Clean-out-of-place (COP) cabinet washer for beverage filler parts: a closed spray chamber that washes and sanitises valves and change parts
Clean-out-of-place for filler valves and change parts · a closed spray chamber that runs rinse, chemical wash, rinse and sanitise from a recipe, with sanitiser strength, temperature and contact time set against FDA limits
Some parts of a beverage line cannot be cleaned in place: filler valves, centring bells, change parts, hoses and fittings come off the machine and have to be washed and sanitised somewhere else. A clean-out-of-place cabinet washer is a closed stainless chamber for that job — the parts sit on a rack, rotating sprays recirculate rinse water, detergent and sanitiser through a programmed recipe, and the controller records what each cycle did.
Clean-out-of-place (COP) cabinet washers and spray chambers that wash and chemically or thermally sanitise removable process parts from beverage and food lines: wash recipes, sanitiser limits, temperatures and contact times, chamber construction, racks and cycle records. Machines that sterilise empty bottles and preforms before filling are covered on the Beverage container sterilization system page; clean-in-place systems that clean pipework and tanks without dismantling are on the CIP (clean-in-place) system pages; boiler water chemical dosing is on its own page.
CNFX editorial research · Sources checked October 12, 2026 · 4 sources
A rack of parts through pre-rinse, wash, post-rinse and sanitise in under 100 gallons
Sani-Matic, a COP equipment maker, contrasts its cabinet washers with manual or tank washing: a pre-rinse, chemical wash, post-rinse and sanitise for a large rack of parts could use less than 100 gallons of water, against thousands to tens of thousands of gallons for a manual cleaning operation, and a batch of parts that took 2 hours to clean can take under 30 minutes. [3]
The machine is recipe-driven: in Sani-Matic's description of its SaniCab P, the rack rolls from a transfer cart into the chamber, the operator chooses a recipe on the touchscreen, and the cleaning solution is recirculated through rotary spray assemblies through the programmed rinse and wash phases. [4] The maker points out that the controller can export each cycle's critical data to external reporting software, answering the questions a manual wash leaves open — was the water hot enough, was the chemical at the strength the plant's SOP requires. [3]
Editorial calculation: at Sani-Matic's figures, a rack cycle under 100 gallons is under about 380 L; if a manual operation uses even 1,000 gallons for the same parts, the cabinet uses less than a tenth of that water and the heating and chemical that go with it.
List the parts to be cleaned (filler valves, centring bells, change parts, hoses, fittings), their soils, and the cycle record the quality system needs (temperatures, times, concentrations per phase).
02
Temperatures and rinse pressure for a spray cabinet: 74 °C single-temperature, 82 °C rinse, 5–30 psi
FDA's 2022 Food Code, written for retail and food-service warewashing, gives numeric settings for spray-type machines that sanitise with hot water; they are a published reference point for any closed spray chamber. [2]
Editorial note: the Food Code sets these values for food establishments, not for beverage plants; a plant sets its own validated COP parameters, but the table shows the order of temperature and pressure a hot-water-sanitising cabinet works at and what a surface-temperature check looks like.
Hot-water sanitising rinse at the manifold (4-501.112)
74 °C (165 °F) minimum for stationary-rack single-temperature; 82 °C (180 °F) for other machines; 90 °C (194 °F) maximum [2]
Sanitising rinse flow pressure (4-501.113)
35–200 kPa (5–30 psi) and within the data-plate range [2]
Hot-water mechanical sanitising (4-703.11)
Utensil surface reaching 71 °C (160 °F) on an irreversible indicator [2]
03
Chemical sanitising step: 21 CFR 178.1010 ceilings and the temperature and contact time each sanitiser needs
FDA's 21 CFR 178.1010 lists the sanitising solutions that may be used on food-processing equipment, followed by adequate draining before food contact, and caps their strength. [1] The Food Code adds minimum temperatures, pH and contact times for chlorine, iodine and quaternary ammonium solutions. [2]
The Food Code also requires the sanitiser concentration to be checked with a test kit or other device. [2] Editorial note: a cabinet washer that doses sanitiser automatically should show the measured concentration and temperature for the sanitise phase in its cycle record, so that each batch of parts can be checked against the limits above.
25–49 mg/L at 49 °C; 50–99 mg/L at 38 °C (pH ≤10) or 24 °C (pH ≤8); 100 mg/L at 13 °C; at least 10 s contact, or 7 s at 50 mg/L under set conditions [2]
Other sanitisers: per EPA-registered label; at least 30 s contact [2]
State the sanitiser and its target concentration, sanitise-phase temperature and contact time, water hardness, and how concentration is measured and recorded in each cycle.
04
Chamber and racks: 304 stainless at 32 µin Ra, rotary sprays, and active racks for hoses and carboys
Sani-Matic's standard SaniCab P features give an example of a COP cabinet's construction: 304 stainless steel with a 32 µin Ra interior and exterior finish, floor mounting on adjustable feet, rotary spray assemblies throughout the chamber, a low-volume sump, direct steam injection heating, a perforated chamber strainer, an exhaust system, and PLC control with a 7-inch touchscreen. [4]
Options show how the chamber is matched to the parts: an active rack with spray balls and rotary sprays fed through a coupler inside the washer for parts with internal passages such as jugs, carboys and hoses; a conveyorised mesh screen that carries heavy soils out of the sump after the first rinse; a buggy inverter for 200–600 lb buggies; and a chemical addition skid with an air-operated diaphragm pump and a 15-gallon container. [4] Custom chamber sizes, two-bay chambers, pit-mounted or ramp designs and insulated doors and walls are offered. [4]
Editorial calculation: 32 µin Ra is about 0.8 µm Ra (1 µin = 0.0254 µm).
Give the largest part and rack envelope, parts with internal passages, soil load, steam or electric heating available, and the finish and material required for the chamber.
05
What to send for a COP cabinet washer
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Parts: [list; largest dimensions; internal passages; soils]
Rack: [loading method; transfer cart; active spray rack]
Recipe: [pre-rinse; wash chemical and temperature; post-rinse; sanitiser, concentration, temperature, contact time]
Utilities: [steam or electric heat; water; drain; exhaust]
Construction: [304 or 316L; finish Ra; chamber size; pit or floor]
Records: [cycle data to export; concentration measurement]
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Compiled and source-reviewed by the CNFX editorial team.
Each manufacturer above links to the page on that company's own website where the product is listed, with the date we checked it. How we source and review
· Page last updated 13 October 2026
Buyer questions
What is a COP cabinet washer?
A closed spray chamber where parts removed from a line are loaded on a rack and cleaned by a programmed recipe of rinses, chemical wash and sanitise. [4]
How much water does a cabinet washer use?
Sani-Matic says a pre-rinse, wash, post-rinse and sanitise for a large rack could use less than 100 gallons. [3]
What chlorine level is allowed for a no-rinse sanitiser?
21 CFR 178.1010 caps hypochlorite solutions at 200 ppm available chlorine; the Food Code links concentration, pH and temperature and asks for at least 10 s contact. [1][2]
What rinse temperature do spray washers use for hot-water sanitising?
The Food Code sets 74 °C for stationary-rack single-temperature machines and 82 °C for others at the manifold, with a 90 °C maximum. [2]
Sources and what still needs a direct check
Sources checked 2026-10-12. Sanitiser limits come from FDA's 21 CFR 178.1010; temperatures, pressures, contact times and sanitiser conditions from FDA's 2022 Food Code, which is written for retail and food service; cycle, water use and construction from Sani-Matic, a COP equipment maker, describing its own cabinet washers.
