Belt dryers for the gelatin industry

Gelatin is mainly used in the food industry, pharmaceutical products or used as an industrial application.

• Extruder or votator to transform gelatin from liquid to solid state
• Chiller with buffer tank and pump for the votator
• Belt dryer to dry gelatin to 10 to 12% moisture content
• Milling and grinding dry gelatin
• Metal detection systems for dry gelatin
• Dehumidifier for supplying cold, dry and bacteria free air to the belt dryer
• Hot water system to maximize the belt dryer output
• Heat pump system to minimize the total energy consumption
• PLC control and automation systems including visualization or SCADA systems

As gelatin is very bacteria sensitive the belt dryer is designed as hygienic as possible. Perforated plate segments can be cleaned using water. The dirty water can be drained through a gutter which will be integrated in the concrete floor of the dryer.

The air used for the gelatin drying process needs to be filtered, cleaned and dehumidified first, our liquid desiccant dehumidifier is a perfect solution for these process steps (see dehumidification with a salt solution). Dehumidified air passes the gelatin layer in a downstream and upstream flow in order to dry the gelatin with a maximum uniformity.

By continuously controlling the airflow, temperature and humidity during the gelatin drying process the product output capacity will be maximized and the energy consumption will be minimized.

Milling and Grinding dry gelatin

At the end of the belt dryer the dry gelatin will be grinded into large pieces. The rough grinder is integrated in the drive frame of the gelatin dryer. These pieces of 10 to 20 mm. are transported to one side of the belt dryer using a vibrating chute.

With an additional fine grinder, the coarse gelatin is milled dust-free and in free-flowing qualities. Grinding process fineness values are common between the 8 and 40 µm. After milling the dry gelatin powder is distributed to the blending department using a pneumatic transport system.

Metal detection

Our gelatin drying lines can be implemented with a free fall metal detection system. This free-fall metal detection systems benefit from a very high sensitivity for the detection of all types of metal. Our powder metal detectors are designed with a range of high-speed reject mechanisms to remove metal-contaminated products from the manufacturing process.

The Tema Process air dehumidifiers have been developed for cooling, dehumidification and microbiological decontamination of industrial process air. These reliable systems ensure a constant humidity and constant air temperature throughout the year, regardless of outside air conditions or fluctuations in the indoor climate. Dehumidification as low as 15% relative humidity can be reached at low temperatures (-20 to +40°C).

The Tema Process dehumidifier is using a Lithium Chloride salt solution as absorbent. Lithium Chloride is a very strong salt and has an equilibrium curve which closely follows the relative humidity curve of air. The process air will enter the countercurrent dehumidifier and will be dehumidified or humidified in order to maintain this equilibrium. In other words the sprayed salt concentration will control the outlet air relative humidity. By cooling the salt solution before spraying we are able to cool down the air temperature. In this way air temperature and air humidity are both controlled in the same system but can be adjusted independently.

As moisture is continuously absorbed by the salt solution inside the dehumidifier, it becomes diluted and slowly loses drying capacity. To evaporate this surplus of moisture the absorbent is pumped to the regenerator unit. Here the process is turned around, so by heating up the salt solution, moisture is released to an outside air stream and exhausted. The salt solution is continuously pumped between the units in order to provide precise conditions to the process.

Lithium Chloride is a chemically stable, non-toxic, non-vaporizing salt solution which acts as a biocide to mold, bacteria and micro-organisms. Beyond its physical desiccant nature Lithium Chloride is also an effective antifreeze.

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One of the key advantages of the TEMA belt dryer is the possibility to run on a hot water system instead of steam. As our belt dryer is using multiple drying zones which are all equipped with their own heating coil it’s easy to reheat the cooled down and saturated air again. The approach temperature between water and the desired air temperature is designed as small as possible. This kind of heating will result in a more accurate temperature control and helps achieving a uniform air temperature inside the whole drying zone.

Big advantage of such an accurate air control system is that you prevent wet gelatin spots. These spots can occur when certain areas are drying slower because of a lower air temperature for example. It can also create case hardening when the gelatin dries too fast and air temperatures are too high. This means the outside layer is already completely dried out but inside the gelatin is still wet. The outside layer will form a shell and water is not able to migrate to the outside anymore.

Extra benefit because of using this lower temperatures is less heat loss and therefore an energetically better system. To optimize the temperature control even more we can install a water injection system on every heating coil. By doing this we create a constant waterflow over the coils and vary the water temperature.

To heat up the hot water system multiple installations can be used: steam, gas fired or thermal oil if available. From an energy point of view it’s very interesting to use an electrical heat pump system.

The additional “free” chilled water from the heat pump can be used for the dehumidifier.

Gain a comprehensive understanding of our diverse product range through our detailed technical sheets. Available in multiple languages, these sheets offer key insights to inform your decisions.

Enhance your knowledge with images included in our sheets that help elucidate the processes and their applications, making it easier for you to visualize and grasp the practical aspects of our products.