Vink Chemicals advises on operational hygiene in the paint and coating industry

The regularly scheduled system cleaning with Vinkoclean system cleaners improves equipment hygiene more sustainably than disinfection. (Image: ©industrieblick - stock.adobe.com)

In addition to hygiene concepts and audits, the hygiene experts at Vink Chemicals also offer technical consulting to optimize plant hygiene in specific applications. Cleaning and biofilm removal instead of disinfection should be the guiding principle in production facilities for paints, varnishes, and construction chemicals.

The topic of operational hygiene is increasingly coming into focus across many industrial sectors, along with the realization that biofilms in tanks and pipelines should be removed at regular intervals. The biocide-free system cleaners Vinkoclean SR1 (alkaline) and Vinkoclean SR3 (acidic), developed by Vink Chemicals, are highly effective all-in-one cleaners designed for the sustainable removal of biofilms in industrial supply systems and production plants. They offer excellent cleaning performance against dirt and microbial contamination. Biofilms are penetrated and dissolved, and containers and pipelines are cleaned even in hard-to-reach areas. The system cleaners are economical to use and contain bio-dispergents for effective removal of dissolved contaminants, as well as surfactants for efficient cleaning. Additionally, they are easy to rinse off and flush out.

Plant hygiene: Cleaning is better than disinfecting

The regular use of Vinkoclean system cleaners enables more efficient and sustainable use of biocides. Biofilms that have developed over years in pipelines can be removed very effectively. This sustainably improves plant hygiene, prevents product recalls, and allows for a significantly more effective and restrained use of biocides.

Tobias Rheinländer is Sales Manager for System Cleaners at Vink Chemicals and the right contact for all questions regarding plant hygiene in the DACH region. He recommends performing regular system cleaning depending on the level of contamination: “Cleaning can be carried out with relatively little effort and at reasonable costs during operational breaks, for example over the weekend.” Rheinländer reports on complete removal and flushing out of all biofilms and explains: “We have had very good experiences with customers by flooding the plant on Friday with the Vinkoclean cleaning solution and leaving it filled over the weekend. Before restarting production, the system cleaner is drained along with all product-damaging contaminants, the plant is rinsed, and production can resume under optimal hygienic conditions.”

Vinkoclean is economical in use

The Vinkoclean system cleaners are used for fundamental plant renovation at a dilution ratio of 1:5, and then for regular maintenance of operational hygiene at ratios of 1:10 or 1:20. “The best result was achieved when flooding the system after 24 hours with a 1:5 mixture,” recommends Rheinländer, adding: “After 48 hours, we observed the same cleaning effect with mixtures of 1:10 and 1:20, so one should not operate under the motto ‘more is better’.” In case of acute problems and particularly stubborn contamination, the cleaning effect can be enhanced through the cleaning process ECOLINE PIPE PURIFICATION. It specifically ensures significantly higher flow velocities and strong shear effects on the overflown surfaces.