Pilot Plant for Extraction, Evaporation & Drying
Pilot Plant for Extraction, Evaporation & Drying
A pilot plant runs your process at a scale between the laboratory bench and a commercial plant, so you can confirm process parameters, product quality and mass balance before committing to full-scale equipment. Mechotech builds pilot-scale extraction, evaporation and drying systems, and recommends a pilot trial before scaling on many of its product pages. A pilot plant is configured to your raw material and target product, so it is quoted after a review of your project.
Pilot-scale options are listed across the Mechotech range: pilot and research-scale supercritical CO2 extraction systems, pilot short-path distillation units, pilot-scale spray dryers for formulation and particle trials, laboratory and pilot freeze dryers for cycle development, and falling-film and vacuum evaporators for pilot concentration trials. Together with the Botanical Process Development Centre, run with our sister concern Sureka Life Sciences, a pilot trial confirms the process before mass balance, scale-up and plant engineering. Pilot results inform commercial sizing; they are not a guarantee of full-scale performance. Final configuration depends on raw material, process requirements, capacity and engineering review.
Technical Specifications
| Purpose | Process validation and scale-up data ahead of commercial plant engineering |
|---|---|
| Listed pilot-scale options | Supercritical CO2 extraction, short-path distillation, spray drying, freeze drying, falling-film and vacuum evaporation, fluidised-bed and vacuum paddle drying trials |
| Process development partner | Botanical Process Development Centre with Sureka Life Sciences (lab trial, pilot trial, mass balance, scale-up) |
| Product-contact material | SS 316L on stainless-steel units (glass for some laboratory and pilot distillation units), as stated on each listed product page |
| Capacity | Configured to requirement |
| Scope confirmation | Engineering review of raw material, target product and trial objectives before quotation |
Manufacturing Process
Raw-Material Review
The raw material, its form and the target extract or powder are reviewed so the trial answers the questions that matter for scale-up.
Laboratory Trial
Small-scale trials establish a workable route for the material and target output, before any pilot equipment is configured.
Process Optimisation
Solvent, temperature, cycle time and similar parameters are refined before the process is committed to a pilot run.
Pilot Trial
The optimised process is run at pilot scale on the pilot extraction, evaporation or drying system, to confirm it holds up beyond the laboratory bench.
Mass Balance & Scale-Up
Mechotech's engineering team works out the material and energy balance and translates the pilot results into commercial-scale parameters and equipment requirements.
Commercial Plant Engineering
The commercial plant is then engineered, manufactured, installed and commissioned, with scope set out in the technical proposal.
Major Plant Equipment
- Pilot extraction vessels with solvent recovery (configured to the process)
- Supercritical CO2 pilot / research-scale extraction system
- Short-path distillation unit (pilot / R&D)
- Pilot-scale spray dryer
- Laboratory and pilot freeze dryer
- Falling-film or vacuum evaporator (pilot scale)
- Fluidised-bed dryer and vacuum paddle dryer (pilot trials)
- PLC-based control panel and instrumentation
Plant Output
Applications
- Botanical and herbal extraction process validation
- Pilot spray-drying and freeze-drying trials
- Pilot concentration and evaporation trials
- Cycle and drying-curve development
- Raw-material feasibility ahead of a commercial plant
- Product development and sampling runs
Key Features
Pilot Before Scale-Up
Validating parameters at pilot scale reduces the guesswork in sizing a commercial plant.
Extraction, Evaporation and Drying
Pilot-scale options span the extraction, concentration and drying stages of a typical line.
Process Development Support
The Process Development Centre with Sureka Life Sciences covers laboratory trials through to scale-up.
Built to the Same Standard as Plant Equipment
Stainless-steel pilot units use SS 316L product-contact construction, as stated on the listed pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a pilot plant and why use one?
What pilot-scale equipment does Mechotech offer?
Do you run pilot trials on my raw material?
Can I run a pilot extraction for ginger, turmeric or hibiscus?
Can a pilot plant be used for fruit or vegetable powders?
What information do you need for a pilot-plant proposal?
Project Enquiry Pages
Country pages that include this equipment among their project areas:
Ready to discuss your project?
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