RE: Medical Device and lotion manufacturer

[Mike Heaney <Mike_Heaney@p2pays.org>]

Tammy --- I used to be a manufacturing engineer in a plant that made skin
lotions.  Our lotions contained petrolatum as well as glycerin which helps
dissolve the petrolatum.  My cleaning recommendations for your client would
be:

1. Do material addition sequences & batch scheduling to minimize cleaning.

2. Use a dedicated petrolatum tank and piping (we didn't do this)

3. Handle the petrolatum as hot as possible (I think we stored it at 160 F)
to minimize its viscosity & hang-up on tanks & piping.

4. For cleaning, 180 F hot water was all we ever needed.  A good
tank-cleaning sprinkler ball is important.  If cleaning piping is a problem,
look into pipe cleaning pigs.

I'd be happy to talk to you our your client on the phone.

Mike Heaney
NC Division of P2 
919-715-6511
www.p2.org/wrrc