Real Results: A Vacuum Drying Machine in a High-Volume Nutraceutical Plant
Key Takeaways
- Drying nutraceutical powders is a manufacturing process that removes excess moisture from plant-based materials to create beneficial ingredients.
- Traditional drying methods can damage nutraceuticals, as high temperatures, uneven heating and aggressive agitation quickly degrade their quality.
- Vacuum shovel drying is an advanced drying process ideal for nutraceuticals, as its low heat and gentle handling protect nutraceutical powder integrity.
Some of our favorite projects are those where we help our customers grow their businesses to meet swelling demand earned through hard work and exceptional products. One recent example is a project in which we supported a mid-sized nutraceutical manufacturer’s big step into the realm of high-volume production.
Nutraceuticals are plant-based products that sit adjacent to superfoods and dietary supplements, typically offered as powder ingredients to be blended into foods and drinks. With their name derived from “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical,” nutraceuticals are marketed to have natural health-boosting attributes that border on being medicinal.
For this project, our customer engaged us to handle their process drying expansion while they focused on the logistics of their sudden growth, and we had just the answer: our Lodige Druvatherm Vacuum Drying Machine.
The System: A Lodige Druvatherm Vacuum Shovel Dryer
At project kick-off, the customer conveyed their three main objectives:
- Do more: Increase total process drying throughput by >30 percent within the same building space and drying operator headcount.
- Do better: Go beyond their current production capabilities in terms of product quality, consistency and functional benefits.
- Do it right: Take the time to engineer, test and tune a solution that will ensure a healthy payback.
Lodige Druvatherm Vacuum Shovel Dryer
After evaluating multiple cost and capacity scenarios, our joint teams landed on the ideal solution for the project:
- Install six Lodige Druvatherm Vacuum Shovel Dryers to replace an array of traditional pot dryers.
- Phase the installation so that new systems would slowly replace existing dryers, ensuring process continuity.
- Rely on the Druvatherm’s heating jacket and fluid-bed mixing to substantially improve drying consistency and time.
- Operate at moderate vacuum to keep drying temperatures and oxygen exposure at a minimum.
- Implement a mid-wash and full-wash cleaning protocol to guarantee no product contamination and ultimate food safety.
The Results: Ultra High-Grade Nutraceuticals With Unexpected Bioactivity
Banana fruit pulp, Kombu kelp seaweed extract and Maqui berry fruit extract were some of the first nutraceutical powders that the customer ran through our Druvatherm vacuum drying machines during commissioning, and every batch hit the required recipe specs right on the mark.
Throughout commissioning, the customer’s QA team was pleasantly surprised to find higher biomarkers than expected. For example, multiple products tested out with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phenol proportions much higher than the client’s specifications: a testament to our vacuum dryer’s low heat and gentle agitation capabilities.
Coupled with the dryer’s ability to pull down moisture to spec in about half of the time as the customer’s previous dryers, the project was deemed a resounding success.
Finding Your Nutraceutical Drying Opportunities
If you have your own nutraceutical drying process in need of improvement, we’d be happy to provide information and expertise to help. Reach out to us today.
