ALL ABOUT CIP (CLEANING IN PLACE)

(PICTURE TAKEN FROM WWW.OPTEK.COM) and WWW. TSSTRELLEBORG.COM)

Cleaning and sterilizing are one of the most important activities carried out in the fermentation process. A good cleaning and sterilization ensures not only the removal of residues from previously operated fermentation but also reduces or removed the probability of microbial contamination. If fermentors or its ancillaries equipments and processes are not cleaned, the remaining organic residues not only provide nutrients for the growth of unwanted microorganisms and allow the proliferation of the microbial populations, it also protects the microorganisms from the full effect of sterilizations.

Sometimes the process of cleaning the fermentors and its ancillary equipments are often confused with the sterilization process. In the cleaning process the activity centred on washing the equipments and removal of organic matters or soiled components. Sterilization is more in the killing and the removal of the microorganisms. This explains why CIP is often confused with SIP.

In most fermentation industries both SIP and CIP are carried out concurrently.


There are two kinds of cleaning often carried out in the fermentation industries; COP and CIP. COP refers to cleaning of the fermentors by removing and dismantling the fermentor components before cleaning it. The fermentor components are then reassembled after the cleaning process

CIP is the kind of cleaning carried out in situation where there is no dismantling or reassembling of the fermentor components. Cleaning is carried out with the fermentor component in tact. CIP is only carried out where the scale of the fermentor is too large and complex and the industry does not have the time, expertise to carry the COP

In both CIP and COP the basic principles of cleaning are the same. Both CIP and COP usually follow standard cleaning and sanitizing procedures such preliminary rinsing, draining, washing, rinsing and drying. However in CIP this procedure is a bit more complex as there is no ready access for cleaning and dismantling and require special procedures and methods of executing CIP.

It is strange that when the topic of CIP for fermentors are carried out, two common views are often held:

1 The first view is the picture of a worker scrapping or brushing the inner walls of the fermentor
2 A brief comment of passing hot steam through the pipes leading to and from the fermentor

CIP is more than the above standard views. CIP is a standard procedure or a system which are attached to and form part of the fermentation system.

The first CIP cleaning was rather quite primitive and manual in approach. The CIP involves the use of vessels as the solution tank, portable pumps, and hoses to connect the equipment and piping into circuits for recirculation of flush, wash and rinse solutions.

Temperature in CIP was accomplished by inserting a low-pressure steam hose into the solution tank and the “finger test”, or a thermometer reading.

The early CIP practises is a mixture of CIP and COP. CIP were quite restricted to the few long pipelines such as the receiving line or a supply line to the process plant. All other shorter pipelines, connections to equipment, and fittings and valves were manually cleaned, as in COP

Its only lately that CIP have become independent of COP and are fully automated to improve the efficiency of the process.

Modern CIP and SIP are systems designed for automatic cleaning and disinfecting without major disassembly and assembly work. Additionally, a well designed CIP system using a double seat block and bleed valve technology and process integration will allow cleaning of one part of the plant while other areas continue to function.

Modern CIP system saves money in terms of higher plant utilization and savings in CIP liquid through recycling of cleaning solutions, water reuse and conservation and man-hours.

In any CIP the most important components are the manipulation and control of the three parameters:

1 Time

2 Temperature

3 Concentration

In the application of CIP is also the interplay of hydraulics such as flow velocity and flow rate, number and volume of tanks, number of CIP circuits, type of detergent and sanitizing chemicals among others. Each CIP is custom made for the particular system

The design of a specific automatic CIP requires the integration of the design into the process. Such system usually have:

1 the addition of spray systems, tank cleaners, nozzles, and seals into the cleaning process.

2 advanced wash liquid preparation unit handling all filtering, preheating, mixing, and pumping of water, detergents, and demineralized water.

3 continuous monitoring and control of cleaning parameters, including flow rate, detergent concentration, temperature, and wash time.