EPIC designed and installed a clean-in-place washout & wastewater neutralization system to prevent foaming in effluent leaving the plant.
CLIENT: Steris
INDUSTRY: Medical Products
Key Engineering Features
- Hygienic CIP Washout System
- Wastewater neutralization system with re-circulatory system for de-foamer, including:
- Pumps & piping design & fabrication
- Control panel fabrication
- Equipment and instrumentation specification
- Installation, controls and integration
- System start-up and support
- Three separate pH level checks
- Dip pipes for tank filling to reduce foaming
- Allen Bradley PLC controls
Core Challenges
- High temperature, foam-prone liquid
- Tight budget & timeline
- Correct pH levels must be achieved before release to eliminate fines
An EPIC Solution
The client was facing fines for excessive foam developing in wastewater released from the manufacturing facility. EPIC designed a system to treat the water with de-foamers and neutralizers before it left the plant, which included the following features:
- A hygienic CIP washout system
- Pumps to remove liquid from the process system and pump to 4-5 aggregate pits
- Fiberglass, light industrial tanks for treatment system
- Re-circulatory line for de-foaming step
- Multiple pH level checks
- Dip-pipes for tank filling to prevent foaming
- Allen Bradley PLC control system
- Industrial steel welded piping
EPIC completed the Hygienic CIP system integration, controls programming, fabrication and system installation.
After product runs, a CIP system is used to washout the process equipment. Wastewater collected in Steris’s aggregate run-off pits is pumped into a treatment tank. The tank is filled with dip pipes to prevent excessive foaming. Light industrial fiber glass tanks with temperature ratings between 140 – 180 degrees were used to process the water. Fiberglass was a more cost effective tank solution than similarly rated metal tanks.
Chemical neutralizers treat the water, which is then run through a re-circulation line and treated with de-foamers. Treated water leaves the treatment tank and is transported to holding tanks. The pH level of water leaving the plant is checked three times before it is released from the holding tank into the municipal sewer.
Impact
- Eliminated surcharges from the municipality receiving wastewater
- Provided flexible system for wash downs
- Reduced risk, eliminated PPE requirements
- Improved community relations
EPIC SYSTEMS