Cleaning in Place systems or CIP systems are widely used in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry to clean and decontaminate tanks, reactors, decanting pumps, and transfer lines etc. CIP machines and equipments are one of the most widely used pharmaceutical sterilizers.

The process of manufacturing and handling various biological solutions and mixtures necessitates cleaning and sterilizing these equipments from time to time as they are susceptible to contamination. CIP is a method cleaning the interior surfaces of process equipment, pipes, vessels, filters and fitting without disassembly. How CIP is effective in cleaning and sterilizing is explained briefly in our article CIP: An Easy Way to an Advanced Cleaning Process. Just like CIP, pharmaceutical industry also make use of Steam-in-place or SIP system for in-line sterilization of various processing equipments.

Types of CIP System 

• Single Pass System : Cleaning solution is introduced in the plant for cleaning and then discharged, followed by final cleaning and rinsing.
• Recirculation System : This type of CIP equipment involves making a cleaning soultion in an external tank and then being introduced into the plant or container to be cleaned. The cleaning solution is recirculated until the cleaning cycle is complete. These systems use less cleaning detergents and water but are costlier than other CIP systems.

Advantages of CIP Equipments

• Cleaning-In-Place (CIP) are systems used for automatic cleaning and disinfecting without major assembly and disassembly work.
• Reduced Cost.
• Reduced risk of accidental impurities and recontamination from the need to reassemble equipment after it has been sanitised and cleaned.
• These equipments reduce the requirement for labour and minimise the cleaning time.
• CIP system ensures improved hygiene and sanitise more effectively than manual cleaning.

Application of CIP Machines

Clieaning in place systems are applied in those areas in which the processing must take place in a hygienic or aseptic environment such as

• Pharmaceutical
• Food
• Dairy
• Beverage
• Cosmetic
• Nutraceutical
• Biotechnology
• Health and
• Personal care industries