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.