On-line steam sanitization system

摘要

An on-line steam sanitization system and method for a deionized water supply system for a plant production line such as a plant for the production and packaging of contact lenses. The sanitizing operation is performed by directing a clean deionized steam through all of the deionized water supply system while the deionized water supply system is closed, rather than disassembled and open to possible recontamination as in the prior art, which provides a much more effective sanitization operation, and also substantially reduces the down time for the plant production line. The clean steam is generated by using available house steam to heat deionized water from the deionized water supply to generate a clean steam therefrom which is suitable for the sanitization operation. The use of steam in an on-line sanitizing operation in the existing deionized water supply system required that the production line equipment be modified to withstand the pressure and heat of the steam sanitizing operation, which entailed the removal of reservoirs and their replacement with pressure regulators, a new manifold design which has a symmetrical design with an equal number of fixtures leading to each of the pumps, and by utilizing Kynar tubes and Kynar fixtures.