Drying Equipment

ATFD – Agitated Thin Film Dryer

Mechotech engineers and manufactures the ATFD Agitated Thin Film Dryer as turnkey process equipment for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, food, and botanical processing lines that need to dry viscous concentrates or slurries through to a solid or paste. 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 ATFD Agitated Thin Film Dryer is built in SS 316L (or a process-appropriate grade) around a heated vessel wall on which rotating agitator blades continuously spread and renew the product film as it thickens from a liquid concentrate to a dry solid, 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	ATFD Agitated Thin Film Dryer
Technology	Agitated thin-film drying
Working Principle	Rotating agitator blades continuously spread and renew the product film on a heated vessel wall as it thickens from a liquid concentrate to a dry solid
Illustrated Configuration	Tall vertical vessel with a top-mounted drive, attached separator and receiver vessels 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 ATFD Agitated Thin Film Dryer around the client's feed viscosity, target solids content, and output specification before fabrication begins.

Fabrication & Assembly

The heated 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: Thin-Film Drying

In service, the concentrate or slurry is fed to the heated wall where rotating blades continuously spread and renew a thin film; the liquid evaporates and the dried solid or paste is discharged, with the vapour leaving the vessel for condensation (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

Heated vessel wall
Rotating agitator blades
CIP (clean-in-place) connections
Instrumentation and PLC-based control panel

Plant Output

Dried solid or paste from a viscous concentrate or slurry

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 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 ATFD Agitated Thin Film Dryer?

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

What capacities are available for the ATFD Agitated Thin Film Dryer?

Mechotech builds the ATFD Agitated Thin Film 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 ATFD Agitated Thin Film Dryer?

The end-use areas listed for ATFD – Agitated Thin Film 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 ATFD differ from other Mechotech dryers?

The ATFD dries viscous concentrates or slurries through to a solid or paste by continuously renewing a thin product film on a heated wall. The FBD Fluidised Bed Dryer is used for fast, uniform drying of granular or particulate solids, and the Vacuum Paddle Dryer for single-shaft agitated drying of wet solids and pastes under vacuum.

When is an ATFD the right choice?

As general guidance, an ATFD is considered for viscous, heat-sensitive or sticky concentrates that are difficult to dry in a tray or fluidised-bed dryer, because the thin film gives short contact with the heated wall. For free-flowing solids the FBD Fluidised Bed Dryer or Vacuum Tray Dryer is usual, for a dilute liquid a Falling Film Evaporator or Thin Film Evaporator comes first, and for filter-and-dry in one vessel the ANFD.

What information is needed to specify an ATFD?

To configure the dryer Mechotech needs the feed composition, viscosity and solids content, the product’s temperature limit, the solvent or water to be removed and its recovery needs, the throughput, the vacuum and heating utilities available and the required final form (solid or paste). A pilot trial is recommended to validate parameters before scaling.

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ATFD – Agitated Thin Film Dryer