Reduce contamination risks, optimize cleaning processes, and minimize downtime. Closed material flows and well-designed plant concepts for maximum process reliability and efficiency.
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Hygienic design describes the consistent hygiene-compliant design of systems, components, and processes for processing sensitive materials.
The goal is to systematically prevent contamination while ensuring efficient,reproducible cleaning. Material flows, surfaces, geometries, and interfaces are designed so that product residues, deposits, or germs cannot accumulate.
Hygienic design is thus a central foundation for process reliability, product quality, and cost-effective production processes in regulated industries.
Challenges in hygienic design arise primarily where material flows are not completely closed or where systems have design weaknesses: opentransfer points, hard-to-reachcomponents, or unsuitable geometries promote the accumulation of product residues, dust, or deposits.
This not only complicates cleaning but also increases the risk of cross-contamination and quality deviations. At the same time, complex cleaning processes and unplanned downtime lead to increased operating costs and impair the efficiency of the entire production facility.
Typical challenges in hygienically sensitive production processes
Hygienic design is based on clearly defined design principles that ensure a safe, contamination-free, and easily cleanable plant structure. These principles are consistently implemented throughout the entire material flow and form the basis for stable and reproducible production processes.
In material handling, the extent to which hygienic design is consistently implemented in practice is crucial. In particular, the filling and emptying of raw materials create critical interfaces where contamination, dust escape, or product loss can occur. Closed systems and controlled docking processes allow these risks to be specifically minimized and ensure safe, reproducible processes.
Typical solutions in hygienic material handling
Hygienic design is also crucial for product quality and process safety in downstream process steps. Systems must be designed to achieve homogeneous results while ensuring complete cleanability.
Microdosing and GMP-compliant plant concepts for maximum process reliability
Cleaning-optimized mixing and conveying systems with minimized cross-contamination
Closed conveying and dosing systems for safe and controlled material flows
Hygienic mixing and dosing systems for consistent product quality
Hygienic design is a central component of modern plant concepts in sensitive industries. Through consistent implementation along the entire material flow, risks can be minimized, processes stabilized, and production workflows sustainably optimized.
Work with us to analyze your production processes and identify concrete opportunities to improve process safety, cleanability, and efficiency.
What does hygienic design mean in plant engineering?
Hygienic design describes the structural design of process plants that minimizes contamination risks and enables simple, reproducible cleaning.
For IFA plants, this means:
The goal is permanently safe and auditable production.
When is a GMP-compliant process plant required?
A GMP-compliant (Good Manufacturing Practice) plant is required when products are manufactured under regulatory requirements – for example, in the pharmaceutical, dietary supplement, or specialty chemical industries.
GMP applies in particular to:
IFA develops plant concepts that systematically take these requirements into account.
What does ATEX mean in the context of powder handling?
ATEX regulates explosion protection in areas with explosive atmospheres – especially in the case of dust or gases.
For powder processes, ATEX means:
IFA takes ATEX into account as early as the initial plant planning stage.
Which industries require hygienic and ATEX-compliant plants?
Typical industries are:
Anywhere where powders, granulates, or liquids are processed under high hygiene or safety requirements.
What are the advantages of a closed material flow system?
Closed systems reduce:
They also increase process stability, auditability, and occupational safety.
How does IFA support the planning of hygienic process plants?
IFA does not consider individual machines, but rather the entire material flow from raw material input to dosing, conveying, and mixing to further processing.
The planning includes:
Are hygienic plants automatically GMP-compliant?
No. Hygienic design is a structural prerequisite, while GMP also imposes organizational, documentary, and procedural requirements.
A plant can be hygienically designed without being GMP-validatable.
IFA combines both aspects systematically.
What regulations apply to hygienically safe drinking water systems?
The central legal basis is the Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). Additionally, VDI 6023 Part 1 defines the requirements for the planning, construction, operation, and maintenance of drinking water systems. For materials, the evaluation guidelines of the Federal Environment Agency (e.g., KTW-BWGL, Elastomer Guideline, Metal Evaluation) as well as DVGW regulations apply. For operators, this means: tested material hygiene, legally compliant documentation, and long-term safe system operation—especially with professional support from a qualified hygiene officer.
Which standards are relevant for hygienic design in the food industry?
Important legal foundations include Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 (Food Hygiene) and Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 (Food Law). These are supplemented by EHEDG guidelines as well as DIN EN 1672-2 as recognized standards for hygienic plant design. In addition, requirements regarding food contact materials (EC 1935/2004 and EC 2023/2006) must be complied with. In practice, these regulations ensure safe production processes, minimized contamination risks, and efficient cleaning.
What standards apply to hygienic design in pharmaceutical plant engineering?
In pharmaceutical plant engineering, the EU GMP guidelines (particularly Annex 1 for sterile processes) form the central basis. Companies operating internationally must also comply with the FDA requirements in accordance with 21 CFR Parts 210/211. Supplementary standards such as ASME BPE, DIN EN ISO 14644, and ISPE guidelines define the state of the art for hygienic design, cleanroom environments, and the qualification and validation of equipment. For operators, this means: safe processes, audit-ready documentation, and reliable product quality.
