Whether it’s the product itself or cleaning agents used during Clean In Place (CIP), certain chemicals can cause premature degradation of any flexible connector.
In fact, using cleaning agent concentrations that are just too high is one of the most common reasons we see connectors not lasting as long as might be expected if used in CIP washes.
What are the correct concentration levels for Clean In Place processes?
We recommend the maximum concentration levels for use during CIP is 0.8% for acid and 1.5% for caustic. Any greater level does not provide an increased benefit in terms of cleaning the system; it is purely wasting chemicals.
Excess levels above these recommendations will cause gradual degradation of your flexible connectors and will also adversely affect other parts of the system, such as seals and gaskets.
We also suggest you avoid the following:
- Peroxyacetic acid and Sodium Hypochlorite as it is extremely harsh on rubbers, gaskets and seals (and the urethane of BFM® Seeflex connectors). If required, do not use it in high concentrations or with temperatures over 45°C/113°F as it is too harsh.
- Washing in water over 100°C/212°F
- Exposing urethane connectors to direct steam
Always remove any residual Clean In Place cleaning fluid
Whilst there is potential for CIP chemicals to get into the internal gap during the wash, the BFM® fitting is still far superior to any other type of connector in this situation.
However, if connectors are left in place during Clean In Place, we always recommend the BFM® connector is removed, and both the connector and the inside of the spigot are wiped clean after the CIP process to ensure no residual chemicals.
Use a dedicated CIP 'Wash Sleeve'
Although the above recommendations will help to increase the life of your flexible connectors, you may wish to have dedicated CIP connectors that are used only during the cleaning cycle. This limits the exposure of your process connectors to possible degradation or contamination from any chemicals used in your wash process.
To help with this, we make our Seeflex 040E product available with an easily identifiable 'Wash Sleeve' stamp to ensure they are not confused with the connector used during product processing.
Find out more about BFM® fitting and Clean In Place applications.
