Drying Equipment

ANFD – Agitated Nutsche Filter Dryer

Mechotech engineers and manufactures the ANFD Agitated Nutsche Filter Dryer as turnkey process equipment for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, food, and botanical processing lines that need to filter and dry a solid within the same vessel. Each unit is designed around the client's specific process parameters and target output, then fabricated, installed, and commissioned by Mechotech as a single accountable scope.

The ANFD Agitated Nutsche Filter Dryer is built in SS 316L (or a process-appropriate grade) around a vessel with a perforated filter plate, on which the solid is filtered from the process liquid and then dried in place under agitation and vacuum, avoiding the product transfer that separate filtration and drying steps would require, with electropolished product-contact surfaces and integrated instrumentation so it can be cleaned in place between batches and operated under PLC-based control. Capacity is configured to the customer's requirement, from pilot-scale systems for process validation to larger commercial installations with modular expansion, and every unit is delivered with full documentation to support GMP and regulatory qualification.

Technical Specifications

Product	ANFD Agitated Nutsche Filter Dryer
Technology	Agitated nutsche filtration and drying in a single vessel
Working Principle	The solid is filtered from the process liquid on a perforated filter plate, then dried in place under agitation and vacuum, avoiding product transfer between separate filtration and drying steps
Illustrated Configuration	Vessel with a side-opening door, a perforated filter plate, an agitator drive, a vacuum line, a condenser, a dry-solvent recovery vessel, a vacuum pump and a control panel, as shown on the product illustration; the configuration is selected to the duty
Product-contact Material	SS 316L (or process-appropriate grade), electropolished
Cleaning	Clean-in-place (CIP) between batches
Automation	PLC-based control with integrated instrumentation
Capacity	Configured to the customer's requirement — pilot to commercial, with modular expansion
Compliance	GMP hygienic design; full documentation for qualification

Plant Capacities

Plant Scale	Capacity	Typical Use
Pilot	Pilot-scale systems sized to the feed and target output	Process validation, product development
Semi-Commercial	Configured between pilot and commercial scale	Scale-up trials, contract manufacturing
Commercial	Larger commercial installations with modular expansion	Production at confirmed buyer volume

Capacity is configured to the customer's feedstock, throughput and target output; we recommend validating parameters on a pilot system before scaling.

Manufacturing Process

Engineering & Design

Mechotech's process engineers size and configure the ANFD Agitated Nutsche Filter Dryer around the client's feed material, filtration area, and target output specification before fabrication begins.

Fabrication & Assembly

The filter-dryer vessel and agitator assembly are fabricated in SS 316L (or a process-appropriate grade), with instrumentation and control automation integrated during assembly rather than added afterward.

Operation: Filtration, Washing and Drying

In service, the slurry is filtered on the perforated plate, the cake can be washed, and the same vessel is then heated under vacuum with agitation to dry the solid; solvent vapour passes to the condenser and dry-solvent recovery vessel shown on the illustration, and the dried solid is discharged (general working principle; the final design is set to the client’s process).

Installation & Commissioning

The completed system is installed at the client's site, and commissioned as a single accountable unit before handover.

Major Plant Equipment

Filter-dryer vessel with perforated filter plate
Agitator assembly
Vacuum drying connection
CIP (clean-in-place) connections
Instrumentation and PLC-based control panel

Plant Output

Filtered solid dried in place in the same vesselFiltrate

Applications

Pharmaceutical and nutraceutical process manufacturing
Botanical and herbal extraction industries
Food and flavour processing
Export to regulated-market equipment buyers

Key Features

SS 316L Construction
Electropolished product-contact surfaces, cleaned in place (CIP) between batches, with full documentation to support GMP qualification.
Turnkey Engineering
Design, fabrication, installation, and commissioning are delivered as one accountable scope, so the client deals with a single engineering team from drawing to handover.
Scalable Capacity
The filter-dryer is sized to the customer's requirement, from pilot-scale validation through to commercial capacity, with modular expansion as production grows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Mechotech supply the complete ANFD Agitated Nutsche Filter Dryer?

Yes. Mechotech is a process equipment manufacturer and supplier, engineering and fabricating the complete ANFD Agitated Nutsche Filter Dryer at our Hyderabad facility, installing and commissioning it as a single integrated system.

What capacities are available for the ANFD Agitated Nutsche Filter Dryer?

Mechotech builds the ANFD Agitated Nutsche Filter Dryer from pilot systems for product development to larger commercial capacities. Capacity is selected based on feedstock/throughput requirements, confirmed buyer volume, and investment timeline; we recommend a pilot system to validate parameters before scaling.

Which industries use the ANFD Agitated Nutsche Filter Dryer?

The end-use areas listed for ANFD – Agitated Nutsche Filter Dryer on this page are given under Applications. The end use and the target specification are confirmed with the client before the plant is configured.

How does the ANFD differ from a separate Nutsche Filter and dryer?

The ANFD filters the solid and then dries it in the same vessel, under agitation and vacuum, so the product is not transferred between steps. A Nutsche Filter provides enclosed solid–liquid separation only, and drying is then carried out in a separate dryer such as the Vacuum Paddle Dryer or the RCVD Rotary Cone Vacuum Dryer.

When is an ANFD the right choice?

As general guidance, an ANFD is considered when a solid must be filtered, washed and dried without transfer between machines, for example to limit handling losses or exposure. Where only filtration is needed the Nutsche Filter or Agitated Filter is simpler, and where a concentrate must be dried to a paste or solid on a heated wall the ATFD Agitated Thin Film Dryer is the page to review.

What information is needed to specify an ANFD?

To configure the vessel Mechotech needs the solid and its particle size and cake properties, the solvent or liquid and its recovery needs, the batch size, the drying temperature limit of the product, the vacuum and heating utilities available, the cleaning and containment requirements and the target residual-moisture or residual-solvent level. A pilot trial is recommended before scaling.

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ANFD – Agitated Nutsche Filter Dryer