It is common practice to remove positive displacement pump rotors for clean-in-place (CIP) preventative maintenance.
This practice and cause many problems:
• Damaged parts
• Worker injuries
• Product contamination
• Improper re-assembly
With a properly designed PD pump and CIP system, you can avoid these problems.
Damaged parts
Any time a part is handled, it can become damaged. Rotors must be scratched and dented moving in and out of the clean-out-of-place (COP) tank.
Worker injuries
Any time a part is handled, it can cause injury. PD pump covers can weigh well over 100 lbs, and rotors over 75 lbs. They can easily be dropped on feet or cut hands or even pin an entire body.
Product contamination
Any time a part is handled, it can become contaminated. Even if cleaned out-of-place, rotors need to be manually reinstalled by hands that may not be completely sanitized.
Improper reassembly
Any time a part is handled, it can be reassembled incorrectly. Rotors can be installed backward or on the wrong shaft. They can be torqued down too much or too little, causing wear to the bolt or damage to the pump.
In Part 2, we'll discuss how a well designed positive displacement pump can facilitate CIP.
In Part 3, we'll look at the importance of a proper CIP system.