Tray Dryer (Electrical / Steam)
Tray Dryer (Electrical / Steam)
Mechotech offers the Tray Dryer as process drying equipment for the static drying of wet solids, granules and cakes on trays. Hot air is circulated through a closed chamber over the loaded trays, and the heat source is either electrical heaters or steam, chosen to suit the utilities available at your site and the product being dried.
In a tray dryer the wet material is spread in an even layer on trays, and the loaded trays are held in a closed drying chamber. Heated air is circulated over the trays and carries the evaporated moisture out through the exhaust, so the product dries in place without being stirred or tumbled. The air is heated either by electrical heaters or by a steam-heated heat exchanger; the choice depends on whether steam is available at the plant and on the temperature the product can tolerate. Chamber size, number of trays, heater or steam duty and controls are not fixed on this page: they are configured against the confirmed product, batch size and drying duty, so please send those details with your enquiry.
Manufacturing Process
Tray Loading
The wet material is spread in an even layer on trays, which are loaded into the drying chamber.
Chamber Closing
The chamber door is closed so that heated air is circulated over the trays rather than lost to the room.
Air Heating
Air is heated by electrical heaters or by a steam-heated heat exchanger, depending on the configuration selected for the site.
Air Circulation
The heated air is circulated over the trays, transferring heat to the product and picking up the moisture that evaporates from it.
Moisture Removal
The moisture-laden air is exhausted from the chamber and replaced with fresh air, so drying continues through the cycle.
End-Point Check and Discharge
Once the product has reached the required dryness, the heat is switched off, the trays are removed and the dried material is discharged.
Applications
- Batch drying of wet granules and powders where the product should not be agitated
- Drying of wet cakes and filtered solids spread on trays
- Drying of botanical and herbal material and extract solids
- Batch drying of nutraceutical and food ingredient solids
Key Features
Electrical or Steam Heating
The air can be heated by electrical heaters or by steam, so the dryer can be matched to the utilities available at your plant.
Static, Non-Agitated Drying
The product rests on trays for the whole cycle, with no stirring or tumbling of the material.
Batch Tray Format
Each batch is loaded, dried and discharged as a unit on trays, which suits product-by-product and small-batch operation.
Configured to the Duty
Chamber size, tray arrangement and heating duty are set against your product, batch size and drying requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a tray dryer?
How do I choose between electrical and steam heating?
How is this different from the Vacuum Tray Dryer?
What information do you need to quote a tray dryer?
Does this page list capacities and technical specifications?
Which related drying pages does Mechotech list?
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