Essentially, CIP systems revolve around four key factors:
- Time
- Flow rate
- Temperature
- Concentration of the cleaning agent
In fact, working with a CIP system is similar to working with a dishwasher at home: selecting a mode, setting the desired parameters, cycle duration, adding the appropriate detergent.
However, any deviation in these parameters—such as neglecting to include detergent or insufficient water—will compromise the cleansing process, much like how improperly calibrated CIP parameters can lead to inefficiencies.
Changes may have been made to your CIP settings over time without your knowledge. For example, increasing the temperature to speed up cleaning and increase productivity may inadvertently prolong cleaning duration, requiring higher concentrations of cleaning solutions to compensate.
Why does this matter? Because seemingly trivial adjustments can aggregate into significant inefficiencies over time, including:
- Escalated energy consumption due to heightened water temperature
- Excessive utilization of cleaning chemicals, resulting in unnecessary expenses
- Squandering of water due to needlessly high flow rates
- Prolonged cleansing times, resulting in diminished production duration
Consequently, it is imperative to ascertain whether your CIP system operates at peak efficiency and whether your cleansing process remains congruent with its initial configuration.