Pilot plant freeze drying for a wide range of applications
Today’s consumers actively seek out food products that are easy to prepare, tasty and stay fresh for longer. Freeze drying enables manufacturers to meet these demands by preserving the natural color, properties and consistency of the product, as well as its constituent proteins and vitamins.
Offering substantial benefits to nearly every area of food processing, including fish, fruit and herbs, RAY® freeze drying technology provides a high-quality solution. Frozen products are dried under vacuum, ensuring that the water in the product is removed as vapor. As one of the most experienced designers and manufacturers of freeze-drying plants in the world, GEA combines unique technology with reliable plant operation to provide the superior product quality you need to stay ahead of your competitors.
Key advantages of small-scale freeze drying
The RAY® Plus Pilot Plant offers the following economic and technical advantages:
- Full scalability to industrial systems
- Preservation of product structure and size, as well as key attributes such as color and nutrients
- Flexible operation with variable parameter for product temperature, vacuum and heat input
- Online control and monitoring of vacuum, sublimation rate, heating plate temperature and product temperature.
- Batch reporting and recipe system integrated
- High throughput and large capacity condenser
- Automatic generation of freeze drying profile.
Key features of GEA RAY® Plus Pilot Plant Freeze Dryer
Operated via a touchscreen, the RAY® Plus Pilot Plant is designed for hygienic processing and, as such, is easy to clean and maintain. Once product has been placed in the chamber, the process runs fully automatically and all vital parameters, product temperature, heating profile, loss of weight, etc., are controlled and monitored and stored to provide full documentation and ensure repeatability. The RAY® Plus Pilot Plant is able to automatically generate drying profiles and, based on maximum product temperature and/or factors such as constant weight, temperature and vacuum difference, determine the drying profile and the end point of the process.
Although designed to operate at 0.3 mbar, the RAY® Plus Pilot Plant can achieve pressures as low as 0.1 mbar. In addition, the RAY® concept ensures short downtimes between batches, based on effective de-icing and rapid evacuation times.
RAY® Plus Pilot Plant freeze dryer at a glance
| Cabinet and condenser | Stainless steel |
|---|---|
| Installation | Plug and play unit that only requires cold water and power |
| Vapor trap | High capacity, handles sublimation of 2.5 kg H₂O/m²/h |
| Heating | Water-based system, controlled heating and cooling from 20 to 140 °C. Radiation heating for even heat input |
| Evacuation | To 1 mbar in less than 6 minutes |
| Vacuum regulation | Accurate from 0.1 to 2 mbar for controlled drying. Designed to operate at 0.3 mbar |
| Monitoring | Product, heating plate, condenser temperature and pressure control, monitoring and logging. Product weighing system |
| Control | Touchscreen computer-based HMI |
The two sizes compared
| RAY® Plus Pilot Plant | Model RAY®1 Plus | Model RAY®2 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Drying surface (m²) | 0.76 | 1.5 |
| Load (kg/day) | 2x12 | 2x24 |
| Dry matter (%) | 20.0 | 20.0 |
| Expected batch time (h) | 10-12 | 10-12 |
| Sublimation (kg H₂O/day) | 19 | 38 |
| Production (kg/day) | 5 | 10 |
| Installed power (kW) | 12 | 25 |
| Average consumption (kWh/h) | 7 | 12 |
| Water consumption (L/h) | 200 | 300 |
How freeze drying validation works on a pilot plant
The main purpose of the pilot plant is to produce small samples similar to full production samples. Furthermore, the pilot plant will generate the recipe before you size a line. On the RAY® Plus Pilot Plant all vital parameters, such as product temperature, heating profile and loss of weight are controlled, monitored and stored to provide full documentation and ensure repeatability. The unit can generate the drying profile automatically and determine the end point of the process from maximum product temperature and/or factors such as constant weight, heating plate temperature and vacuum. The RAY® Plus Pilot Plant offers full scalability to industrial systems, such as GEA’s RAY® batch freeze dryers. The newest, RAY® Plus, is designed for high-capacity, automated production. Following a validation run at the GEA drying test center in Copenhagen, you will receive freeze-dried product samples and a detailed report.
Test center trials and pilot plant rental
Trials at the GEA test center
At the GEA drying test center in Copenhagen, Denmark, you can work with our experts to evaluate your processes, test new recipes and configure the best GEA system for your needs. We have carried out more than 3,000 tests and worked with about 1,000 product types. Whether you are new to freeze drying or looking to upgrade, expand or diversify your production, we take the time to understand your challenges and objectives and help identify the best solution for your business.
One of the most effective ways to optimize your product for freeze drying, both in terms of product quality and production capacity, is through testing at the GEA test center. Typically, you supply frozen raw material, and GEA performs tests at three different parameter settings, resulting in three product qualities produced at three different capacities. You can then evaluate the results and select the preferred product quality and the corresponding capacity.
From the test work, you will receive the three freeze-dried samples and a detailed report covering all important test parameters and trends, together with an estimated capacity for an industrial plant for each sample.
To learn more about validation testing or to arrange a trial at the GEA drying test center in Copenhagen, please submit an enquiry here.
Rent pilot equipment for development on your own site
We offer rental pilot equipment, the GEA RAY®1 Plus, for on-site development, with a freeze-drying process specialist ensuring seamless startup and staff training. The training includes classroom instruction in freeze drying, product optimization and freeze dryer operation, as well as practical on-site training using your actual product. Typically, the training includes three test runs with different process parameters, similar to the testing carried out by GEA at the GEA test center.
If you only have one product, the best option is typically to conduct tests at the GEA test center. However, if you have multiple products or need to optimize the raw material for a specific product, we would suggest renting or purchasing a pilot unit. The typical rental period is one to three months, but many clients ultimately decide to purchase the rental unit at a fair price before the rental period expires.
Test your product before you invest: Book a trial at the GEA test center, or rent pilot equipment for your own site here.
Common questions about pilot scale freeze drying
Yes, in two ways. Bring your product to the GEA test center and work with our experts to evaluate the process, test recipes and configure the right system. Or rent pilot equipment for development on your own site, with GEA engineers on hand for startup and staff training.
You run the product on a pilot plant, control the entire drying process according to your setpoints, and use it as the starting point for the production recipe. On the RAY® Plus Pilot Plant, product temperature, heating profile and loss of weight are monitored and stored for every run, and the unit can determine the end point of the process from maximum product temperature and/or factors such as constant weight, temperature and vacuum difference. Following a validation run at the GEA Drying Test Center in Copenhagen, you will receive three freeze-dried product samples and a detailed report covering the key test parameters, process trends and the expected industrial production capacity associated with each sample.
Want to know more? Get in touch with our experts today
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