Our GEA VIBRO-FLUIDIZER® is relied on by global GEA customers across industries including food, dairy and chemicals, as a secondary, or final stage in a spray drying process to finish drying and/or cool a powder. More energy efficient than a spray dryer, the GEA VIBRO-FLUIDIZER® is also used as an independent fluid bed unit to dry, cool, or de-dust powders transferred from other processes.
Features of GEA VIBRO-FLUIDIZER® fluid bed technology:
- Versatile technology for powder drying/cooling, secondary drying/cooling, and de-dusting, across industrial sectors
- Multiple air dispersion plate options
- Patented BUBBLE PLATE® for applications with high sanitary requirements
- Throughput of up to 10 tons product per hour, dependent on the product
- Automated process monitoring and control when integrated as part of a spray drying line
- Versatile system design with options for additional safety/hygiene features
- Self emptying with no dead spaces, to reduce any volume of cross contaminated product during product grade changes.
- Fully welded with no rivets, so reduced risk of powder penetrating into cracks
Benefits of the VIBRO-FLUIDIZER® fluid bed technology:
- More energy efficient than spray drying
- Ability to fine-tune process variables supports control of powder particle characteristics
- Potential for reconfiguration/upgrade when products/processes change
- Shallow, 200 mm powder layer (product dependent) reduces residence time, enabling overall gentler powder treatment
Vibrating fluid bed for tricky powders
Vibrating fluid bed drying can be an ideal option for processing difficult-to-dry speciality chemicals, for example, powders with broad size distribution or irregular particle shape. We’ve developed the GEA VIBRO-FLUIDIZER® to be highly configurable, so we can design a system that will give you confidence in reliable processing and high-quality food, dairy and chemicals powders. Air flow, temperature and powder residence time can all be controlled, supporting the production of powders with the desired particle properties and moisture content.
So how does it work?
A moist layer of powder is introduced on top of a perforated air dispersion plate, known as a flex, or gill plate, through which drying/cooling air is directed. The exact angle and direction of air flow are calculated at the design stage and engineered into the final system.
The unit may be vibrated and this vibration, combined with the upward and forward flow of air through the plate, acts to fluidize the powder layer, creating ideal processing conditions for evaporation, along with controlled powder transport and residence times. The very high heat and mass transfer rates obtained as a result of the direct contact between individual particles and the fluidizing gas results in a comparatively energy efficient drying process.
A portfolio of air distribution plates
GEA has developed a portfolio of perforated air distribution plates that support optimum fluidization and powder movement for a wide range of applications across industries. Each GEA VIBRO-FLUIDIZER® is configured with plates best suited for the product(s) and process. Our patented BUBBLE PLATE®, for example, can be an ideal option when the highest levels of sanitary configuration are required. The BUBBLE PLATE® has fewer, but larger holes, and can be operated for comparatively longer time between cleans.
Hygiene, safety and resource efficiency
Designed to meet the most stringent industry and regulatory standards, the GEA VIBRO-FLUIDIZER® is fully welded to minimize the risk of powder settling in cracks or under rivets. Our technology can be configured with additional safety or hygiene features, including integrated CIP nozzles for complete, fast and efficient cleaning. The system can in addition be constructed with explosion suppression, automated safety locks, and as a closed-cycle setup. The self-emptying design helps to keep down time for maintenance and cleaning to a minimum.
The GEA VIBRO-FLUIDIZER® can be built into a new plant or retrofit into an existing powder process setup. Direct fluid bed integration with upstream systems makes it possible to reuse waste heat, via a heat exchanger, for preheating the fluid bed dryer air/gas. Our VIBRO-FLUIDIZER® system can in principle also be configured with GEA AddCool® high temperature heat pump technology for energy efficient drying and cooling in one step.
Flexible for reconfiguration/upgrades
GEA technology is really flexible, and if your products or processes change going forwards, we can commonly reconfigure your VIBRO-FLUIDIZER® accordingly, so you can continue to expect top performance and product quality and achieve maximum value from your GEA equipment for the lifespan of the plant.
We want to ensure that your GEA equipment gives you great results, right from day one. At our dedicated drying test center in Copenhagen, GEA experts can evaluate your powders and processes using our pilot-scale setup for fluid bed drying. Our tests will generate the drying curves and additional data we need to design and optimize a full-size GEA VIBRO-FLUIDIZER® for your products.
We’ve got so much more we’d like to tell you, so do get in touch, and let’s talk more.
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