Equipment Design Considerations

Equipment Design Considerations
Equipment cleanability and function must be considered during equipment design. In order to
minimize the risks of cross-contamination, microbial or endotoxin contributions to equipment, the
system must be designed with care.

This applies to process equipment and the cleaning process itself. Ideally, the equipment should be constructed of non-reactive, non-additive, non-adsorptive, nonporous
materials. A review of the materials of construction may be warranted based upon the action
of the cleaning agents to be used; if the cleaning agents are corrosive or are likely to react with such components as sealants, plastics or filters, care should be taken when specifying design requirements and preventative maintenance procedures.

Equipment should be free-draining and have limited intricate or complex parts. Sanitary designs
employing principles such as appropriately finished surfaces, lack of crevices, absence of dead legs and suitable construction materials are recommended.

Cleaning equipment should be designed to ensure adequate coverage of all process equipment
surfaces to be cleaned. In tankage and enclosed piping systems, the volume of cleaning solution
available must be sufficient to clean all interior surfaces of the pipe. For spray ball or nozzle spray
apparatus, all equipment surfaces should be available for contact with the spray.