CIP system VarioClean assures maximised standard do hygiene

With a aseptic line at its facility in Eilenburg, near Leipzig, the mineral water bottlers Franken Brunnen are upsizing the capacity of their production plant in the east of Germany. The complete order for the 40,000-bph line included the entire process technology involved, supplied by Krones.
The VarioClean CIP system also plays an important role in this line. All components are subject to a stringent cleaning programme, which specifies precisely harmonised cleaning procedures to suit the production duration of product sequence involved, thus ensuring that the line operates smoothly in complete microbiological safety. The fully automated cleaning concept is perfectly matched to the line components concerned, so that filler, rinser, mixer, flash pasteuriser, all pipes and tanks are dependably cleaned.
The modularised construction of the VarioClean incorporates 6 different tank sizes to suit the job profile and cleaning medium involve. The tanks for hot media are insulated. The cleaning media (batch water, caustic, acid, hot water, disinfectant solution and fresh water) are deployed in the cleaning procedure in line with the operational requirements concerned.

In aseptic lines like the one in Eilenburg, this CIP concept is designed as a fully automated system, providing maximised dependability thanks to continuous monitoring of the major cleaning parameters. The PLC system for automatic operation is equipped with a Botec visualisation feature, with a touch-panel directly at the CIP unit for operator control. Via an interface to the production data acquisition system, all operations can be meticulously documented.