Case Study: Flexachem’s Clean-in-Place (CIP) Equipment

Flexachem specialises in providing high-quality Clean-in-Place (CIP) systems tailored for industries such as  pharmaceuticals, food, and beverage production. Their CIP equipment is designed to meet stringent FDA standards and ensure efficient cleaning processes without disassembling machinery. This case study explores the features, applications, and benefits of Flexachem’s CIP solutions.

Key Features of Flexachem CIP Equipment

1. Modular Skid Design

• Flexachem offers both fixed and portable CIP skids. Portable systems allow flexibility for cleaning tanks in different areas of a plant, while fixed systems can handle multi-line cleaning requirements.
• The skids are constructed with stainless steel (typically SS316), suitable for pharmaceutical environments, including ATEX zones (explosive atmospheres).

2. Automation Options

• Systems are available in fully automated or semi-automated configurations. Automation includes features like HMI displays for user-friendly operations.

3. Customisable Cleaning Cycles

• Cleaning cycles can include rinsing, hot washing, detergent application, and sanitization. These cycles are tailored to the specific cleaning needs of tanks and pipelines.

4. Efficient Tank Cleaning Technology

• Rotating spray heads (e.g., Lechler Series 5M, 5W9, 5S7, 5T3) are recommended for effective impact cleaning based on tank size and product residue difficulty.
• Spray heads ensure high efficiency by reducing the cycle time through impact cleaning which reduces the liquid need overall within tanks.

Applications

Flexachem’s CIP systems & Cleaning nozzles are widely used in the following sectors:

Pharmaceutical Industry:

• Ensures compliance with hygiene standards critical for drug manufacturing.
• Handles cleaning in ATEX environments with specialised materials
• Simulated cleaning of the tank reduces the risk & sets expectations of performance
• Greatly improved cleaning in Glass lined reactors with C22 material available & ATEX nozzles

Food & Beverage:

• Cleans tanks with varying residue types, from milk to viscous sauces.
• Consumption reduction of the CIP water & Chemicals
• Reduction of overall CIP times
• Small tank to bulk silo cleaning

Benefits

1. Operational Efficiency

• Faster cleaning cycles reduce downtime between production batches, enabling higher throughput.

2. Cost Savings

• Water recovery systems and efficient spray heads minimise resource consumption through impact cleaning

3. Enhanced Safety

• Automated systems reduce employee exposure to chemicals during cleaning processes.

4. Customisable Solutions

• Flexachem works closely with clients to design CIP systems based on tank sizes, pipeline lengths, cleaning requirements, and available services like steam and water. In addition, through tank cleaning modelling we can improve the cleaning of the tank

Case Example

A dairy plant in Ireland required a consumption reduction by optimising their CIP. The Flexachem solution replaced their existing static spray balls to rotating nozzles from Lechler.  The Whey crystalliser cleaning application delivered both impact cleaning and consumption reduction. The original cycle times were reduced by 50% as a starting point with further iterations ongoing. This was a reduction from 36m3 per tank to 17 m3 per tank and is still being assessed.

Conclusion

Flexachem’s CIP equipment  & tank nozzle range are a reliable solution for industries demanding high hygiene standards and operational efficiency. By offering customisable designs, automation options, and resource-saving technologies, Flexachem supports clients in reducing downtime and operating costs while maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements.