What is CIP ?

• Validateable Procedures

• Reproducible, Repeatable and Controllable Results

• Reduction of Cleaning Time

• Automatic cycles ensure every item is cleaned every time

• Increased productivity through reduction of down time

• Chemical Handling Reduction

• Simple Operation

• Cost Savings including chemicals, water and effluent, labour time etc.

• Improved Health and Safety

• Batch Traceability and Records

• Stronger Chemicals and higher temperatures can be used over manual cleaning

• CIP allows more complex processing systems to be employed, as there is no need to dismantle

• Environmental Issues including saving of energy, chemicals, water used and effluent generated.

What is SIP ?

Hygienic processing is processing using suitable materials, designs and techniques to retain the hygiene quality of the products whilst processing them and not to impart any impurities whilst processing. Hygienic processing starts from a clean system, carries out the processing and is then cleaned ready for the next process.

Biocontainment can be classified by the relative danger to the surrounding environment as biological safety levels (BSL). There are four safety levels, BSL1 to BSL4, with higher numbers indicating a greater risk to the external environment.

What is Passivation?

Passivation is a method of maximizing the inherent corrosion resistance of the stainless alloy. It remains a critical step in maximizing the essential corrosion resistance of stainless steels. It can make the difference between satisfactory performance and premature failure. However, incorrectly performed, passivation can also actually induce corrosion.

Hygienic Tubes and Fittings are specifically designed for applications where there is a requirement for the internal surfaces of the pipes to be cleanable. They are produced with internal surfaces which are smooth and do not have obstructions or crevices that could capture the product and subsequently cause contamination. These requirements are typically present in the food processing, dairy, brewing, pharmaceutical and many other hygiene critical industries. They are also often used as an economic stainless steel piping system in many other industries.

In the UK and Ireland there are a number of different types of hygienic fittings used. These include the fittings identified in British Standard BS4825 Parts 2 to 5. (EN20286) which covers RJT, IDF and clamp fittings. There are other British hygienic unions that are used occasionally including SRJT (similar to RJT but for larger sizes) and ILC (a union developed for CIP purposes).

Other American and European hygienic standards are also sometimes used. These include DIN 11850 to 11852, US 3A, SMS and DS.

ASTM A 249, A 269 and A270 are the most commonly used manufacturing standards for hygienic tubes. The tube is provided with the internal weld bead removed or flattened. The internal finish and external finish can be specified (as seen, for example, in the ASME BPE standards).

A Tank is defined as "a large container (vessel) for holding gases or liquids at atmospheric pressure". Tanks are available in rectangular, cuboid or cyclindrical shapes.

A Vessel is defined as "a closed container designed to hold gases or liquids at a pressure different from the ambient pressure". Vessels are normally vertical or horizontal cylindrical shape.