Food and drink factories almost never stop. Lines run day and night to keep up with orders, and even a short shutdown can spoil a whole batch of product, cost a lot of money, and throw off delivery dates. So when a factory needs to add a new connection to a pipe, it cannot simply switch everything off. This is where hot tapping pipework comes in. It lets engineers make a new connection while the pipe is still full and still working, with no need to drain it or shut the line down.
In a food and drink plant, though, the job comes with an extra layer of rules that most other pipework projects do not have. Everything that touches the product, or even goes near it, has to be clean and safe to eat from. That makes hot tapping in this setting a careful balance between keeping production going and keeping hygiene standards high.
What hot tapping actually does
Hot tapping, sometimes called under pressure drilling, is a way of making a hole in a live pipe and fitting a new branch or connection without stopping the flow inside. A special fitting is attached to the outside of the pipe first. A cutting tool then drills through the pipe wall while a valve keeps everything sealed. Once the new connection is in place, the line keeps running as normal.
You can read more about how the technique works on our hot tapping service page. The key point for a factory manager is simple: no shutdown, no lost production, and no draining of the system.
Why food and drink plants are different
Most factories want to avoid downtime, but food and drink plants have a stronger reason than money alone. When a line stops, the product sitting inside it can warm up, settle, or spoil. Restarting a line also means cleaning and checking everything again before it can be used, which takes hours. Hot tapping avoids all of that by keeping the line live.
The challenge is hygiene. Food safety rules in the UK are strict, and any work done on or near a product line has to meet them. The Food Standards Agency sets out the basic duties for food businesses in its guidance on food hygiene for your business, which covers keeping equipment and surfaces clean and stopping anything harmful from getting into food. Hot tapping work has to fit around these duties, not break them.
The hygiene rules that shape the job
When hot tapping is carried out in a food and drink plant, a few extra steps protect the product.
| Concern | What it means for hot tapping |
|---|---|
| Materials | Fittings and seals that touch the product must be food safe and the right grade of stainless steel or similar. |
| Cleanliness | Tools and the work area must be cleaned before, during, and after the job to avoid any contamination. |
| Swarf control | The small metal shavings made when drilling the pipe must be fully captured so none stay inside the line. |
| Separation | The work should be kept away from open product and exposed surfaces wherever possible. |
| Records | The job should be logged so the plant can show its hygiene checks were followed. |
These steps do not change the basic idea of hot tapping. They simply mean the team doing it has to plan more carefully and work to a higher standard of cleanliness than they might on an industrial site that does not handle food.
Where clean steam fits in
Many food and drink plants use steam for heating, cleaning, and cooking. This is not ordinary steam. It is clean steam, made from treated water so that it leaves no harmful residue behind when it touches food or food surfaces. The pipework that carries it has to be built and maintained to the same high standard.
Hot tapping can be used on these systems too, which ties in neatly with our clean steam pipework work. Adding a new branch to a clean steam line without shutting it down keeps the rest of the plant running while the change is made. As with product lines, the fittings and the method have to keep the system clean throughout.
Getting a strong, lasting connection
Once a hot tap is made, the new joint needs to be sound and leak free for the long term. In many cases this means welding the new branch in place to give a solid, permanent fit. Good welding on a food and drink site has to be neat and clean, with smooth joints that do not trap dirt or bacteria. Our onsite welding team carries out this work at the plant itself, so there is no need to remove pipework or send parts away.
Planning a hot tapping job in your plant
A successful hot tap in a food and drink factory comes down to good planning. The team needs to know what the pipe carries, what pressure and temperature it runs at, and what hygiene rules apply to that part of the plant. From there they can choose the right fittings, plan how to capture any swarf, and set out the cleaning steps. Done well, the whole job happens while the line keeps running, and the plant never has to stop.
If you are planning a new connection and want it done without downtime, our team can talk you through what is involved. Get in touch through our contact page or call us on 01277 500510.
