GEA pasta pre-dryer improves efficiency and lowers operating costs
The New Generation Pre-Dryer for pasta processing from GEA. Source: GEA
GEA’s first stage pasta dryer, the New Generation Pre-Dryer, has been redesigned to help food makers reduce costs and improve efficiency in production plants.
In redesigning the new pre-dryer, GEA said it has focused on simplicity and practicality. This approach has improved accessibility to reduce cleaning time and maintenance costs, and has improved the efficiency of the process using CFD simulation (computational fluid dynamics) for ensuring high productivity and product quality.
In simplifying the design, GEA has reduced the number of the shelves, which transport the pasta from the inlet to the outlet of the machine by vibration, from nine to three. This significantly increases drying efficiency. The shelves can be removed and replaced more easily for faster, more efficient cleaning. The new design has also significantly increased the machine performances: for a production level of 2000 kg/h, drying time and product spillage have been sensitively reduced.
The new ‘Down-Top’ ventilation concept, with “optimised counter-current heating” of the product, is highly efficient and helps to ensure a high-quality product by maximising air/product interaction. Thanks to this new drying configuration, the ventilation motors have been located outside the drying chamber where they are not exposed to extremes of heat. This helps to reduce costs and ensures that they can be removed for servicing more easily.
GEA has also used a modular design for the new GEA Pre-Dryer. This means it can be easily adapted to manage different production capacities with the option to couple two machines in parallel if required. The new GEA Pre-Dryer has also a more compact design compared to its predecessors and can be easily adapted to fit into existing lines.
This new machine has been developed by combining many years of technological GEA experience with a fundamental understanding of customers’ needs. It’s all stainless steel construction provides both strength and improved hygiene. It is more efficient, easier to set up and maintain, more durable over time, and more versatile than any of its predecessors, GEA said.
