CIP (Clean-in-Place), WIP (Wash-in-Place) and SIP (Sterilization-in-Place)

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Take the chance to deepen these two different schools of thought:  Clean-in-Place (CIP) and  Wash-in-Place (WIP).

Up to the 1950s  closed systems (pipes, vessels, process equipment,…) were disassembled and cleaned manually.

This method usually meant spending a lot of time for some industries that needed frequent internal cleaning of their processes (beverage, brewing, processed foods, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics).

The advent of CIP (Clean-in-Place), e.g. a method of cleaning the interior surfaces of closed systems without disassembly, has really benefitted such industries.

The advantages of this method are:

• improved safety for workers involved in production of potential dangerous compounds,
• faster cleaning,
• reduced water usage,
• less labor spending,
• repeatable operations,
• possibility to include a programmed cleaning cycle that is fully automated (employing PLC, sensors, valves) with recirculating detergent and rinse solutions.

WIP means Wash-in-Place.

What is the difference? Even if there is no GMP nor legistlative distintion between CIP and WIP, however the general industry understanding on the terminology is that CIP means a totally automatic cleaning sequence with no manual involvement, whereas as WIP includes some manual intervention.

In practical terms CIP requires high levels of validation, against WIP which requires less stringent validation.

Generally, validation of cleaning procedures is of utmost importance to the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industry sometimes dealing also with SIP (Sterilization in Place) especially for the aseptic productions, where different methods are possible (Atmospheric Steam / Hydrogen Peroxide…).

All isolators can be equipped with spray wands and/or spray nozzles to perform CIP or WIP procedures.
Both systems are AIR-FREE solutions.
The bottom side of the isolators is sloped and equipped with a sanitary drain valve (automatic or manual) in order to completly drain the washing liquids.

For more information, visit the isolation technology section of our web site.

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