Evolving product safety with the “hidden champions” in processing tanks

Efficiency, safe products and reproducible quality are key objectives for all manufacturers and consumers. Clean tanks and silos are essential for this, as well as for the high-quality processing of food, beverages, and other sensitive products. The cleaning process, once a laborious task, has been revolutionized by predictable, fluid-driven cleaners built into the tanks and performing intricate cleaning cycles there, where no eyes can see it. Today, the focus of progress is on making cleaning more sustainable, while the quest for next-level product safety also keeps driving innovation.

From the earliest days of food processing, successful manufacturers always have prioritized keeping their tanks and other containers as clean as possible. For modern products intended for human consumption – dairy products, drinks, toothpaste, ketchup, baking flour – this means maintaining a hygienic or even aseptic level of cleanliness. Residues not appropriately removed may decompose, ferment, or carry unwanted particles, affecting taste and consistency of the next batch or even making it unsafe for processing and consumption. That is why, around the world, the cleanliness of food containers and similar vessels is strictly controlled and supported with regulations and guidelines (FDA, 3-A, and others). Even less critical products, such as cellulose or paper sludge, must often be protected against impurities to prevent clogging, corrosion, or gas build-up.

Safety matters – and brand reputation

The risks are amplified in today’s increasingly sensitive markets, as a single faulty batch can have severe repercussions. Modern consumers and monitoring institutions tend to be critical of even minor deviations in familiar products. To protect the manufacturer from having to write off substantial product quantities, incurring potential recall expenses, and facing inevitable risks to brand reputation, cleaning technology has become an ever- increasingly important asset in the process planner’s toolbox.

Integrated cleaning for healthier work conditions

A century ago, service workers still had to enter tanks to clean them from the inside – a risky process. The job became easier with the development of spray guns (still the most effective way to clean the outside). But it was the development of integrated cleaning devices, starting in the 1920s, that has brought efficiency and healthier working conditions to the task. These devices have also made it possible to dose water and chemicals sustainably as required – just as a modern dishwasher uses these resources better than rinsing by hand.

Integrated cleaning devices are usually mounted as centrally as possible to the tank walls or ceiling. The interior surfaces of the tank are generally stainless steel, and the cleaning chemicals are alkaline and acidic compounds, which can be re-used in cyclic CIP systems. Cleaning times and intervals can vary greatly, depending on plant setup, product and batch processing schedules, often recurring several times a day. Given that many operations have multi-tank storage farms, some tanks being over 20 meters high with an internal surface area of more than 100 square meters, we can truly call the new generation of tank cleaners the “hidden champions” of industrial production.

Improving sustainability and operating costs

At the GEA Cleaning Technology Competence Center in Büchen, Germany, experts are constantly expanding and developing the range of cleaner types used for different products and varying soiling classes (grading the difficulty of cleaning). To ensure low operational cost, tank cleaners need to become more and more efficient and sustainable. The question that engineers keep coming back to is: Which factors influencing cleaning performance can be further improved to increase sustainability, save resources, and reduce costs?

The so-called dynamic Sinner’s circle shows the interdependency of the four main factors – mechanical efficiency, temperature, cleaning agents and cleaning time – in achieving the required cleaning performance (plus water consumption as a fifth factor). Enlarging any one section in the circle makes the others smaller, indicating potential savings. “In practice, our engineers focus on improving one factor, the mechanical efficiency of cleaning solutions,” explains Jana Zimpel, Product Sales Manager at the GEA Center in Büchen.

There are multiple areas of mechanical improvement: “Through innovative design, modern cleaners are able to harness shear forces and other assisting cleaning effects to increase cleaning efficiency”, Product Sales Manager Chris Lawton at GEA points out.

For simple cleaning tasks, dealing with tanks for water, sodas, or other non-adhesive liquids (soiling class I), static spray balls can still be the most efficient type of cleaner. More adhesive or more viscous products (soiling classes II – V) require more complex solutions with rotating spray jets, such as free rotating cleaners, slow rotating cleaners, orbital cleaners, or index cleaners.

GEA Direct Sprayer DS 25 – Efficient and Resource-Saving Cleaning for Tanks with Agitators

The GEA Direct Sprayer DS 25 sets new standards in industrial tank cleaning, offering an innovative solution for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. Specifically designed for tanks with rotating components such as agitators, pipes, and flow breakers, it enables targeted cleaning exactly where conventional methods often fail.

Targeted Cleaning Instead of Inefficient Flooding

Traditional cleaning methods often require flooding the entire tank with cleaning fluid—a resource-intensive and time-consuming process. In contrast, the Direct Sprayer DS 25 sprays the liquid directly onto contaminated areas. This is achieved through a powerful full-cone spray jet that effectively removes even stubborn residues. The system is integrated directly into the tank wall and can be flexibly positioned, ensuring efficient cleaning of even hard-to-reach areas.

With a mechanical spray force of up to five kilograms, the DS 25 ensures effective cleaning. Meanwhile, the patented valve disc, which opens inward during the spraying process, prevents interference with the agitator.

Thanks to its flexible integration, the system can also be retrofitted into existing installations. The combination of time savings, resource conservation, and enhanced cleaning efficiency makes the DS 25 one of the most innovative and cost-effective solutions for tank cleaning.

Breakthrough modular concepts

The generation of orbital cleaners can be seen as a benchmark for powerful cleaning technology and are constantly being improved by GEA. Properly configured, orbital cleaners can handle dried and sticky residue and even yeast, glue, resin, or fermentation products (soiling class V). Equipped with meticulously selected nozzles and nozzle carriers, the cleaner rotates in a reproducible 3D matrix around a vertical and a horizontal axis, reaching every single surface point in the tank in a highly controlled, highly powerful manner.

The orbital cleaner OC200 is the very first of its kind to combine a range of equipment options in a single, modular concept. Three different nozzle carriers meet every requirement regarding insertion openings, flow, and soiling levels. Eight nozzle diameters can be selected to optimize flow, cycle time and spray projection. With these options, achieving longer dwell times for higher cleaning intensity is no problem.

Longer sprays can be produced for very tall or very wide tanks, such as flour silos or brewing tanks in big operations. Tall tanks can also be cleaned from the bottom up, inverting the usual mode of operation. Self-cleaning nozzles, pointed backwards, prevent product build-up on the cleaner.

The modular components can be quickly interchanged, making it easier for operators to adapt their cleaner to new and different processes. Thanks to maximizing the mechanical impact, cleaning times and fluid consumption can be optimized even further than before, saving valuable resources.

Expert support – the decisive element

As befits the concealed nature of tank cleaning, system planners, implementers and operators often understand other areas of processing technology much better than tank cleaners. They are – and should be – mostly focused on improving their product and elemental processing stages. As a result, configuring ideal tank cleaning equipment is very much a matter of partnership between companies, and between persons.

At GEA, Jana Zimpel confirms that a vital part of her team’s work is providing the customer with expert knowledge. “Understanding the individual needs and requirements is very important for us”, she explains. “In good collaboration we are able to support the customer with the optimum component while they are more focusing on the whole process. We share our knowhow; we train staff and support the operators on site. Our customers achieve safe, sustainable, and cost-efficient cleaning processes.”