ATHENA designs & manufactures various types of dryer. It manufactures following types of dryers for manufacturing Milk Powder/Fruits Powder/Baby Food powder/Coffee Powder:
Spray drying is a method of producing a dry powder from a liquid or slurry by rapidly drying with a hot air. Spray drying is the transformation of liquid products into dried powders by spraying the liquid into a controlled flow of hot air within a drying chamber. Spray dried powders consist of single particles or agglomerates and the final properties of the powder depend upon the physical and chemical properties of the liquid feed together with the dryer design and operation.
Most of the drying process and particle agglomeration takes place during the first few Meters after leaving the nozzles or disc atomizer. Approximately 80% of the drying process takes place here and has the greatest effect on the final product quality.
This is the preferred method of drying of many thermally-sensitive materials such as foods and pharmaceuticals. A spray dryer mixes a heated gas with an atomized (sprayed) liquid stream within a vessel (drying chamber) to accomplish evaporation and produce a free flowing dry powder with a controlled average particle size.The final process of water removal from the liquor/ milk which has undergone evaporation is carried out by drying.
ATHENA Manufacture following type of Spray Dryer:
Salient features for ATHENA’s Manufactured Spray Dryer:
Application:
The concept of three stages drying originated due to sticking of powder particles on chamber wall, as 5-7% moisture of powder become sticky.The secondary drying air is introduced in to lower plenum chamber. This type of dryer can be used when primary particles reach moisture as high as 8-10% corresponding to air outlet temperature of 65-66 Deg C. Specially designed perforation allows powder rotation in same direction as that of primary drying air. The combination of fluidization velocity & Bed height milk product can be fluidized in static fluid bed.
The moist product can be put into turbulent motion using only air if moist particles are not stuck together due to moistened surface or due to thermoplasticity. Simple fluidized bed with air can be used for drying, however if particles stick together then mechanical stirrers can be used to break up the particle agglomerates for achieving stable fluidized bed.
Athena manufactures Fluid Bed dryer in various Section i.e. 2, 3 & 4 section.
Vacuum shelf/ tray dryers are indirect heated batch dryers consisting of a vacuum tight chamber , a vacuum source , and a condenser. One door is provided and it is sealed with resilient gaskets of rubber or similar material.
Vacuum shelf /tray dryers may vary in size from 1 to 24 shelves, the largest chambers having overall dimensions of 9 feet wide , 18 feet long & 8 feet height.Vacuum shelf dryers are used extensively for drying pharmaceuticals , food products , temperature sensitive or easily oxidizable materials , and materials so valuable that labor cost is insignificant. They are particularly useful for handling small batches of materials wet with toxic valuable solvents .
Vacuum Band dryer are especially designed to provide products with a gentle thermal treatment which can be fed as a viscous liquid or paste. The band dryer comprises a vacuum chamber housing a number of conveyor bands which pass over platens heated by steam or hot water. These units are supplied with a range of capacities using single to ten band configurations.
Application
Roller drying is used for liquid products which can be either low viscosity or highly viscous. Application of roller drying is in manufacturing of skim milk powder for chocolate manufacturing, Ice cream, confectionary and baby food.
Roller dryer consists of single or double Roller with or without applicator Rollers. The metal Rollers are heated from inside through condensing steam. Product dries as thin film on the cylindrical surface. Steam & condensate are led via a sealed rotary transmission through one face of Roller into the inside of the cylinder.
The thin film of the product on to the surface of the hot drum is scrapped off after each revolution by its knife in form of flakes or scale only 70-80% of the surface is used for effective drying.
The scrapper knife is made up of spring steel & knife is exchangeable mounted on strong blade holders & pressed against drum at an angle of 15 to 30°
The rotary dryer is a type of industrial dryer employed to reduce or minimize the liquid moisture content of the material it is handling by bringing it into direct contact with a heated gas. It shall be used in herbal extract.
The Ring dryer is modified version of flash dryer to improve the efficiency of pneumatic dryer with an internal classifier (manifold). Heavier material is held in airborne recycle for further circuit of drying so that the residence time is increased to 2 or 3 passes of the system.The ring dryer also incorporates a disintegrator a fixed beater hammer mill which allow the wet material to be broken up to ensure a uniform fine powder leaving the dryer. The reduces the natural stickness of the product and prevebts material build up within the dryer.
Application: