Heat exchangers play a major role in production processes, providing efficient and effective ways to transfer thermal energy. Clean-in-place (CIP) heat exchangers are especially useful in food and pharmaceutical production, as their stainless steel construction eliminates the possibility of bacterial growth that may occur with other materials. The CIP process begins by flushing out existing debris, before introducing sanitizing solutions such as hot water or heated cleaning chemicals. These high temperatures are able to break down any residue which has built up within the equipment. As well as eliminating bacteria, it is also designed to reduce operational costs since the equipment can be cleaned without disassembly.