With the increasing emphasis by consumers and regulators on food safety, and the prospect of costly recalls and fines, processors are demanding machines that can be cleaned quickly so as tominimise down time on the production line. Fluid beds are used as dryers, coolers and moisturisers in the food industry.
Kason's circular fluid bed processing system dries, cools or moisturizes foods, dairy products and pharmaceuticals on a batch or a continuous basis. It can be used for low-capacity laboratory andpilot plant testing to all the way to high-volume processing operations.
The machine's fluid bed has an air-lift device to help break down the machine. The interior of the unit is accessed for wash down by loosening one clamp ring assembly that connects top andbottom housing sections. The operator then activates the air-lift device to raise the upper section.
"Lifting the upper frame and cover assembly of the fluid bed processor pneumatically allows operators to access its interior many times faster," the company claimed.
For the smaller diameter models one operator can now perform what was previously a two-person task, the company said.
The self-contained system is made up of a circular fluid bed processor along with a unit that performs the heating, cooling and moisturising functions. The unit also comes with a blower and cycloneseparator on a single skid.
With on-site connections to a power source, a bag house and material inlet and outlets, the system is ready to run as soon as it is set up, the company stated.
"At less than half the size and weight of rectangular fluid bed processors of equivalent capacity, the circular fluid bed unit allows all primary system components to be consolidated on ashippable frame for the first time," the company stated.
Circular processors have an inherent strength that eliminate the need for heavy-gauge walls and cross braces otherwise required to withstand continuous vibration. This allows the unit to use asmaller vibratory motor than is required for non-circular systems.
Kason's unit also requires only one air inlet and outlet and has fewer weld seams, reducing overall size and construction cost.
The air-lift device is available on fluid bed processors in diameters from 460 mm to 2135 mm (18" to 84"). Other options are available for de-lumping, agglomerating, scalping or powdercoating of bulk materials in conjunction with fluid bed drying, cooling or moisturising.
The company also provides rental units equipped with the air-lift device for laboratory and pilot plant testing.