CIP vs. COP Systems

Hygiene and safety are top priorities for industries like food and beverage. Adopting the right cleaning techniques for manufacturing and processing equipment better ensures product quality, consumer safety, regulatory compliance, and even enhanced productivity. 

Clean-in-place (CIP) and clean-out-of-place (COP) systems enable companies to automate and improve their cleaning processes when sanitary conditions and product integrity matter most. Learn more about these systems and how high-temperature steam enhances their performance.

Understanding CIP and COP

The importance of cleaning food conveyor belts and related equipment can’t be understated. While CIP and COP systems are both powerful cleaning solutions for the food industry, baking industry, personal care industry, and more, the two systems perform cleanings differently.

CIP Systems

CIP systems clean the interiors of process equipment after a product batch is complete or when you need to transition between products on the processing line. The equipment stays in place during the cleaning process without needing disassembly, which can reduce downtime.

In traditional chemical based systems, a computer-controlled system sprays a soiled machine with detergent, circulating it through the system’s path. This spray agitates and dislodges material from surfaces and most small crevices that could otherwise develop buildup and support pathogen growth. 

After the main cleaning cycle is complete and product particles have been removed from the processing path, chemical cleaners flush out any remaining soil and sanitize the equipment’s surfaces. 

This type of automated cleaning can reduce the risk of harmful bacteria development and inhibit cross-contamination on surfaces by removing lingering traces of:

COP Systems

Traditional COP systems for cleaning pump rotors, clamps, and various other smaller equipment components that aren’t well-suited to CIP processing. Instead of trying to clean these parts in place, the COP process submerges removed parts in an immersion washer — essentially a long tank of hot water.

Normally Spray jets expel a detergent solution that generates turbulence for removing stuck-on ingredient material. These systems also soak the parts in a sanitizing solution to further neutralize any lingering contaminants thus leaving the part clean. Finally, operators will reinstall the cleaned parts into their manufacturing machinery and proceed with production.

CIP and COP System Advantages

These cleaning systems provide:

• Enhanced Safety: Both systems reduce manual cleaning cycles, generally keeping workers safely away from high-temperature equipment and sanitizing chemicals or detergents.
• Improved Productivity: Semi- and fully automated CIP and COP systems increase output and operational uptime by minimizing the time you spend cleaning.
• Reduced Human Error: Automation also decreases the likelihood of workers inadvertently jeopardizing product safety.
• Reliable Product Quality: Given their repeatability, automated cleaning processes deliver a consistent clean that lowers the risk of contaminants and maintains product integrity. As a result, your company can develop a strong reputation for quality and avoid product recalls.
• Sustainability Benefits: CIP and COP systems consume less water, chemicals, and power than manual efforts, saving on utility costs.

Choosing the Right Cleaning System

When trying to decide between the two, consider your application, budget, and expectations for process time. CIP systems are ideal for stationary equipment or machinery that would be difficult to disassemble, while COP systems can clean smaller parts and are typically less expensive. However, their disassembly, loading, unloading, and reassembly processes are manual and time-consuming, so a CIP system offers superior efficiency. CIP systems also have the advantage of repeatable cycle control for further reducing water, chemical, and energy usage.

How You Can Use Steam for Better CIP and COP Operations

Incorporating high-temperature dry steam into your CIP and COP processes rather than chemicals greatly enhances system cleaning performance. Direct steam-injection heat exchangers can deliver steam at CIP temperatures for cleaning tanks, conveyor belts, and more.

At these temperatures, the steam quickly dislodges everything from crumbs and grease to harmful contaminants from equipment or part surfaces. It effectively sanitizes, penetrating even hard-to-reach spaces or small crevices to kill microorganisms. In addition to its rapid efficiency, steam-cleaning food processing equipment is safer and more environmentally conscious because the process doesn’t rely on chemicals and produces less waste effluent. One of the main advantages to using steam is that the same steam cleaning systems can be used for both CIP and COP in your facility

Electric Steam Generators for Cleaning Systems

For companies interested in faster and more reliable cleaning cycles, greater eco-friendliness, and more consistent product quality, steam is the answer for your CIP or COP system. At Electro-Steam Generator Corp., we provide energy-efficient, high-temperature electric steam generators to meet these systems’ steam demands.

Since 1952, our company has been committed to quality. Our units achieve 98% efficiency without the need to first preheat feed water. All of our products are made in the USA using only the highest-quality components. They come standard with stainless steel cabinets and electrical panels/boxes. 

Licensed by the NJ Department of Labor, our team of boiler operators produces most generators within two to four weeks. Each electric steam generator has a five-year warranty on the chamber and a one-year warranty on all other components. Electro-Steam is CRN registered as well as UL and cUL listed. 

Achieve a thorough, more efficient cleaning with steam. Contact us for details on our steam sanitation solutions, or schedule a free demo today.

Benefits of Clean-in-Place Dry Steam Cleaning for Conveyor Belts

Food processing and production environments are required to comply with sanitation and food safety standards at all times. These apply to the ingredients as well as all equipment used to prepare, process, and package them.

Areas that require special attention include conveyor belts used to move food items from station to station within the facility, tubing that transports ingredients and finished products, and food preparation equipment. Because they are in contact with food products continuously, they readily pick up stains, debris, and contaminants. If they are not cleaned frequently and adequately, risks of cross-contamination or reduced product quality increase.

Steam sanitation is a quick and cost-effective method of cleaning and sanitizing food-contact surfaces and equipment that’s highly effective. What’s more, systems that allow workers to bring steam cleaning equipment to the point of use rather than disassembling and moving equipment, known as clean-in-place systems (CIP), boost operational efficiency. Here, we’ll discuss how CIP dry steam cleaning works and its many advantages for conveyor belts and food production facilities.

What Is Clean in Place (CIP)?

CIP systems allow equipment to be cleaned thoroughly without disassembly or transportation to a different area for washing and sanitizing. It is frequently used with bulky equipment, large machinery that is heavy or permanently installed, or complex equipment that is difficult and time-consuming to take apart and reassemble. Clean-in-place equipment is usually a portable setup with a dry steam generator, cleaning tools such as spray wands for reaching tight spaces, a vacuum system for particles and liquids, and sometimes a specialized belt cleaning device.

Dry steam cleaners release high-temperature dry steam on, around, and into equipment. Dry steam has a low moisture content, so hand drying is not required. Temperatures are hot enough to melt grease, destroy biofilms, kill pathogens, and loosen crumbs or other stuck-on residues or carryback so they can be vacuumed up. Depending on the application, dry steam can also be fed into tubing lines and through filling nozzles or sprayers for glazes and coatings.

Dry steam is ideal for reaching into crevices and intricate assemblies. Steam can easily reach small gaps, rough edges, and different components far inside assemblies, releasing residues, particles, dust, and fatty substances far more effectively than hands-on cleaning. A special vacuum system is used to remove particles and the small amount of water that condenses as the steam cools.

Because dry steam has only a 5 to 6% moisture content, the amount of liquid generated by the cleaning process is minimal. This helps to avoid corrosion or other water damage and eliminates standing water that can support bacteria.

Advantages of CIP Technology

CIP dry steam sanitizing systems have several benefits for food processing and production operations including:

Increased Speed and Productivity

Steam sanitization with CIP systems is faster than manual processes. CIP cleaning eliminates the time and labor for disassembling and moving equipment, as well as the actual time and effort required to manually clean different components and reassemble them. High-temperature steam also requires shorter dwell times than other cleaning agents, quickly melts grease, and kills pathogens. This results in more consistent and thorough cleaning and less downtime.

Greater Reliability

Dry steam can reach all the surfaces of a conveyor belt and into even the smallest channels or tubing. Manual cleaning methods involving a range of tools and cleaning solutions may not be able to reach some areas reliably. This may leave the level of sanitation to the skill of the person doing the cleaning, which can vary. CIP dry steam cleaning makes it easier to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and other requirements. High-temperature steam kills pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and salmonella, and removes potential allergens, dust, and other particles.

Improved Worker Safety

CIP dry steam cleaning eliminates the need for disassembling, moving, and reassembling equipment, greatly reducing the risks of worker injury and improper reassembly or equipment damage. With its low moisture content, dry steam leaves minimal wet residue, further reducing slips, falls, and chemical exposure from water- or chemical-based manual cleaning processes.

Superior Eco-Friendliness

Sanitizing with CIP dry steam cleaning systems is environmentally friendly. It doesn’t require potentially hazardous cleaning agents or consumables like cloths or sponges that can be reintroduced to the water supply. CIP dry steam cleaning reduces water consumption by using up to 98% less water than wet cleaning methods.

Contact Electro-Steam for CIP Dry Steam Cleaning

The ability to steam in place saves time and results in consistently clean equipment for compliance with food safety regulations. Electro-Steam is a leading provider of custom steam systems for clean-in-place food industry applications as well as commercial kitchens, wineries, medical device manufacturing or preparation facilities, and more We also carry industrial process steam and clean steam generators, cleaning tools, and accessories like brushes, hoses, and more.

Contact us today to learn more about dry steam CIP systems or schedule a free demo to see our equipment in action.