Dairy Diagnostics: 'Cleaning' With Sensors

Dairy manufacturers are using M Series sensors from MTS Systems Corp. in Cary, NC, to ease tank cleaning. Clean-in-Place is a process where the interior surfaces of pipes, tanks, and other equipment are thoroughly washed without disassembling the entire system. In the dairy industry, CIP tanks are necessary in order to comply with federal regulations on hygiene and cleanliness. Computer controls have improved the cleaning processes and enable dairy manufacturers to separate various circuits of the CIP system for different types of cleaning solutions. The cleaning solution is housed in the make-up tank and is pumped through the system with high-velocity pumps. Throughout the process, sensors are used to provide diagnostic information on the level of solution in the tank as well as the temperature of the solution. Once the cleaning solution has been dispersed, a rinse tank flushes the system.