What the skid actually has to do

A CIP system delivers cleaning solution to tanks, fillers, pasteurizers, heat exchangers and transfer piping at the flow, temperature and concentration the soil requires, then flushes and returns it. Tank count, pump curve and heat source all follow from that duty. Most inquiries we get start with a manual boil-out routine that has become a bottleneck, or a new line that needs repeatable cycle records instead of hand-written logs.

How a cycle runs

Typical sequence: pre-rinse with recovered water, caustic wash at 60–80°C, intermediate rinse, acid wash where mineral scale is an issue, final rinse, then a sanitizing step if the plant uses one. Return flow is monitored so the pump does not run dry and the operator can see when the circuit is actually flooded.

Tank configuration and capacity

Single-tank units suit small beverage operations running one detergent. Two tanks — caustic and acid — cover most dairy and soft drink duty. A third hot water or rinse tank helps where cycles are long or the water is hard. As a starting figure, plan on 2 to 3 times the volume of your largest circuit plus pipe hold-up, then confirm against the flow rate you need at the spray balls.

Heating, pumping, control

Steam through a plate or shell exchanger heats fast and holds temperature well on large skids. Electric elements are simpler where no steam header exists. Supply pumps commonly run 20–60 m³/h at 3–5 bar, with a separate return pump on multi-circuit units. Manual valve trees are still common; semi-automatic and PLC control with a touchscreen and recipe storage are what most new lines specify.

Materials and details that matter later

304 covers tanks and frames in most food plants. Wetted parts move to 316L when acid detergents, chlorides or aggressive residues are present. We passivate welds, use tri-clamp connections on process lines, and mount instruments where they can be reached without dismantling piping: PT100 in each tank, level or conductivity probes, a flow switch on the return, pressure gauge at the supply.

Specifications

Where these systems go

Dairy: receiving lines, silos, pasteurizers, fillers. Soft drinks: syrup rooms, carbonators, filling heads. Breweries and distilleries: fermenters, transfer and packaging lines. Sauces and liquid food: kettles and filler circuits. Cosmetics and pharmaceutical production: mixing vessels and transfer piping. Soil chemistry differs by product, and that drives detergent choice and temperature more than tank size does.

Common questions

Can one skid serve several lines? Yes, with a return manifold and valve control. Keep circuits similar in volume, or the pump will be oversized for the small ones.

Do I need a separate rinse tank? Not always. Many plants rinse with fresh water and recover the final rinse into the pre-rinse tank.

How long does a cycle take? Usually 30 to 60 minutes per circuit, driven by pipe length and soil load.

Can we add automation later? If the valve tree and instrumentation are planned for it at build stage, yes. Retrofitting pneumatics onto a manual skid is expensive.

Getting a quote

Send us your industry and product, tank and pipe details, the cleaning capacity you need, available heat source, preferred automation level, stainless grade, and the installation site. With those we can recommend a configuration and price it. Drawings and P&ID come before fabrication, so nothing is guessed on the floor.