The FILTERMAT
® dryer is ideal for drying products that are difficult to spray dry because of their carbohydrate composition or high fat content. It is particularly useful for drying difficult ‘hydrolysed proteins’ such as hydrolysed yeast, or hydrolysed fish or vegetable proteins and any sticky, hygroscopic, thermoplastic and slowly-crystallising product.
The FILTERMAT
® uses a low temperature to prevent product damage and combines a nozzle tower dryer with a built-in conveyor belt. The part-dried powder spends several minutes on the belt allowing it to stabilise and dry slowly and cool properly before discharge. This produces a product of exceptionally high quality.
The system is deceptively simple yet effective. The liquid feed concentrate is sprayed downwards with the drying air in the first stage. The resulting agglomerated, porous powder accumulates on the belt for the second drying stage. The drying continues through two more stages as the belt moves through the dryer. The final stage cools the product prior to discharge.
FILTERMAT
® dryers are used extensively in the food industry for producing high quality dairy products, flour mixes, dried fruit and vegetables, dried lard or butter, carbohydrates, and extracts. It is renowned for making instant coffee that looks and tastes like freeze dried.