Dairy, beverage, and pharmaceutical plants rarely lose cleaning time because the chemistry is wrong. They lose it to sequencing: caustic, rinse, acid, rinse, and a final hot-water step that all have to land in the right order, at the right temperature, without an operator juggling valves by hand. That is the problem a dual- or triple-tank CIP unit is built to solve.

A CIP skid circulates cleaning solution through tanks, lines, fillers, and heat exchangers on a timed circuit, then returns it to the correct tank. Two tanks usually cover caustic and rinse water for dairies and beverage lines. Three tanks add a dedicated acid or hot-water vessel, which matters when milk-based and acidic products share a line, or when you need a separate sanitizing step.

What the system cleans

Typical circuits include raw and pasteurized product lines, balance tanks, homogenizers, plate heat exchangers, filler heads, and transfer piping. Vessels with spray balls, road tankers, and mixers are common additions. If your line has dead legs or long runs, send us the layout before we size the pumps. Return flow, not supply pressure, is usually the limiting factor.

Choosing tank count and capacity

Tank volume should follow wetted surface area and the number of circuits per shift, not just the largest vessel. A 2 x 500 L unit often suits a small dairy. A brewery filling 200 hl batches may need 3 x 1500 L with a larger return pump. Undersizing the return pump is the most common mistake we see. It shows up as slow drains and air pockets at the spray ball.

Heating, pumping, and control

Steam coils or electric elements handle heating. Steam is faster and cheaper to run where it is available. Centrifugal supply pumps and self-priming return pumps are matched to your flow and pressure. Instruments cover temperature, conductivity, flow, pressure, and level. Control ranges from manual push-button to semi-automatic timers to PLC with recipe storage and data logging.

Typical specifications

Where these units run

Dairy, soft drinks, beer, spirits, sauces, liquid food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical processing. Material grade, surface finish, and documentation are set per project and per the standards your plant works to.

Common questions

Can we add a tank later? Sometimes. The frame and piping need to be sized for it at build time, which is cheaper than a retrofit.

Do we need a separate acid tank? Only if you run acidic products or need a specific cleaning regime. Many plants start with two tanks and add acid later.

How long is a cycle? Anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes depending on circuit length and temperature.

What about hot water? A dedicated hot-water tank is typically used for final rinse or sanitizing.

Request a quote

Send us your industry and product, tank and piping details, required cleaning capacity, heat source, automation level, stainless grade, and installation location. We will come back with a recommended configuration, drawing, and price, built in our own shop with engineering support through commissioning.