Facilitating Efficient Equipment Cleaning

Equipment design and cleaning procedures both play a role in thorough sterilization and cleaning.

Sterilization or sanitization is usually applied to kill bacteria in a system. In addition, equipment is cleaned to remove residues from the previous batch of product, and subsequently flushed to remove the cleaning liquids. To ensure that sterilization and cleaning are efficient and safe, it is not enough to develop the appropriate procedures. Selecting the right manufacturing equipment further improves cost efficiency, as well as patient safety.

Considerations in Equipment Selection

The chosen equipment must minimize the risk of contamination due to inappropriate product-contact surfaces. Machines should not introduce airborne particles and dust into the environment, nor should they entail the risk that oil or other substances required for their operation will contaminate the product. If an operator cannot contact all equipment surfaces adequately, he or she simply cannot clean them. To facilitate efficient cleaning, equipment must be designed with this principle in mind.

The time, action, chemicals, and temperature (TACT) circle originally developed by Sinner in 1960 shows the cleaning effects that these parameters generate on the equipment surface (see Figure 1). The circle shows the extent to which time, plus at least one more parameter, clean residues from a surface. If one parameter is increased, the others may be reduced.

For example, if one dips one’s greasy hands in water, they will not become clean. If one puts them into a soap bath, they will become clean, but only after a long time. If one raises the temperature of the soap bath, however, one’s hands will become clean more quickly. But if one also rubs one’s hands together, they will become clean even more quickly. The residue and the product-contact surface determine the size, or the impact, needed for the cleaning process.  The most suitable type of chemicals and the appropriate temperature are decided according to the residue. High surface action enables the chemicals and temperature to work more efficiently, which makes it possible to reduce both of these parameters, as well as the cleaning time. Because the action is often built into the equipment design, selecting the right equipment can reduce the cost and increase the cleanability of a system.

Cleaning action on the equipment surface is achieved by generating high velocity or flow of cleaning fluids on all product-contact surfaces. This technique distributes the chemicals and temperature better than low velocity does. Increased velocity also generates high turbulence and shear force on the surface, which ensures that the chemicals and temperatures reach deep into the residues and dissolve or detach them safely and efficiently.

Testing TACT Parameters

To test the influence of the TACT parameters, the author designed a tank-cleaning test incorporating two tank-cleaning devices that generated different amounts of action. A static spray ball typically generates a wall shear stress of 2–5 Pa (i.e., falling film stress, depending on liquid temperature). A rotating jet head typically generates a wall shear stress of 40–1000 Pa (i.e., jet impingement, depending on jet pattern mesh).

To clean the tank sufficiently, two static spray balls operated for 48 min at a flow rate of 20 m3/h and a system pressure of 2.5 bar. One rotating jet  head, however, achieved better resultswhen it operated for 14 min at a flow rate of 6 m3/h and a system pressure of 5.0 bar (see Figures 2 and 3 and Table I).

The test showed that the theory of the TACT circle works in practice. To clean a certain residue from a certain surface, the parameters in the TACT circle can be adjusted for cost optimization (see Figure 3). With increased action, it was possible to reduce the time, the amount of chemicals, and the heating energy and still achieve an equal or better result. High shear forces can remove residues from most surfaces by themselves without chemicals or high temperatures. This technique can reduce the risk of contamination from cleaning chemicals and dramatically reduce cleaning costs.

Equipment design pitfalls

Strong cleaning action on all product contact surfaces minimizes the risks of contamination and of system malfunction and also enables cost efficient cleaning. Common design pitfalls, however, impair equipment cleanability. Dead legs, pockets and crevices, air pockets, and improper equipment surfaces are pitfalls too often seen in the pharmaceutical industry.

Dead legs. It is widely understood that dead legs should be avoided or minimized in a system (see Figure 4). Some guidance states that the length to diameter (L/D) measurement for dead legs should not be more than 2, and, in some cases, not more than 3. The relation between the main-pipe velocity and the L/D measurement, however, is often overlooked. High main-pipe velocity makes the turbulence go deeper into the dead leg, and if the turbulence or action is strong enough, it will remove the residues at the bottom of the dead leg.

In a 1997 article, Haga et al. presented results from tests with various velocities in the main pipe in various L/D measurements (1). They found that for an L/D of 6, it is possible to clean the residue adequately if the main-pipe velocity is higher than 1.5 m/s. They also found that for an L/D of 3, it is impossible to remove the residue if the main pipe velocity is lower than 0.7 m/s (see Figure 5).

Pockets and crevices. No rule of thumb governs the depth of pockets and crevices. Figure 6 shows a typical crevice found in pharmaceutical systems. Many guidances state that crevices should be avoided or eliminated when possible, a statement that seems weak considering that a crevice could be likened to a dead leg with an L/D measurement of 50–100, compared with the normal 2–3. Following Haga et al., it would be impossible to achieve the velocity required to clean the bottom of a crevice. Thus, pockets and crevices should not exist in pharmaceutical systems because they will always pose a major contamination risk.

Air pockets. Air pockets may be described as upside-down dead legs or crevices (see Figure 7). Although residues do not collect in an air pocket, they stick to its surface. It is difficult to evacuate the air from these pockets during the cleaning process, which means that the cleaning liquid will not reach the top of the air pocket and, accordingly, will not clean it. Air pockets, therefore, must be eliminated, or they will introduce a high risk of contamination.

Surface finish. Surface finish is often considered a measurement of hygienic design. The maxim is that the smoother the surface, the more hygienic and easy to clean. But this principle is, in fact, open to debate. A 2003 study by Hilbert et al. tested the adherence of bacteria to several surfaces and the cleanability of these surfaces (2). The surfaces, from 0.1 μm electro-polished to 0.8 μm mechanically polished, showed no differences in adherence or cleanability. The main reason was the relatively large size of the individual bacteria compared with the small size of the surface imperfections. As long as the surface finish is below Ra 0.8–1.0 μm, the bacteria are too large to get trapped between the surface imperfections. In another study, however, Riedewald showed that when bacteria accumulate in a biofilm, adherence and cleanability depend on the surface finish (3). It is hard for biofilm to attach to a smooth surface, and thus it is easy to detach them from such a surface. The same is true for other sticky residues. A study at the Institute of Technology in Kolding, Denmark, tested the cleanability of surfaces spiked with a yogurt solution that had been ovendried (4). This study clearly showed that a surface with a low Ra value was easier to clean than one with a high Ra value. The tested surfaces ranged from Ra 0.15 to 2.4 μm. Electropolished surfaces also were easier to clean than mechanically polished surfaces, which, in turn, are easier to clean than pickled surfaces. Equipment designed correctly will avoid the above pitfalls, thus facilitating safe and cost-efficient cleaning. The more cleaning action is applied on all product-contact surfaces, the easier, safer, and quicker system cleaning will be.

References
1. R. Haga et al., Pharm. Eng. 17 (5), 8–21
(1997).
2. L.R. Hilbert et al., Int. Biodeterior. Biodegradation
52 (3), 175–185 (2003).
3. F. Riedewald, PDA J. Pharm. Sci. Technol.
60 (3), 164–171 (2006).
4. D. Bagge-Rawn, Microbial Adhesion and
Biofilm Formation in the Food Processing
Industry (Technical University of Denmark,
Kolding, Denmark, 2007).

 

Captions:

Figure 1. The time, action, chemistry and temperature circle © AlfaLaval

Table I: Parameters of two cleaning operations © AlfaLaval
 
Figure 2: A tank cleaned with (a) two static spray balls and (b) one rotating jet head  © AlfaLaval

Figure 3. TACT circles for a) two static spray balls and (b) one rotating jet heat © AlfaLaval

Figure 4. Dead leg © AlfaLaval

Figure 5: Velocity and length/diameter measurement © AlfaLaval

Figure 6: A hard-to-clean pocket can be created between two metal parts and an O-ring seal © AlfaLaval

Figure 7: Typical air pocket © AlfaLaval

 

About Alfa Laval

Alfa Laval is a leading global provider of specialized products and engineering solutions based on its key technologies of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling. The company’s equipment, systems and services are dedicated to assisting customers in optimizing the performance of their processes. The solutions help them to heat, cool, separate and transport products in industries that produce food and beverages, chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, starch, sugar and ethanol. Alfa Laval’s products are also used in power plants, aboard ships, in the mechanical engineering industry, in the mining industry and for wastewater treatment, as well as for comfort climate and refrigeration applications.

Alfa Laval’s worldwide organization works closely with customers in nearly 100 countries to help them stay ahead in the global arena.  Alfa Laval is listed on the Nordic Exchange, Nordic Large Cap, and, in 2011, posted annual sales of about SEK 28.6 billion (approx. 3.2 billion Euros). The company has 16 000 employees.

 

For further information

Per-Åke Ohlsson
Alfa Laval Lund AB, Box 74,
Rudeboksvägen 1, SE-22100
Lund, Sweden
Telephone. 46 4636 74 18
Email:  perake.ohlsson@alfalaval.com

 

Press release images


The time, action, chemistry and temperature circle

A tank cleaned with two static spray balls

A tank cleaned with one rotating jet head

TACT circles for a) two static spray balls and (b) one rotating jet heat.

Dead leg

Velocity and length/diameter measurement

A hard-to-clean pocket can be created between two metal parts and an O-ring seal

Typical air pocket

Parameters of two cleaning operations

Per-Åke Ohlsson - Global Manager for Alfa Laval’s Market Unit Pharma & Personal Care

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Company Information

Alfa Laval


Alfa Laval Corporate AB

alfa.laval@alfalaval.com
www.alfalaval.com

Alfa Laval Kolding A/S
DK-6000 Kolding - Denmark
Visit: 31, Albuen - DK-6000 Kolding 
Denmark

Press contact

Søren Kragh

Marketing Project Manager, Business Unit Hygienic
Fluid Handling

Tel: +45 28 95 56 14
soren.kragh@alfalaval.com

     Via social media

Company Information

Alfa Laval Logo


Alfa Laval Corporate AB

alfa.laval@alfalaval.com
www.alfalaval.com

Alfa Laval Kolding A/S
DK-6000 Kolding - Denmark
Visit: 31, Albuen - DK-6000 Kolding 
Denmark

Press contact

Søren Kragh

Marketing Project Manager, Business Unit Hygienic
Fluid Handling

Tel: +45 28 95 56 14
soren.kragh@alfalaval.com

     Via social media

About Alfa Laval


Alfa Laval is a leading global provider of specialized products and engineering solutions based on its key technologies of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling.

 The company’s equipment, systems and services are dedicated to assisting customers in optimizing the performance of their processes. The solutions help them to heat, cool, separate and transport products in industries that produce food and beverages, chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, starch, sugar and ethanol.

 Alfa Laval’s products are also used in power plants, aboard ships, oil and gas exploration, in the mechanical engineering industry, in the mining industry and for wastewater treatment, as well as for comfort climate and refrigeration applications.

Technologies to trust

 

Alfa Laval is today a world leader within the key technology areas of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling. Our company was founded on a single brilliant invention and innovation remains at the heart of everything we do.

With more than 2500 patents, we provide worldwide solutions in areas that are vital to society both today and for the future.

Energy, Environment and Food


With the vision of creating better everyday conditions for people, Alfa Laval has developed products since 1883. The world is increasingly focused on saving energy and protecting the environment. Alfa Laval is committed to those goals. Our products are involved in treating water, reducing carbon emissions and minimizing water and energy consumption, as well as heating, cooling, separating and transporting food. These areas represent the core of Alfa Laval's expertise.


Technological leadership


Alfa Laval is a leading global supplier of products and solutions for heat transfer, separation and fluid handling through our key products – heat exchangers, separators, pumps and valves. We currently play a vital role in areas that are crucial for society, such as energy optimization, environmental protection and food production.

Alfa Laval’s products are used in the manufacturing of food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, starch, sugar and ethanol. We are also used in nuclear power, onboard vessels; and in the engineering sector, mining industry and refinery sector as well as treating wastewater and creating a comfortable indoor climate.


More than 2500 patents


Good ideas lay the groundwork for profitable development. These good ideas combined with the company’s pioneering spirit have contributed to Alfa Laval’s strong global presence.

The company is known for focusing on innovation and new ways of thinking since its inception. Alfa Laval makes continuous and consistent investments designed to build, strengthen and develop the company’s global market leadership.

Alfa Laval currently holds more than 2500 patents, and invests approximately 2.5 percent of its sales in research and development launching between 35 and 40 new products every year.

Worldwide


Alfa Laval’s worldwide organization helps customers in nearly 100 countries to optimize their processes. We have 42 major production units (22 in Europe, 10 in Asia, 8 in the US and 2 in Latin America).

The company has over 17 000 employees, the majority of whom are located in Sweden, Denmark, India, China, the US and France.

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