Spray Drying of Foods and Pharmaceuticals – A Process Worth the Powder

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Glatt Ingenieurtechnik GmbH

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Kason Corporation Europe

Kason Corporation

Separating Solids from Liquids

Once the materials have been separated and dried, they are conveyed to a Kason Vibroscreen circular vibratory screener to remove agglomerates, flakes, lumps and any sheets or layers that may have formed on the dryer walls. The screening chamber is suspended on rugged springs that allow it to vibrate freely, minimising power consumption and preventing transmission of vibrations. An imbalanced-weight gyratory motor creates multi-plane inertial vibration to the screen deck, controlling the flow path of material on the screen surface and maximising the transfer rate. The on-size material exits through a discharge spout located at the screen's periphery. Particles smaller than the screen apertures pass through another discharge spout that feeds the packaging machinery.

Tailor–Made Drying Processes for Different Industries

The 76.2 cm diameter screens are interchangeable, ranging from 20 mesh (864 µm) to 60 mesh (234 µm ). “We’re currently testing an application that would require use of a 200 mesh (74 µm) screen, and Kason is helping us explore several techniques for prevention of screen blinding,” Kimmick adds. Because many of the handled materials are food or pharmaceutical ingredients, the facility operates under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), is registered with FDA and USDA (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture), and is qualified to process to Kosher standards.

A campaign can be as short as one shift or as long as one week. Between campaigns, operators clean all the equipment, including the screeners, with hot water, followed by a cleaning agent, and then a sanitising agent. As a result, the screeners routinely pass Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) inspection. Kimmick anticipates adding more spray dryers and screeners as demand for its services grows. “We currently serve dozens of customers and anticipate a customer base of over a hundred,” he says.

* The author is President of the Kason Corporation.

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