CIP Skid Design & Engineering
CIP process skid design is a relatively complex process. While it starts with defining the needs of the customer, mapping out the system requires expert knowledge. Clean-in-place (CIP) sanitary process skids are essential for industries such as food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology, where hygiene, product purity, and regulatory compliance are paramount. Effective CIP process skid design and engineering requires a multi-faceted approach. To ensure reliable, repeatable, and efficient cleaning cycles the approach must blend process engineering, automation, and sanitary design principles.
CIP Process Skid Design Considerations
1. Sanitary and Hygienic Design
- Minimize Dead Legs and Crevices: All piping and components should be free of dead legs, joints, and crevices where materials can get stuck or otherwise remain in the system. Ideally, interior finishes will be ultra-smooth to facilitate easier cleaning and maintenance The general idea is to facilitate thorough cleaning of all internal surfaces.
- Drainability: Piping should have a positive slope to promote free drainage. Piping should also have well-positioned, low-point drains that facilitate the complete removal of contaminants and cleaning solutions.
- Sanitary Connections: Sanitary-grade fittings and valves specifically designed for such applications are essential design elements.
2. Critical Cleaning Parameters and Automation
3. Process and Utility Engineering
- Cleaning Circuit Design: The system’s piping and components should be sectioned according to process needs, and maintenance schedule processes. Customization for any specific process or particular industry is a design best practice.
- Flow Velocity: Piping and pumping systems must allow for a powerful flow of cleaning solutions to achieve satisfactory results and ensure proper hygiene levels.
- Resource Efficiency: Systems should be designed to optimize the usage of cleaning materials. Specifically, this includes proper dosing of cleaning products and final rinsing/purging solutions. This serves to minimize owner costs for each CIP process.
4. Regulatory Compliance and Validation
- Industry Standards: Sanitary process skids must maintain compliance with cGMP, FDA, and other regulatory standards. Meeting 3A sanitary standards is particularly important. 3A requirements are the gold standard of hygienic food equipment design.
- Validation and Verification: CIP cycles must be validated for proper removal of contaminants with periodic verifications to confirm the continuity of every cleaning process’s effectiveness.
5. Safety Considerations
- Operator Safety: Automated CIP systems minimize risks to personnel from exposure to unhealthy and hazardous cleaning solutions and products. For processing companies, aside from having a safe skid design workers should wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), understand applicable Safety Data Sheets, and ensure proper handling of chemicals from cleaning through disposal.
- Ease of Maintenance: Sanitary process skid designs should allow for easy access to components. All maintenance personnel should be instructed, and possibly tested, on proper cleaning techniques and potential hazards when doing CIP processes.
Summary Table: Clean-in-Place Skid Design Considerations
Summary and Takeaways
CIP process skid design is a relatively complex process. While it starts with defining the needs of the customer, mapping out the system requires expert knowledge. A well-designed CIP clean-in-place sanitary process skid or portable sanitary process carts are a strategic combination of hygienic engineering and automation knowledge. Every facet of the design must address the need for compliance with industry and regulatory standards. Additionally, the safety of personnel involved in a CIP process is very important. Leading CIP process skid manufacturers in the USA can fabricate systems that address all of these needs.
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