Getting into the spin of things

Since its formation in 1948, industrial drying plant specialists Anhydro A/S has been hanging the competition out to dry, providing superior equipment for various industries to transform liquid into powder. The company prides itself it its technical ability to remove water and moisture from products thus reducing its weight and enabling food to be preserved. In fact, the company does exactly what it says in its name – derived from Greek with the ‘An’ in Anhydro meaning without, and ‘hydro’ meaning water.

R&D is a top priority for the company as is evident from its test centre which was established in 1955 and has contributed much to the success of the company’s innovations. Product tests and research work takes place in production-size evaporators and dryers.

One of the company’s most recent launches is its Triple-A Dryer’ which will provide customers with greater control of particle size and structure during the production of free-flowing, dustless powders and agglomerates.

The technology offers complete customisation and is ideal for the production of whey protein concentrate and isolate, whole and skim milk powder, high- and low-fat whey blends, baby food and non-dairy creamer. It aims are to provide users with high product quality, consistent high yield, energy efficiency, and low operating costs.

The arrival of the technology is particularly well-timed as whey’s use in the dairy industry is set to increase, whilst other commodities such as milk and butterfat is set to fall with the European Commission predicting that these will decrease by 2012. Luckily the company has the advantage of being skilled in drying whey and understands the complexity of a mix of different whey products.

Gone are the days when whey was seen as simply a milk-powder substitute, in fact, it is likely to become an attractive asset for the dairy industry in years to come. Whey protein concentrate can be found in such things as baby food to high-protein bodybuilding bars and is a regular in sports nutrition and dietary supplements. High in nutrition, whey can be used in a huge variety of products besides dairy including baked goods, beverages, confections, meat products, salad dressings, nutraceuticals, sauces and soup.

The technology is likely to meet the needs of dairy producers now and in the future. By offering a large number of combinations of air distribution options, integrated second-stage fluid bed dryers, an optional external third-stage fluid bed, and a choice of exhaust and fines return systems, the dryer can be customized to virtually any combination of quality and capacity requirements. This enables dairies and other manufacturers to meet increasing demands for very specific qualities and particle size distributions. In addition, new design features provide extra competitive edge in terms of production run-time and yield together with reduced operating costs per unit of end-product.

A unique feature of the technology is a new spray dryer design, which has the ability to minimise deposits in the base of the drying chamber. This is particularly beneficial for the drying of heat-sensitive products that are often hygroscopic or ‘sticky’, most notably whey. Previously, this had been a common problem during the spray drying process, therefore the elimination of deposits will result, amongst other things, in significantly increased production run-time and yield.

While there are many customization options, Anhydro has decided to limit them in one respect. Years of experience and testing have shown that, together with controlled air flow and temperature, nozzle atomization is the only really satisfactory way of controlling and optimizing the spray drying process in a manner that ensures complete repeatability in the product applications that the technology is designed for.

The technology was exhibited at the Anuga FoodTec 2006 at the beginning of April along with a range of its small-scale evaporation and drying plants. All of the technologies showcased at the event are available as continuous process lines, and feature full CIP capabilities.

About Anhydro
Anhydro A/S is a specialist company in the Anhydro Group, which links and focuses the resources of its member companies to provide a complete range of advanced liquid and powder processing solutions as well as air filtering solutions for the international dairy, food and beverage, brewery, chemical, healthcare, starch, pulp and paper industries.
The Anhydro Group also acts as a strategic development partner for manufacturers all over the world, helping them to develop innovative solutions, optimise existing processes, and bring new products to market quickly and cost-effectively.

For more information about the company and it’s products including the Triple-A dryer visit the website at www.anhydro.com or contact Arne Skjold Pedersen, General Manager, Dairy and Food Division, on +45 70 27 82 22/arne.s.petersen@anhydro.com, or Anne Adstofte, Group Marketing and Communication Manager on +45 70 27 82 22/ anne.adstofte@anhydro.com