A Comprehensive guide about the cip system and the sip system

There was a time when all machines in major industries used to be disassembled for cleaning. They would first be taken apart, then cleaned and washed and dried separately, then put together. As is obvious, the process of cleaning machinery was long, exhausting and wasteful. All of that however changed with the introduction of the sterilization in place and cleaning in place systems, better known as the SIP and CIP systems.

What exactly is SIP and CIP?

The Sterilization In Place and Clean In Place systems are machinery means to clean other machines used in industries where cleaning of vessels is done in huge numbers and it is imperative that these vessels be completely spick and span, like food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, etc. Thus, SIP and CIP systems become important in such environments which can turn toxic very easily, to guarantee high safety and sanitation standards. The amount of cleaning and disinfection it does without the requirement of disassembly saves a lot of time, making it a very resourceful machine. 

Specific to the CIP system, its aim is to minimize contamination of the equipment by getting all the hygiene details right. it allows the innermost surfaces to be cleaned with minimal disassembly or none at all. The fully automatic system takes away the manual aspect of cleaning and all this is performed in a sequential order. At times, it is also possible to set up a semi-automatic process where some part of the work is done manually. This is known as the Wash In Place (WIP) system. 

The SIP system is almost the same, except that it is used in aseptic applications. It uses saturated pure steam at high temperatures, which is why it is also known as the Steam In Place system. Apart from this, it is pretty similar to the CIP system.

What purposes do these systems serve?

• Removal of dirt and residue from product contact surfaces of processing systems

• Outward cleaning of the vessels

• Disinfection of previously cleaned vessels

What are the factors that you should consider before you buy a system like this?

• Cleaning temperature, which is dependent on the detergent and chemicals

• Concentration of the CIP cleaning media, which should be done in close accordance to the manufacturers’ instructions

• Cleaning media exposure duration of the sealing material, which depends largely on the mechanical factors such as the flow rate, hygienic design, surface quality, presence of useless spaces, the corner radii design and the fluidic design of the system

• Seal design

• Choice of material

What are the components of a CIP and SIP unit?

• Jacketed or non-jacketed tank

• Supply pump

• Heater

• Dosing tanks

• Inter-connected pipings

• Automation system

• SS platform

For the SIP unit, there are a few additions like;

• Pure steam header with a safety valve

• Condensate header with a sterile steam trap unit

• PLC control panel with various buttons to adjust the duration, temperature, printer, alarm, etc.

• SS mobile stand with PU Castors

According to Sterilization In Place manufacturers, the design principle is one of the following:

• Deliver high flow rate, extremely turbulent solution to enable good cleaning

• Deliver solution as a spray low on energy to make the surface fully wet

• Deliver a high powered strong spray

Fun Fact!

A CIP regulation was published in 1978 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration applicable to pharmaceutical manufacturing. It said: Equipment and utensils shall be cleaned, maintained, and sanitized at appropriate intervals to prevent malfunctions or contamination that would alter the safety, identity, strength, quality or purity of the drug product beyond the official or other established requirements.