time, action, chemical composition and temperature. The CIP system must be designed considering these factors so that the cleaning takes place effectively and as per the validation requirements. 

In food and beverage processes, the liquid soluble product is often easy to clean from the parts, but there are variations when liquid composition changes. For example, tomato ketchup and orange juice are difficult to clean as compared to a sports drink. Precaution must be taken during the cleaning of dairy products as there are chances of bacterial growth that may lead to the contamination of the products. In the case of solids, the CIP system’s design varies as per the material’s shape, size, load and surface adherence. To clean an ice cream, it may take more time for the solution to get at the right temperature. Also, extra cleaning materials like caustic soda and other chemicals are required to clean the dairy proteins and fats. 

There are specific parameters that should be taken into consideration for making a near-perfect CIP System design like process line size, the distance of the process from the desired location, tank size, pump size etc.