Blind faith

For flawless cleaning within the production areas, the cleaning products must always be of high quality. The right ratio of water, compressed air and chemicals is crucial here. With less precise settings or outright wrong settings, cleaning will not have the desired result. Perhaps visibly, but certainly invisibly. Biofilms may not have been adequately dealt with in this way, giving bacteria free rein and increasing the risk of contamination.

In addition, there is also more chance of wasting chemicals and water, which in turn is harmful to the environment. In other words, you need to be able to blindly rely on your cleaning system.

Calibration: how and what?

To monitor this correct ratio, it is necessary to calibrate the satellites on a regular basis. When determining the calibration rules, the intsensity in use of the cleaning system plays a role, among other things. For example, is cleaning done daily or weekly? The products used also influence the determination of the calibration rules.

Many aspects within the cleaning system should be checked regularly:

• adjustment of the quantity of chemicals
• adjustment of the ratio of chemicals to other liquids
• shut-off valves
• pressure gauges
• pressure of the compressed air
• water temperature
• water purity

A fixed cleaning protocol

A test is performed after calibration. The results are carefully recorded in a report and compared with the standards laid down in the cleaning protocol or according to certain standards specific to the sector.

The satellites are adjusted in function of the product to be used. This implies that the results will differ when using a different product. Product changes are always accompanied by recalibration to ensure correct results.

To prevent crystallisation in the chemical lines of the decentralised satellites, it is important to rinse (with warm water for the best results). If this does not happen, the flow of chemicals can be affected.