Fluid Bed System Triples Batch Sizes While Significantly Reducing Costs

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Tripling Batch Sizes

The Hüttlin fluid bed systems are based on a modular design. They can easily be configured either as dryer (HD), dryer granulator (HDG) or dryer granulator coater (HDGC). Therefore, the process steps of drying, granulating and coating of fine particles, powders and pellets can be realized with one machine and one single product container.

Before implementing the Hüttlin HDGC 600 at its production facility in Madrid, Normon carried out its granulation processes on several smaller Hüttlin fluid bed systems. While Normon still uses these machines for certain products and smaller batch sizes, operations for larger batches are much more efficient now with a machine at higher production capacity.

Reducing Production Time by 50%

Today Normon only needs half the time to produce the same amount of product. Including documentation time, the production of three batches on the HDG 200 amounted to 20 hours. By tripling the batch size on the new HDGC 600, the production of only one batch now suffices to significantly save time and costs. Moreover, the bottom–spray technology of the HDGC 600 with the air distribution plate Hüttlin Diskjet and the 12 three–component spray nozzles ensure fast and uniform mixing, high spray rates, shorter drying periods and even spray distribution as well as a minimum of spray losses.

“Since we tripled batch sizes, we have been able to reduce documentation, the number of quality control analyses as well as working hours and energy consumption, and ultimately have reduced process times of up to 30 percent,” Gonzalo Fernández Govantes confirms.

Fluidised Bed Mixers for all Products

The HDGC 600 satisfies all Normon’s key requirements. The company is able to mix products with different densities in one single process container. Operators can simply select a new functionality such as the coating process. All recipes from laboratory equipment can be easily scaled–up to both the HDG 200 and the new HDGC 600. Gonzalo Fernández Govantes confirms, “Our staff has been working with Hüttlin processing machines for ten years and has been trained on the equipment. So we can realize changes without any additional costs.” Homogenous drying results, the omission of dead zones in the product bowl and preventing the product from sticking and clogging to the walls are further benefits for Normon.

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