Spray Dryer CIP at McClelland Cheese

The realisation that current cleaning processes were far from efficient led to McLelland Cheese approaching Allen Associates to develop a Clean in Place (CIP) system for the company’s spray dryer.

The Project

Historically, the cleaning of the spray dryer at McClelland Cheese – which is used for drying whey, a milk by-product – was performed utilising a combination of: Automatic CIP of the main chamber & vibro–fluidiser: Manual hot water cleaning of the chimney, cyclones and Stripdown and entry into the remaining ductwork.

The safety implications associated with this type of cleaning coupled with the time taken to perform a full clean (up to 36 hours) resulted in the plant generally only being cleaned when it reached a state that affected production.

Due to the resulting severity of the build-up of product, the existing 21 flush mounted nozzles on the cyclones were unable to operate correctly. The frequent removal of sections of ductwork has damaged flanges and gaskets resulting in leaks at many of the joints, and negating the use of caustic solutions for cleaning the ductwork.

Utilising its extensive skills in and experience in CIP technology, Allen Associates provided a full process design and management service for the supply and installation of a new CIP system for the existing Spray Dryer at McClelland Cheese.

The Results

The new system provides a range of benefits including:

Reduced cleaning time of the dryer from 36 to 8 hours
Increased productivity of the plant.
Ensured hygienic integrity of the plant
Reduced need for operators to enter the dryer during cleaning thus significantly improving safety

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