Automated CIP saves pharmaceutical manufacturer £120,000 pa

Converting a manual CIP (clean-in-place) process to an automatic process across 80 reaction vessels by using Burkert pressure transmitters, condition sensors and flow meters has enabled a major UK pharmaceutical manufacturer to achieve savings of 120,000 per annum. Prior to the installation of the Burkert system, the reaction tanks were each cleaned for six hours, with constant flushing to drain hot water at 70degC. This was a purely manual process based on operator experience, rather than signals from the process that the cleaning procedure was complete.

The weekly costs for the manual cleaning procedure were substantial: energy costs were running at around 4000, with water at approximately 1000 and effluent costs approaching the same figure. In total, the combined weekly figure across all activities included in the cleaning was 5900, which equates to 295,000 per annum.

Keen to reduce these costs, engineers at the pharmaceutical manufacturer contacted Burkert. This resulted in a site visit to view the manual CIP process. Following the visit Burkert suggested a CIP system for each reaction vessel based on a Type 8311 pressure transmitter, a Type 8222 condition sensor and a Type 8041 flow sensor. These products were installed on a test group of the vessels and linked the plant SCADA system. The CIP process was then undertaken in automatic mode, with the Type 8222 condition monitor providing effective feedback to the SCADA system when the water in the vessel was clean - and hence the vessel itself - so the SCADA system could terminate the process.

On the basis of the initial tests, engineers at the pharmaceutical plant calculated that the CIP costs would be reduced by 40 per cent, or 120,000 per year, by using the Burkert equipment.

Burkert UK Sales Manager, Neil Saunders, states: "This application highlights the savings that can be achieved on even the simplest of processes, as a result of consulting our specialist engineers. All business sectors today are incredibly competitive, so all opportunities to exploit so-called 'low-hanging fruit' have to be taken and optimised upon. With our specialist knowledge and leading-edge product range, this is exactly what we do; and the results speak for themselves, as evidenced by this application."

Contact Burkert for more information about products and systems for CIP, or use the form on this page.