Why choose spin flash dryers

The industry of drying wet material ranging from clay to food products to pharmaceuticals is huge and ever expanding. This means that the production costs are gradually being lowered as the techniques are being both developed and refined. One of the newer techniques within spray dryer IS the spin flash drying.

Advantages of spin flash drying
One could actually say that there are only advantages. Here are at least some of them. One of the major advantages of spin flash is the faster evaporators and the lowering of energy use. Also worth mentioning is several new solutions that prevents deposits. The new techniques are also further automated which means less hands on and thus a saver work environment. The processes can also now be individually optimized and the computer systems for data logging are more advances. Also maintenance of the machines has been improved. Also the chamber has been improved by being further pressure resistant to shocks. Last, but certainly not least, many new spin dryers are GMP approved.

Material which can be used?
Basically any wet material can be used in these drying plants ranging from inorganic chemicals to waste products to pigments, food, ceramics etc.

How spray drying works

Spray drying is the method of drying any wet material, called the liquid feed, by using a hot gas, usually just plain air as we breathe. However, some sensitive materials such as pharmaceuticals and ethanol demands for oxygen-free drying conditions. Here nitrogen gas is used because it is also very cheap.

The drying process
The drying process is usually a very fast one step process and thereby further handling of the material is eliminated. During the drying process the liquid feed is sent through an evaporator (sometimes also called an atomizer), which, as the name clearly states, atomises the liquid feed and produces extremely small droplets, which are further sent into the drying chamber. There are several different drying applications such as ddgs drying, Ring dryers, solids drying and Small scale dryers. Most often the technique is used in the food and pharmaceutical industry as part of the encapsulation process where the product is termed “the load”.

Example of the drying process
An example of a drying process is as follows: A substance (the load) is mixed and homogenized with an amphipathic (having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties) carrier. The mixing suspension is termed “the slurry” and is usually water. Then the slurry is sent into the drying chamber and heated to a temperature above the boiling point of water, thus enabling an efficient atomization. Note that the amphipathic properties of the carrier is extremely important for successfully producing these droplets.

R&D is power knowledge for global suppliers

The phrase ‘research and development’ plays a crucial role for the profit of global suppliers. R&D involves both knowledges of culture, man and society and this stock of knowledge may help international companies develop new applications for their products such as tube bundle dryers and spray bed dryers.

Optimise products
It is important to be able to invent systems and product that customers demand. R&D can provide companies with specific knowledge in order for them to match their customer’s needs with products such as fluid beds and fluid bed drying. Also within the pharmaceutical industry there is a need for constant research because the business as to apply to the newest scientific results.

The challenges of technology in a globalised world

As globalisation enters the fields of companies working with technology, there is an increasing demand for effective working processes especially within the larger industries such as those producing dairy processing plants or mechanical dewatering. The large industries are often specialised in many product lines hence they must always keep an eye on development within each field and maybe use knowledge across the different product lines. E.g when you produce yeast powder you may use some of the skills attained doing the whey powder process. You would be amased if you realised how much the companies working with technology is constantly redefining processes to offer customised solutions within e.g. chemical drying.