CIP is one of the most commonly used terminologies in the pharmaceutical industry, but many beginners and professionals are not aware of what CIP is, so in this article, we will discuss CIP and the stages of CIP.
What Is CIP?
CIP stands for ‘Clean In Place’ & clean in place means to clean something in its place without moving or dismantling.
Explanation
CIP is the automated cleaning process used in pharmaceutical industries for the cleaning of different equipment by using water, detergent, compressed or hot air. The equipment parts are dismantled, washed,dried & assembled in conventional cleaning methods which requires more labour and more time but thanks to automation where by using CIP system we can wash and dry equipment without dismantling in short period of time.
Steps Of CIP
CIP steps are as given,
- Pre Rinsing
- Chemical Washing
- Intermediate Rinsing
- Final Rinsing
- Drying
Pre Rinsing
Pre-rinsing is the first step of CIP or clean in place, where the adhered material with equipment, pipes and filters is removed with the introduction of a pressurised stream of water. In pre-rinsing, the hot water can also be introduced if required.
Chemical Washing
After pre-rinsing, the equipment is washed with food-grade detergent. The recommended concentration of food-grade detergent solution is filled in the detergent tank and is delivered to the equipment at a defined rate. The supply of detergent from the reservoir tank is controlled by a pressure pump.
Intermediate Rinsing
When equipment is thoroughly washed with detergent solution, it is again rinsed with water to remove detergent, and this step is known as intermediate rinsing.
Final Rinsing
When the detergent is completely removed from the equipment, it is finally rinsed with purified water or water for injection (as per requirement) again to ensure final rinsing
Drying of equipment
Compressed air or hot air is used to dry the equipment.
Advantages Of CIP
Benefits of a clean-in-place are as follows,
- Time Saving
- Consistent Results
- Enhance Equipment lifespan
- Operator Safety
- Regulatory Compliance
Time Saving
As we discussed earlier, the CIP is an automated process, so it requires less time to clean the equipment as compared to the manual cleaning activity.
The estimated cleaning time with CIP is 1 to 2 hrs as compared to the manual cleaning time, which may be 6 to 7 hrs or longer, depending upon the types of equipment.
Consistent Results
The results of cleaning validation by using the CIP system are uniform & consistent as compared to the manual cleaning method due to the fact that in CIP, the chances of human error are negligible.
Enhance Equipment lifespan
As the equipment is cleaned without moving and dismantling, the equipment’s life span is enhanced due to less wear and tear.
Operator Safety
The CIP system results in enhanced operator safety as there is no direct contact with the cleaning chemicals.
Regulatory Compliance
The CIP system meets regulatory requirements.
CIP Equipment
The CIP equipment itself utilises the pressure pumps, SS transfer lines, spray ball system, detergent supply system and compressed air or hot air supply system.
Types of Spray Balls
3 types of spray balls are used,
- Static Spray Balls
- Rotary Spray Balls
- Rotary Jet Head
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