Pilot plant freeze dryer for sensitive products
Achieve precise moisture control and nutrient preservation in food and pharmaceutical products with an advanced freeze drying solution designed for pilot-scale applications.
Freeze Dries and Preserves Food and Pharmaceutical Products
The RAY® Pilot Plant Freeze Dryer from GEA specializes in batch freeze drying for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and pet food industries. It features a fully automatic process, performing sublimation under vacuum to remove inherent solvents as vapor, thus preserving the natural structure, color, and nutrients of products like instant coffee, fruits, and lactic acid bacteria. With a drying surface up to 1.5 m², it can handle capacities of up to 38 kg/day, offering scalability to industrial systems. The RAY® PP is equipped with a touchscreen interface, allowing precise control and documentation of parameters such as product temperature and vacuum pressure, crucial for ensuring repeatability and product integrity. It efficiently operates at pressures as low as 0.1 mbar and features rapid evacuation times for minimized downtime. The unit’s stainless steel construction ensures hygienic processing and ease of maintenance. It is ideal for R&D and pilot operations, providing a Plug ‘n’ Play solution with high-capacity vapor traps and a water-based heating system to maintain product quality.
Benefits
- Ensures product integrity with precise control of drying parameters.
- Minimizes downtime with rapid evacuation and deicing processes.
- Reduces energy usage through optimized vacuum and heat settings.
- Enhances product shelf-life and nutrient retention via vacuum sublimation.
- Scalable design supports seamless transition to larger-scale operations.
- Applications
- Seafood,Pet food,Lactoferrin,Meat,Lactic acid bacteria,Enzymes,Vegetables,Instant coffee,Fruit
- End products
- Freeze-dried pet kibble,Freeze-dried shrimp,Freeze-dried strawberries,Freeze-dried beef strips,Lactoferrin powder,Probiotic supplements with freeze-dried lactic acid bacteria,Freeze-dried pineapple slices,Freeze-dried instant coffee,Freeze-dried apples,Enzyme supplements,Freeze-dried salmon,Freeze-dried vegetables like carrots and peas
- Steps before
- Chopping,Blanching,Pre-freezing
- Steps after
- Sterilization,Packaging,Quality Control
- Input ingredients
- instant coffee,fruit,vegetables,meat,seafood,pet food,lactic acid bacteria,enzymes,lactoferrin
- Output ingredients
- freeze dried coffee,freeze dried fruit,freeze dried vegetables,freeze dried meat,freeze dried seafood,freeze dried pet food,preserved lactic acid bacteria,preserved enzymes,preserved lactoferrin
- Market info
- GEA is known for its expertise in engineering innovative and sustainable equipment and solutions, focusing on sectors such as food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and energy, with a reputation for quality, efficiency, and advanced technological applications in industrial processing.
- Drying surface
- 0.7–1.5 m²
- Load
- 20–38 kg/day
- Dry matter percentage
- 20.0%
- Expected batch time
- 8.0 hours
- Sublimation
- 15.3–30 kg H2O/day
- Production capacity
- 4.0–8.0 kg/day
- Installed power
- 12–25 Kw
- Average consumption
- 7–12 Kwh/h
- Water consumption
- 50–75 L/h
- Pressure tolerance
- 0.1–0.2 mbar
- Evacuation time
- Less than 8 min
- Vacuum regulation
- 0.1–5 mbar
- Condenser temperature range
- Monitored and logged
- Heating and cooling control
- 20–140 ºC
- Vapor trap capacity
- 2.5 kg H2O/m²/h
- Drying process automation
- Fully automated
- Batch vs. continuous
- Batch
- Working mechanism
- Batch-based freeze dryer
- Integrated steps
- Automatic generation of drying profiles
- Automation level
- Touchscreen computer-based HMI
- Batch vs. continuous operation
- Batch
- CIP/SIP
- Easy to clean
- Cleaning method
- Hygienic processing
- Changeover time
- Short downtimes between batches
- Energy efficiency
- Average consumption 7–12 Kwh/h
- Cleanability
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Corrosive resistance (e.g. acids)
- Stainless steel construction
- Machine footprint
- Compact design
- Control panel type
- Touchscreen
- Cabinet material
- Stainless steel
- Discharge method
- Batch
- Evacuation speed
- Less than 8 min
- Tray loading efficiency
- Efficient
- Drying surface area
- 0.7 or 1.5 m²
- Weight capacity
- 20 or 38 kg/day
- Water consumption
- 50 or 75 L/h
- Load capacity
- 4.0 or 8.0 kg/day
- Control panel type
- Touchscreen
- Integration possibilities
- Online monitoring and logging
- Customizable drying profiles
- Automatic generation
- Batch size
- RAY®PP 1
- Footprint size
- Compact