MechChem Africa January 2017

Clean-in-place (CIP) is a core process that keeps food and beverage plants working efficiently within the standards of quality and food safety.This article introduces three segmented approaches from Endress+Hauser to improve the CIP process using suitable instrumentation. Three levels of CIP for efficient cleaning

Figure 1

C IP system requirements vary based on the sizeof theplant and the investment amount. Inabasicsystem,aflowswitch,temperature sensor and conductivity sensor supply the information necessary to execute the cleaning pro- cess. This is independent of the number of tanks used and ensures the desired temperature, flow rate and concentration are delivered throughout the system. Limit switches in tanks or in front of theCIP supply pump ensure that the system is always filled. A simple recorder combines the reporting of quality relevant data with visualisation. The flowphant works based on the thermal principle and shows there is flow in the system. The TMR135 temperature sensors – one after the heat exchanger and one in the backflowpipe – feed the system with media of a certain tempera- ture and ensure that this temperature is maintained throughout the system.

TheCLD18 conductivity sensor displays the phase shift betweenmedia. The conductivity reading is used to calculate the concentration of cleaning agents. Liquipoint FTW23 capacitance limit switches help avoid pump damage by preventing dry-running. One switch in front of the supply pump, one in the caustic, and one in the acid tank help to avoid systemdamage. The RSG35 data recorder displays and records the main information, temperatures, velocity and concen- tration.With a relayoutput, it caneven stop the supply pump, on receipt of a limit switch signal. The starter package shown in Figure 1 allows the CIPprocess to run automatically. Some sensorswill be added into the tanks, while others will be added into the pipe to speed up the entire process and improve concentration and temperature levels. The tempera- ture sensors remain the samebecause theyarealready equippedwith ‘Sensor-on-Tip’ technology, considered

Endress+Hauser and Rockwell Automation open European test centre Endress+Hauser’s newEuropeanCompetence centre for level and pressure measurement and Inventory Management Solutions is nowopen. Core elements of the test plant at Endress+Hauser’s site inMaulburg, Germany are threemassive tanks, each containing be- standards. Research and development take centre stage to align new products to customer requirements at an early phase under real application and environmental conditions. “All of our products must pass testing at the validation centre and prove that they

tween 2 000 and 26 000  ℓ of oil. On the tanks, more than 20 instruments from Endress+Hauser with dif- ferent measuring meth- ods are installed, all of them communicating with Rockwell Automation’s Plant PAx control system. In this way, all personnel at the test centre obtained specific information and diagnostics relating to the tank contents at a glance. With an investment of several hundred thou- sand Euros, the first joint test centre for Europe in Maulburg takes theoriginal concept a few steps fur- ther and establishes new

create sustainable added value for customers. They are exposed to extreme endurancetests,”saysGerd Gritsch, division manag- er quality management with Endress+Hauser, Maulburg. Increasing customer benefitwasthetriggerfora strategic alliance between Rockwell Automation and Endress+Hauser more than ten years ago. In Maulburg this includes, as well as research and development, training em- ployees and customers at the validation centre and offering hands-on learning for students. q

Frank Kulaszewicz, senior vice president of architecture and software at Rock- well Automation, and Michael Ziesemer, vice president of Endress+Hauser’s supervisory board, open the new test facility in Maulburg, Germany.

26 ¦ MechChem Africa • January 2017