The Top Four Reasons to Upgrade Your Spray Dryer

Some of your favorite foods are made perfect by free-flowing powder. Spray dryers allow a full covering of flavor to be equally distributed. Think of that potato chip that requires just enough ‘cheddary’ goodness or maybe it’s yeast extract for a pizza flavor. No matter your flavor of choice, the particle size and moisture content are monitored by adjusting dryer parameters, nozzle configuration and feed properties.

But what happens when your current spray dryer system starts malfunctioning because it needs replacing or a new part? You’re in a dilemma. Remembering that no matter the reason, your bottom line doesn’t waver.

Let’s explore the four reasons why you should upgrade your spray dryer, saving time and money:

1. Safety
   Inefficient and outdated operations can have disastrous effects – putting your people, plant and profitability at risk. Therefore, plant safety is a critical factor. As spray dryer manufacturers, we help upgrade and rebuild Anhydro Spray Dryers for customers by eliminating potential hazards to make operations safer than ever.
   
   When looking into product safety, a common problem for powder operations is excess water. And it’s a problem that is exacerbated during the change of seasons when moisture levels fluctuate in the air. For control systems that are not calibrated properly, these seasonal changes cause instability in powder production.
   
   Our methods stabilize process conditions regardless of seasonal changes. By upgrading the control system with our model predictive control (MPC) software you can control moisture levels and adjust process parameters automatically. The outcome is a more stable powder production, higher product quality and greater capacity.
   
   
2. Plant Efficiency
   While safety is the top priority, there’s also your plant and process line to consider. Efficient spray drying reduces energy use, and other operating costs, while improving process stability, yield and hygiene. A carefully planned upgrade and rebuild scenario improves performance and extends the life of your equipment.
   
   A common problem in spray dryer systems is the under-performing air heaters, dehumidification and heat recovery systems. Our spray dry process experts analyze the current health of your spray dryer and improve processes with software that self-corrects process anomalies. They can also dramatically shorten product delivery schedules with dual feed lines. Furthermore, we found that on average; food producers spend 20% of their time cleaning plants. As such, innovation that improves this percentage can have a significant impact on profitability. Our spray dryer upgrade and rebuilds offer more efficient cleaning, the ability to clean the plant in separate zones and reduce cleaning and drying times.
   
   
3. Process Optimization and Environmental Protection
   Upgrading and rebuilding are not simply about fixing what is broken. It’s also about making what currently exists better. Our customers often want to raise their operations to a new level – perhaps to modify a product or meet an emerging market trend. Some of the Anhydro Spray Dryer’s most effective optimization features include:
   • Adding drying stages to the process
   • Fine tuning process parameter
   • Implementing environmental controls
   • Upgrading automation
     
     
4. Minimal CAPEX
   CAPEX explores how much it takes to develop and maintain all the components that go into a process. We’re talking everything from the equipment line to the roofing of your factory. We think of this when we configure spray dryer systems too. By considering new technology, you could maximize utilization of your current assets, return on investment and environmental protections. At the same time, you’d minimize CAPEX expenses on product consistency, capacity, availability and automated operations.

We have decades of experience in upgrading and rebuilding spray dryer plants. Our experts, also known as solution makers, visit sites and use proven methodology to assess plant operations and identify areas where the greatest impact can be achieved. From there, there’s full installation, commissioning and startup services to ensure adoption and smooth onboarding.

Learn more about our spray dryer upgrades and rebuilds.