COMBER TURBODRY® Vacuum pan dryer for highest drying efficiency

COMBER TURBODRY® combines highest drying efficiency, wide operational flexibility and maximum product security. An important manufacturing step in production of pharmaceutical intermediates is contact vacuum drying after solid/liquid separation in centrifuges, nutsches or other filters.

Different designs (horizontal, vertical, spherical, rotating double cones or conical dryers) have all legitimate reasons for use, which follow the given requirements such as ceiling height, budget and process technology. If drying efficiency becomes very important, the TURBODRY® should always be considered.

Efficient product mixing and shortest possible drying times

The description of a pan is most accurate – whenever something needs to be boiled down in the kitchen, using a pan it happens most quickly; the large, heated surface is most efficient to evaporate a layer of uniform height. In addition, the heated agitator moves vertically and rotating in the to-be dried product. With variable agitator rotation speed and full up/down agitator movement, products are treated according to their characteristics. The agitator can be worked into and out of the product automatically to suit varying product resistance. This avoids heat build-up and/or damage to shear sensitive products.

Tailor-made gentle product treatment

Wet cakes, sticky, pasty and balling products can all be handled with the unique agitator design and without the need for lump breakers. When lumps occur, they are easily broken by the cutting and compressing action of the agitator teeth while moving up and down. No lump breakers have ever been fitted in Turbodry® units. Maximum product safety is achieved being top driven and no drive shafts or seals are exposed to product pressure. With variable agitator rotation speed and full up/down agitator movement, products are treated according to their characteristics. The agitator can be worked into and out of the product automatically to suit varying product resistance. This avoids heat build-up and / or damage to shear sensitive products.

Low residual heel

The dry product is discharged via a side discharge valve with good efficiency. Product retention after discharge has been reported as being as low as 20 g per 500 L drying capacity for free flowing and friable products. This minimum product heel is achieved by minimizing the agitator to side wall and base clearances, and during drying optimizing the agitator movements and applying heating and vacuum in the best way.

The Turbodry is very suitable for chemical-based API’s and has recently been used for pharmaceutical natural product conditioning as well.