How UK Food Manufacturers Are Achieving Huge Water Savings with Rotary Cleaning Systems

Water costs are spiralling upwards, environmental regulations are tightening, and food manufacturers across the UK are discovering that their traditional cleaning methods are no longer fit for purpose. The solution? Rotary Spray Head and Rotary Jet Head technology that's delivering water savings of up to 50% whilst actually improving cleaning performance.

The Problem with Traditional Cleaning Methods

Many UK food manufacturers still rely on outdated cleaning systems installed decades ago. Fixed Spray Balls, manual pressure lancing, and static cleaning methods were designed when water was cheap and the environment was of minimal concern. These systems flood tanks and containers with vast quantities of water, often failing to reach critical areas where product residue accumulates.

At one Welsh creamery, six 160,000-litre silos were consuming 400,000 litres of water daily using a CIP routine originally designed in 1974. The Fixed Spray Balls were creating “shadows” where cleaning medium couldn't reach, leading to incomplete cleaning and potential contamination risks.

The Rotary Revolution

Rotary Cleaning Heads – both Rotary Spray Heads and Rotary Jet Heads – work on a fundamentally different principle to traditional cleaning methods. Instead of flooding vessels with water, these systems use precision-engineered rotation and high-impact jets or fans of cleaning media to clear residue from internal tank surfaces. The result is a repeatable 360° guaranteed cleaning performance, whilst using dramatically less water.Rotary Spray Heads employ fan-shaped spray patterns of cleaning media that create a cascading flow, wetting and washing internal surfaces. Rotary Jet Heads, on the other hand, produce high impact jets of cleaning media that mark out a crosshatch pattern on the internal surfaces of the vessel, coarsely at first, but with increasing coverage each rotation. This targeted approach means every area receives effective cleaning whilst using a fraction of the water traditional methods require.

Real-World Results from UK Manufacturers

The results speak for themselves. At the creamery, switching from Static Spray Balls to Alfa Laval Sani Mega Rotary Spray Heads achieved “a good reduction in chemicals and water at each phase of the CIP cycle” across all cleaning stages – pre-rinse, caustic wash, and final rinse.

In the food industry in general, IBC cleaning has seen particularly dramatic improvements when switching to Rotary Jet Heads. At a food manufacturer’s site in the Midlands, manual pressure lancing was taking over 45 minutes per container and stubborn residues often proved “completely impossible” to remove. After switching to the automated GJ9 Rotary Jet Head, they have since reported that they achieve a “100% repeatable 360° clean” in just 5 minutes.

At another manufacturer, this time dealing with processed meat residue in IBC containers, the TJ20G Rotary Jet Head with Burst Rinse Nozzles achieved 360° cleaning coverage in just 10 minutes, even with lower water pressure systems. This was a far cry from the 40 minutes it had previously taken with manual cleaning processes.

Beyond Water Savings

The benefits extend far beyond reduced water consumption. Rotary cleaning systems greatly reduce labour costs by eliminating manual cleaning, minimising chemical usage through more efficient application, and improve food safety by ensuring consistent, thorough cleaning every time.

The automated systems also enable safe use of caustic cleaning chemicals, previously impossible with manual methods due to health and safety risks. This means more effective cleaning with less environmental impact.

The Commercial Case for Change

With water costs rising and sustainability becoming a competitive advantage, rotary cleaning technology offers a compelling return on investment. Manufacturers are finding that these systems “quickly pay back the original investment” through reduced energy, water, and labour costs.

For UK food manufacturers serious about reducing operational costs whilst improving cleaning performance, Rotary cleaning head technology isn't just an upgrade – it's become essential. The question isn't whether to make the switch, but how quickly you can implement it.

Looking to reduce your facility's water consumption and cleaning costs? inTank Technologies specialises in Alfa Laval rotary cleaning solutions for UK food manufacturers. Contact our team to discuss how Rotary Jet Head technology could transform your cleaning operations.