CIP cleaning system

The CIP (Clean-in-Place) system is an automated cleaning device designed for the pharmaceutical, food and beverage, chemical and bioengineering industries. It is used to clean, disinfect or sterilize the inside of the equipment through a preset program without disassembling the production equipment (such as reactors, pipelines, storage tanks, filling lines). The system circulates the cleaning fluid and controls the temperature and flow rate to efficiently remove residues (such as protein, grease, microorganisms), ensuring that the cleanliness of the equipment meets GMP, FDA 21 CFR Part 117/211 and EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering Design Group) standards.

1. Multi-stage cleaning program

 Pre-Rinse : Rinse off loose residue with cold or hot water.

 Alkaline/acid cleaning : NaOH (1%–4%) removes organic matter, and HNO3 (0.5%–2%) dissolves inorganic scale.

 Final wash : Rinse with purified water or water for injection (WFI) until the conductivity is ≤5 μS/cm.

 Disinfection/sterilization : Hot water (80°C–90°C), steam (121°C), or chemical disinfectants (e.g., ozone, hydrogen peroxide).

2. Dynamic parameter control

 Temperature control : The heater and heat exchanger are precisely controlled (±2°C) to adapt to the active temperatures of different cleaning agents.

 Flow rate regulation : The variable frequency pump controls the flow rate (0.5–3 m/s) to ensure turbulent pipeline cleaning (Reynolds number ≥ 20,000).

3. Online monitoring and feedback

 Key parameter detection : real-time monitoring of conductivity, temperature, pressure, flow rate, and automatic determination of cleaning endpoint.

 Residue detection : TOC (total organic carbon) analyzer or ATP bioluminescence detection can be optionally used to verify the cleaning effect.

4. Resource recycling and environmental protection

 Cleaning liquid recovery : Recycle after acid-base neutralization to reduce wastewater discharge.

 Energy-saving design : waste heat recovery system reduces steam consumption.

5. Data management and traceability

Electronic batch records : record cleaning time, temperature curve, reagent dosage, in accordance with ALCOA+ data integrity principles.

 Alarm and traceability : trigger alarms for abnormalities such as insufficient flow and temperature deviation, and mark batches with contamination risks.

1. Fluid dynamics design

 Turbulent cleaning principle : high flow rate (≥1.5 m/s) generates turbulence to flush residues on the surface of the equipment (cleaning efficiency is positively correlated with Reynolds number).

 Spray coverage : A rotating spray ball (such as fixed or rotating) is installed on the top of the tank to ensure that the spray coverage reaches 360° without dead angles .

2. Circular system architecture

 Multi-circuit design : independent distribution valves control different cleaning areas (such as tanks, pipes, filters) to avoid cross contamination.

 Pump group configuration : A combination of a centrifugal pump (low pressure and high flow) and a multistage pump (high pressure and low flow) to adapt to different cleaning scenarios.

3. Chemical cleaning optimization

 Concentration gradient control : Dynamically adjust acid and base concentrations through conductivity sensors to avoid excessive use of reagents.

Reaction time management : Set the soaking time according to the type of cleaning agent (e.g. enzyme cleaning agents require low temperature and long time, while strong alkali cleaning agents require high temperature and short time).

4. Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer Design

 Plate heat exchanger : quickly heats/cools cleaning fluid, reducing energy waste.

 Insulation layer design : The tank and pipes are wrapped with insulation materials (such as polyurethane) to maintain stability during high-temperature cleaning.

5. Automation control system

 PLC/SCADA integration : preset cleaning procedures (such as "tank cleaning-pipeline flushing-disinfection"), supporting one-button start and emergency shutdown.

6. Hygiene and safety design

 Structure without dead angles : Pipe welding adopts automatic polishing (Ra≤0.8 μm), and the tank body has rounded corners to avoid residue.

 Anti-corrosion material : Parts in contact with acid and alkali are made of 316L stainless steel, PTFE, and EPDM to extend the life of the equipment.

 Anti-leakage protection : double mechanical seal pump and pressure sensor monitoring to prevent cleaning fluid leakage and polluting the environment.

• Pharmaceutical industry : cleaning and sterilization of bioreactors, freeze dryers, liquid preparation tanks, and filling lines.

• Food and Beverage : Cleaning of grease and sugar from dairy fermentation tanks, beverage pipes, and filling valves.

• Chemical industry : polymer and scaling cleaning of reactors, heat exchangers and storage tanks.

• Bioengineering : Cell culture equipment and purification systems to remove protein and nucleic acid residues.