CHEMICALS & PHARMACEUTICALS u HRS Heat Exchangers
Considerations for effective cleaning-in-place (CIP) systems
Cleaning (or Clean) in Place has been around since the 1950s and can be defined as a method of automated cleaning of the interior surfaces of equipment, without major disassembly, says Matt Hale, international sales & marketing director at HRS Heat Exchangers
T
he production of safe drug and pharmaceutical products is of paramount importance to producers
and maintaining sterile production environments and equipment is a key requirement for modern pharmaceutical systems. Apart from the simplest systems, most equipment today, particularly that which contains pipework, enclosed spaces and small apertures, is cleaned in situ without the need for dismantling or opening, and with minimal operator intervention – a technique which is known as Cleaning-in-Place (CIP). One of the most widely quoted definitions defines CIP as: “The cleaning of complete items of plant or pipeline circuits without dismantling or opening of the equipment and with little or no manual involvement on the part of the operator. The process involves the jetting or spraying of surfaces or circulation of cleaning solutions through the plant under conditions of increased turbulence and flow velocity.”
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR CIP CIP is used to remove physical dirt and residues, as well as bacteria and other sources of contamination. It is commonly used for equipment such as piping, tanks, and fillers, and CIP employs turbulent flow or spraying and can also be accomplished with filling, soaking and agitation. As well as ensuring that production equipment is hygienically clean and suitable for use, CIP also plays a number of other important roles. CIP systems should ensure that no cleaning fluids or contaminants remain in the equipment – ensuring safety, and by reducing the effort and downtime required for cleaning, they also ensure production cycles are efficient and cost-effective.
Because of the automated or semi- automated nature of CIP systems, they provide improved control of the cleaning parameters to ensure consistent results, as well as automatic record keeping for traceability and due diligence purposes. Furthermore, being
automatic reduces the need for human contact with potentially harmful cleaning agents or other chemicals. However, if CIP is to be effective, not only does the CIP system itself need to be well designed, but the production equipment itself needs to be designed from the beginning with effective CIP in mind. Equipment and machinery must be hygienically designed and easy to manage, maintain and audit.
Because of the specialised and custom
nature of pharmaceutical processing machinery, some CIP systems will be designed specifically for a particular system or piece of equipment, although with careful design it is not uncommon to install a dedicated CIP system, such as those available from HRS. The design process must not only ensure
effective cleaning but should also be as efficient as possible in terms of water, chemical and energy use. Considerations for the equipment itself include areas such as surface roughness, clean welding and the prevention of inaccessible areas or corners where dirt and/or cleaning chemicals may build up. Reliability is also an important consideration and CIP systems must be designed to work for as long as the working lifetime of the equipment involved. It is also
18 June 2023 Irish Manufacturing
www.irish-manufacturing.com
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