Control of CIP and Disinfection Processes

Refractive Index Measurement for Monitoring CIP and Disinfection Processes

Beverage production requires safety and maximum efficiency, particularly when it comes to hygienic manufacturing conditions. Modern production facilities must not only deliver products of outstanding taste and quality, but also comply with strict regulatory requirements while operating cost-effectively. Many manufacturers in the food and beverage industry use the same filling station for a variety of different products. Due to the high hygiene standards in food production lines, regular cleaning intervals are essential.

Cleaning in Place (CIP) and disinfection procedures enable the automatic cleaning of tanks, pipelines, and filling systems without dismantling. This prevents cross-contamination, ensures product safety, and guarantees compliance with international hygiene standards.

Typically, CIP processes follow a standardized sequence:

• Pre- and intermediate rinsing

• Alkaline and acidic cleaning

• Disinfection

• Final rinse

To ensure that each step is carried out efficiently and safely, precise detection of phase transitions is crucial. Interfacing, the reliable separation of different cleaning liquids and product phases, is essential to prevent cleaning or disinfecting agents from entering the final product and to avoid unnecessary product losses.

SCHMIDT + HAENSCH offers customized solutions based on decades of expertise in optical measurement technology. Our systems are used worldwide in the beverage industry, ensuring the highest quality standards while optimizing production processes.

Our inline process refractometers, iPR, measure the refractive index of liquids in real time. Even the slightest concentration changes of cleaning and disinfecting agents such as hydrogen peroxide H₂O₂ can be reliably detected. Compared to conventional sensors such as conductivity or temperature sensors, refractometers are insensitive to color, temperature fluctuations, or the chemical reactivity of the media.

Our iPR systems are equipped with digital interfaces and can be directly integrated into control systems or SCADA environments. This enables fully automated process control, for example switching valves, initiating rinse cycles, or triggering alarms in case of deviations. As a result, you can prevent contamination and optimize the recycling of cleaning solutions. This ensures highly precise and continuous monitoring, even in dynamic process conditions.

The iPR B is designed for continuous quality monitoring across a wide range of industrial processes. It measures the refractive index RI directly in the product stream, ensuring stable process conditions and consistent product quality, while offering an excellent price performance ratio. It is ideal for standard Brix control applications.

The iPR FR² provides highly precise measurements over very wide concentration ranges, even under demanding conditions with high temperatures and aggressive media. It is perfectly suited for complex process environments where flexibility, accuracy, and robustness are essential. It is ideal for applications requiring large concentration variations and maximum precision.

Key Benefits at a Glance:

• Real time monitoring of all CIP and disinfection phases

• Precise concentration control without sampling

• Optimized chemical consumption and reduced product losses

• Automated control of valves, rinse cycles, and product release

• Hygienic design in accordance with EHEDG standards for food applications

• Future oriented solutions for the beverage industry

Whether in beer, dairy, juice, or soft drink production, our systems ensure the required hygiene standards while enhancing the economic efficiency of your operations and preventing contamination of your products.

Trust in the proven measurement technology of SCHMIDT + HAENSCH for reliable control of your CIP and disinfection processes.