How to Find the Best Cleaning Nozzle for the Job?

How to find the best cleaning nozzle for the job? One can always try it out — or save the hassle by using state-of-the-art simulation tools. It’s the optimal arrangement of the nozzles inside the tank that lays the foundations for reliable cleaning results. A new simulation software helps customers to find the most suitable nozzle system for the cleaning task at hand. Furthermore, it identifies potential weak points during the development phase and explores potentials for optimizing existing systems, thus avoiding planning errors, reducing downtimes, and ensuring more efficiency and process reliability.

Cleaning processes preferably run automatically nowadays. To ensure reliable results of the highest quality while meeting efficiency and ecology requirements, solutions have to be tailored precisely for the task in question.

Static spray balls are no longer considered to be the universal, all-purpose weapon for tank cleaning. Tests impressively demonstrate, that dynamic rotating cleaners with full or flat fan nozzles or high impact cleaning machines deliver better and more economical results. The additional outlays are quickly recouped at significantly lower operating costs.

Cleaning in Place

What is Cleaning in Place and How Does it Work?

06/22/2011 - Cleaning in Place (CIP) has been around for approximately 50 years, and is commonly used in hygiene critical industries, such Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical, to clean a wide range of plant. CIP refers to the use of a mix of chemicals, heat and water to clean machinery, vessels or pipe work without dismantling plant. The process can be one shot, where everything goes to drain, or recovery, which recycles most of the liquid. Overall, CIP can be a very efficient way of cleaning. read...

The Tank Clean simulation software from Lechler realistically imitates the cleaning process, showing how individual nozzles work by creating a visual representation of the spray procedure. The software illustrates, how and with what degree of coverage the cleaning liquid impinges the tank, thus revealing possible problems areas or spray shadows.

Lechler uses the software, which is not for sale, as an instrument for providing advice and visualizations: Manufacturers and users can compare different nozzle systems on the screen and are able to use the results to identify which system supplies the best cleaning result. Expensive trials on real tanks are no longer required, making the choice of the optimal nozzle system traceable and justified.

The Determining Factors for Cleaning

Mechanics, chemical action, time and temperature are the determining factors in the cleaning process. Nozzles with an optimal ratio of pressure, flow rate, and jet shape reduce the cleaning time. Operators place a lot of importance on this, since cleaning often has to take place incidentally. In most cases, innovative technology reduces the use of chemicals. Modern nozzles require a temperature that is just high enough to ensure cleanliness and sterility. With optimized nozzle systems, plant operators therefore save resources, reduce costs and protect the environment.