Types of Drum Drying in Food Processing
A drum dryer is a rotating cylinder that is heated on the inside with steam. The heat transfers from the drum surface to the wet material causing the moisture to evaporate, as the drum rotates. The product being continuously applied passes over the drums surface to dry to the desired temperature. A roll cleaning blade or scraper knife is used to flake/scrape the dried layer from the drums surface. Let’s explore the two main types and styles of drum dryers commonly found in food processing
Single Drum Dryer
Single drum dryers have one rotating cylinder or drum. The food product is applied to the drum surface and dries as it rotates. A scraper, knife, flaker, or roll cleaning blade removes the dried product from the drum’s surface. Single drum dryers are used for food materials with high viscosity or thickness.
Double Drum Dryer
Just as the name implies, double drum dryers have two cylinders or drums that rotate in opposite directions. The food product is applied between the drums through what is called a nip. The nip is simply the space between the two rotating drums. Double drum dryers offer high drying efficiency, film thickness, and have ability to handle a wide range of materials.
KADANT'S ROLE
During the drum drying process, a roll cleaning blade, scraper, knife, or flaker blade is used to remove the food product evenly and hygienically from the entire surface of the drum dryer. Drum drying becomes less efficient if the blade systems do not remove the dried product due to uneven pressures and ineffective blade materials. To solve this, Kadant supplies the unique AccuFlake™ PRO blade holder and ProFlake™ roll cleaning blade designed specifically for drum dryer applications. Both products are HACCP International food safe certified. To learn more about the AccuFlake PRO blade holder and ProFlake roll cleaning blade, check out the article, “Revolutionizing Food Processing with Advanced Drum Drying Solutions.”
Single and double drum dryers are the most commonly used in food processing for drying a variety of food materials such as fruits, vegetables, and grains. Other types of drum dryers include vacuum, steam-heated, direct-fired, and rotary. To learn more about foods produced with drum drying read the article, “What Foods Are Processed with Drum Dryers.”
