In every-day operation of laboratories and pilot plants in the fine chemicals and pharmaceutical industry the quantities of drying product varies considerably. It is therefore important for the equipment used to be able to implement sensitive drying of small to medium-sized product batches. The vacuum drying cabinet VTD has been developed for applications of this kind. This equipment has already become well established In laboratories and pilot plants. Very small up to medium quantities can be dried effectively and with gentle action in the same piece of equipment. If required, the equipment can be installed in a cleanroom or isolator.

Function

The product to be dried is evenly distributed on the individual trays which are loaded into the drying cabinet. The vacuum drying cabinet is then closed tight. The product is heated to the required drying temperature via the heated surfaces. When the set temperature is reached the drying cabinet is evacuated. The developing vapor is discharged via the vacuum pipe. Fine dust is reliably filtered out by a filter integrated in the vacuum pipe.

If required, the result of the drying process can be improved even further. To this end, after the drying phase, preheated purge gas is conducted across the individual trays. After completion of the drying process the drying cabinet is opened and the product is removed with the trays. A fully automatic CIP program cleans the drying cabinet and prepares it for the next batch.

New

An easy and safe product handling is made possible through the use of deep trays.Highly active substances are applied to the individual trays in a gate valve or insulator. The trays are then sealed with a special cover to make them dust-tight. The product is transported to the drying cabinet without coming into contact with the environment. During the drying process the moisture can escape via a specially designed filter in the cover.

Heating surfaces which can be calibrated ensure a uniform distribution of the temperature. It is often necessary to apply a very close temperature tolerance between the individual heating surfaces. The throughput of the heat transfer medium in the heating surfaces can therefore be adjusted exactly using needle valves.

The infeed of the CIP cleaning agent at the sides of the vacuum drying cabinet enables optimum cleaning.The CIP lances are arranged on the sides of the vacuum drying cabinet. The cleaning agent consequently flows across the trays to the other side where it is collected and discharged.

Advantages

• The equipment is extremely flexible in use. Products with varying consistency can be dried in the same piece of equipment in quantities ranging form very small up to medium quantities.
• Optimum cleaning results are achieved.The cleaning agent flows across the trays of the drying cabinet in a defined direction. The inside of the drying cabinet can be viewed in full, meaning that the cleaning result can be inspected at any time.
• The product handling is easy and safe through the application of deep trays. The deep trays are filled in an insulator or cleanroom. After being sealed dust-free they are transported dust-free to the drying cabinet.
• The result of the drying is perfect. Hot nitrogen can be blown in via the aforementioned CIP lances.