Posted to News on 9th Sep 2026, 10:00
Decrease downtime with flexible Cleaning-in-Place
The production of safe food and drink products depends on maintaining hygienic in some cases sterile - production equipment. In most cases this involves Cleaning-in-Place (CIP), where equipment is cleaned in situ without the need for time-consuming dismantling or opening, but there are better ways, as the experts at HRS Heat Exchangers explain.
If CIP (or sterilisation-in-place, SIP) is to be effective, then the CIP system itself and the production equipment it serves both need to be designed with effective cleaning in mind: equipment and machinery must be hygienically designed and easy to manage, maintain and audit.
A typical CIP process will consist of a number of different phases and operations, such as: pre-rinsing - to remove large debris and residues; detergent cleaning - to remove attached dirt and soiling using a caustic detergent; rinsing - to remove detergent and dirt; optional acid cleaning - if required to remove scaling or alkaline residues; rinsing - to remove the acidic cleaning agent; disinfection - heat or chemical treatment to disinfect the equipment; and final rinse - to remove all traces of chemicals and prevent contamination.
However, how these processes are combined and interact will be different. For example, using detergent at high temperatures may clean and disinfect equipment at the same time, or using steam may reduce the need for chemical detergents.
Flexible CIP solutions from HRS
All HRS equipment and heat exchanger systems are designed with efficient and effective CIP in mind. Furthermore, the company's integrated systems and bespoke production solutions (such as the HRS Thermblock Series of pasteurisers) include integrated CIP systems which automatically monitor, clean and then record cleaning. These systems can be programmed and managed by clients to facilitate a wide range of products and operating environments.
In addition, HRS produces standalone Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) and Sterilisation-in-Place (SIP) systems for the cleaning and disinfection of food industry systems. These are available with single tanks (ST) of between 500 and 2,500 litres capacity, or multiple tanks (MT) for larger installations. Fully skid-mounted and modular designs enable quick and easy installation, and the fully automated systems are supplied with a programmable logic controller (PLC) system, which can operate on its own, or be integrated into the factory's main control system.
Where the HRS ST CIP System is integrated into a large system and linked to the main plant control system, the tank is usually heated with steam using an HRS K Series multitube heat exchanger. However, for smaller units, or where steam is not available, the HRS ST CIP system can be heated with electrical heating elements. Mobile, skid mounted, units with more basic controls based on PLC and HMI controls are also available, as is an ATEX compatible version for use in high risk environments.
