GEA Columbia MD Test Center – Pilot Drying & Particulate Processing

The Columbia MD Test Center is North America’s premier facility for pilot-scale drying, particulate processing, and application development for the food and chemical industries. With over 20 specialized unit operations, our center is uniquely equipped to support process development, feasibility studies, system design, and laboratory analysis. Clients are invited to visit, observe pilot tests, and collaborate directly with our engineers - receiving real-time feedback and insight into process optimization and product quality.

Pilot Plant Testing

Optimize process parameters and product performance using our wide range state-of-the-art pilot-scale spray dryers, fluid bed processors, freeze dryers, spray congealers, flash dryers, and evaporation/crystallization systems.

Spray Dryers

• Open cycle and closed cycle configurations are available to support aqueous and solvent based products.
• Several atomization types including Two-fluid nozzle, pressure nozzle, rotary atomizer, as well as GEA Combi Nozzle.
• Utilizes a solution, suspension, slurry, or melt as the starting feed to produce a powder with an even size distribution.
  

Solid Feed Drying

• Includes flash and fluid bed technologies.
• Dries paste, cake, or wet powder to produce a dry powder.

Crystallization & Evaporation

• Includes glassware evaporation equipment.
• Can produce a concentrate or crystals as the final product. The concentrate can be tested on a spray dryer.

In essence, GEA is your partner for all particulate processing needs:

• Spray Congealing (Spray Cooling)
• Pelletization
• Drying
• Coating
• Granulation
• Agglomeration
• Crystallization
• Encapsulation & Microencapsulation (via our adjacent Pharmaceutical Technology Center)
• Spheronization

On-Site Laboratory Analysis

• Particle size analysis
• Scanning electron and visual microscopy
• pH
• Liquid and powder (bulk and tapped) density
• Moisture content analysis
• Viscosity

The Laboratory is on site and can provide feedback quickly during test work to accurately guide process studies to the desired outcomes.

Why Choose GEA Columbia Test Center?

• Accelerate product development and scale-up with real-time process feedback
• Expert support for new equipment design and process optimization of existing systems
• Direct collaboration with experienced engineers during pilot testing
• Access to specialized pilot equipment for drying, pre-treatment (pasteurizers, homogenizers, mixers), pre-concentration (evaporators, crystallizers, freeze concentration, membrane filtration, separators, decanters), and full-line testing through GEA’s global network

The following GEA owned technologies and brands are supported at the two Columbia MD test facilities: Aeromatic-Fielder, Atlas, Avapac, Barr-Rosin, Rosin Engineering, Barr & Murphy, Bischoff, Bowen Engineering, Colby, Courtoy, Collette, Kestner, Laguilharre, Lyophil, Messo, Niro, Niro PT, Niro Atomizer, Nu-Con, Scan-Vibro, Surge, Sterner, Wiegand, Buck Containment systems