Double Cone Vacuum Dryers: A cylindrical vessel with two cone-shaped ends used for drying materials under vacuum conditions.
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A Comprehensive Guide to Double-Cone Vacuum Dryers

Written by ChemiplantFebruary 26, 2024

Chemiplant’s Double Cone Vacuum Dryers stand as a pinnacle for the efficient removal of water/solvents from wet powder subsequent to filtration processes. Renowned across the Chemicals, Fine Chemicals, Intermediate, and Pharmaceutical sectors, these dryers cater to a broad spectrum of products, including both crystalline and amorphous substances.

The versatility of Double Cone Dryers is unmatched, attributed to their ability to achieve low drying times, operate at low temperatures, and attain exceedingly low final moisture levels in products. Adhering to cGMP and FDA standards, these dryers ensure compliance with stringent industry regulations.

Incorporating lump breakers within the dryer enhances the product’s surface area for evaporation. Strategically positioned, these lump breakers oscillate within the product during dryer rotation, thereby expediting drying time and guaranteeing minimal moisture content. Equipped with specialized mechanical seals, the lump breaker shafts ensure an airtight vacuum within the system.

Advantages of Double Cone Vacuum Dryer include:

  • Reduced drying times
  • Enhanced uniformity and homogeneity of dried products
  • Maximum operator and environmental safety
  • Effortless unloading of products with minimal manpower
  • Exceptionally low final moisture content in dried products
  • Operating at low temperatures
  • Facilitated internal cleaning due to the unique shape of the dryer body

Complementing the Dryer Systems, Chemiplant offers an array of accessories meticulously designed to cater to various batch sizes. These include heating units utilizing hot water or hot oil generation systems, condensing units with appropriate receivers for recovered solvents, high vacuum pump units from reputable manufacturers, and control panels integrated with PLC and SCADA software, ensuring batch reproducibility and seamless integration with DCS systems.

Working Principle & Construction:

Chemiplant’s Double Cone Dryers feature a bi-conical rotating chamber mounted on a sturdy pedestal. Raw materials are charged in batches and subjected to indirect heating through a jacket, facilitating drying operations at low temperatures under vacuum.

Material of Construction:

Available in stainless steel grades of AISI 316/316L and AISI 304/304L, with the provision for other grades such as Hastelloy C276/C22 upon request, Chemiplant’s Double Cone Dryers ensure durability and reliability. Vapors generated within the dryer chamber are efficiently removed through vacuum, effectively reducing moisture content in the product. Specially designed micro filters prevent solids from escaping the system, while a nitrogen purging system further enhances operational safety.

Applications:

With a diverse range of applications, Double Cone Vacuum Dryers find extensive usage across various industries:

  • Pharmaceutical Industry: Ideal for drying active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), excipients, and intermediates.
  • Fine Chemicals: Suitable for drying fine chemicals and other chemical substances.
  • Food Industry: Versatile in drying a wide array of food products, including crystalline and amorphous substances.
  • Other Applications: Utilized in the production of antibiotics, APIs, aroma, biotechnology products, caffeine, colorants, cosmetics, crystals, deontological resins, diet food, food additives, peptides, pharmaceutical excipients, pharmacy synthesis, preservatives, saccharine, sweeteners, tablets, and vitamins.

In summary, Chemiplant’s Double Cone Vacuum Dryers epitomize efficiency, reliability, and compliance, catering to the diverse needs of industries with precision and excellence.

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A large industrial machine with a tank, known as Rotary Vacuum Paddle Dryers.
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Decoding Rotary Vacuum Paddle Dryers

Written by ChemiplantFebruary 26, 2024

Chemiplant’s Rotary Vacuum Paddle Dryers serve as essential tools for transforming wet cakes or solutions into dry powders efficiently. These dryers typically operate under vacuum conditions and function as batch operations. Featuring a fixed cylindrical shell with a centrally located rotating agitator, these dryers boast a hollow rotating shaft heated by hot water or steam circulation. Mechanical seals are incorporated on both the utility side and the vacuum side to ensure optimal performance.

With a large heat transfer area facilitated by the heated shaft and paddles, these dryers achieve maximum heat transfer coefficients. The drive mechanism comprises a reduction gearbox with a chain sprocket system coupled to the drive motor, providing reliable operation. Mounted on a skid, the entire assembly, along with the dryer chamber, minimizes foundation costs and reduces maintenance expenses.

Materials of construction primarily include Stainless Steel AISI 316, with the option for special alloys such as C22 and C276 available upon request. Offering a comprehensive solution, Chemiplant’s Rotary Vacuum Paddle Dryers enable multiple operations within a single unit. Processes like mixing, liquid addition, evaporative concentration, reaction, drying, and cooling are seamlessly carried out without the need for intermediate storage, transportation, or cleaning.

Advantages of Paddle Dryer:

  • Ensures safety for operators, the environment, and the product.
  • Achieves high vacuum levels with minimal final moisture content in the product.
  • Maintains uniformity and homogeneity throughout the drying batch.
  • Reduces power consumption, enhancing operational efficiency.
  • Facilitates ease of washing for batch changeovers due to effective Clean-In-Place (CIP) systems.
  • Enables solvent recovery, enhancing overall process sustainability.

Turn-Key Supply System – Cantilever Dryer:

Chemiplant offers a comprehensive range of accessories tailored for the Rotary Vacuum Paddle Dryer, including necessary fittings designed to meet diverse process requirements:

  • Heating and cooling assembly for the jacket/limpet, comprising a hot water tank, circulation pump, heating/cooling coil, and necessary control valves.
  • Dust collector system effectively captures valuable product carried away with vapors in a filter bag, utilizing reverse flow of N2 air in a pulsation circuit to redirect the product back into the dryer.
  • Vacuum pump ensures optimal vacuum conditions within the dryer chamber.
  • Necessary piping and valves are available upon request to streamline the installation process.
  • Control panel with PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system, equipped with VFD (Variable Frequency Drive), timers, contactors, relays, and temperature indicators/controllers, enabling centralized supervision and process management, ensuring reproducibility and control.

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