Just take a CIP!

• Project targets fresh water rationalisation in production processes
• Case-by-case system design is critical to developing successful CIP solutions 

The EU-funded AquaFit4Use initiative explored news ways to help industries rationalise their use of fresh drinking water in production processes. The project looked into water-saving cleaning-in-place (CIP) solutions according to a number of key parameters, called the 5 Ts), which ensure the effectiveness of the system:

• Turbulence or flow velocity in all parts of the system being cleaned
• Time taken in each step of the CIP procedure
• Temperature of the cleaning solutions and water at the beginning and end of the circuit
• Titration or chemical concentration in the supply tanks and circuits
• Technology and design of the CIP station, network, and complete water lines (from well to filler)

Key results

The key conclusions identified by AquaFit4Use, include:

• Principles of hygienic design must be respected (e.g. via deploying material that can withstand mechanical, thermal and chemical actions, pipes designed to 'self-drain', thus avoiding dead-ends and bottlnecks in connections, etc.)
• Case-by-case system design should be based reuse principles and chemical recovery equipped, with required monitoring tools
• Reduced water consumption through optimisation, e.g. shorter rinse times and/or reusing rinse water for other industrial purposes