The Benefits of Drum Drying for Dry Ingredient Production

Introduction

Consistent production of a safe, high-quality, and economical product is a top priority in food processing. You and your customers rely on your processing equipment to achieve the results as intended. Depending on ingredients, budget, and factors specific to the process, there are options when choosing the right equipment to turn wet ingredients into flakes or powders. The flaked or powdered ingredients can be used in potato chips, nutritional supplements, pet food, and many more applications.

Having the right equipment in your operation can improve the quality of final products, maintenance costs, and overall efficiency. Traditional drum drying has been used in food processing since the early 1900s. However, an innovative new approach to drum drying can expand the benefits and bring a money-saving advantage through efficient heat transfer.

Differences in a Temp-Plate® Drum Dryer Assembly

Heated internally by steam, drum dryers have the ability to dry viscous fluids through a controlled surface temperature. Continuous operation of the drum dryer requires large amounts of heat and steam to maintain temperatures and produce a consistent flake or powder. The expense of producing that large amount of heat comes directly from the bottom line.

Drum dryers can be fabricated with Paul Mueller Company’s Temp-Plate single-embossed inflated heat transfer panels to form the composition of the drum. By using Temp-Plate panels to make up the anatomy of the drum, you can reduce the large volume of steam needed to bring the outside surface to a sufficient temperature. Rather than heating the entirety of the interior cylinder, steam enters directly into the inflated heat transfer surface that composes the drum. This method allows food processors to make the most of valuable heat.

Drum dryers come in various configurations to meet the demands of the ingredients to be processed. Shown below are a couple of configurations from basic to complex:

Advantages of Drum Drying vs. Spray Drying

Drum drying holds noticeable advantages over alternatives like spray drying. One of the most considerable benefits is the capital investment. Drum drying equipment is often much less expensive than spray drying equipment, without sacrificing performance. Unlike spray dryers, drum dryers have the capability to effectively dry high-viscosity fluids and pastes while preserving natural flavor. Here are some additional benefits of drum dryers in food ingredient processing:

• Hygienic - Polished to food grade
• Versatile - Temp-Plate Drum Dryer Assembly is custom-made for any size application and viscous fluids
• Efficient - Quickly dries product with low emissions
• Heavy Duty - Ability to dry highly viscous fluids like pastes and starch
• Durable - Easy to clean and maintain 

Whether you need the whole drum assembled as an integral unit or Temp-Plate inflated heat transfer panels for the fabrication of your own drum, Paul Mueller Company will work with you to customize your drum dryer to your customer's application, rotation speed, heat tolerances, and other specifications.