The requirements of both milk powder plant operators and that of their customers and auditors has seen an increased scrutiny of milk powder and infant formula plant, production and process, which in many cases has seen the need for higher levels of good manufacturing practice (GMP) surrounding the equipment that makes direct contact with the finished product in regards to cleaning, increased hygiene and design requirements of both plant and equipment that can directly affect both operation and safety, but also the quality of the milk powder itself.
One company has led the innovation field with spray dry nozzle technology that both addresses and delivers results in all these areas globally.
One of the most critical parts of the spray dried powder production process is the spray dry nozzle system Itself, a critical element to powder quality and safety, due to the fact that the nozzles work at high pressure within an explosive powder zone, and therefore needs to deliver consistent powder results, via a code compliant and suitable system, with lower risk outcomes.
Not all spray dry nozzles are the same, many differ in respect design criteria and fit for purpose, either to code or operational requirements; it may be that in your current process, that some nozzles may not match or be designed for the product and application, or designed in such a way, as to make It difficult nor straight forward for operators to assemble or strip correctly, without damage to internal components or critical sealing systems.
Some nozzles may also have the internal and external design features that do not deliver the required powder quality and safety outcomes in relation to reducing build-up where they are used in very sticky, viscous or high fat concentrates that naturally tend to adhere to certain nozzle cap surfaces, due to their design and condition.
In reality, incorrectly selected or older design spray dry nozzle technology could be costing both the plant and its customers more than they think. Powder quality is directly related to spray dry nozzle design and function.
Such issues are varied, easily identifiable, however many are not, including such concerns as nozzles that are hard to clean, which could mean unwanted hygiene outcomes or even residual long run outer nozzle cap build up, also referred to as bearding, a major product contaminant and downgrade issue, but also a potential fire risk if not recognised in time. Not to mention possible batch contamination.
Other factors include assembly design such as finer thread forms or stainless grades that are prone to thread damage easily and therefore require replacement regularly, or the intervention of industrial thread assembly chemicals to prevent cross threading or thread binding.
Other considerations include such problems as internal wear part component damage, where internal replaceable wear parts such as discs and swirls can suffer from premature impact destruction during assembly, operation and cleaning, and even dis-assembly, especially if the nozzle internal design allows an assembly process that cannot be safely repeated, due in part to difficult assembly from an inherent nozzle design suitability.
As discussed, the actual final powder quality that the plant and possibly that the customer will see, can be affected by such issues as scorched particles or other contaminants, that may also be related to the external spray dry nozzle cap design, where critical negative safety and quality outcomes may result due to problems with product build-up (bearding) and even burnt liquid inside the cap chamber, or again, on outer edges or near threads, which all begin to become a major problem, especially if such incorrect, or unsuitable spray dry nozzles are used repeatedly, or are subject to much longer run.
The Click&DryTM Compact spray dry nozzle series by Spray Nozzle Engineering has made cleaning and better hygiene outcomes easier, safer and requiring less time required by operators in the cleaning process. Designed with improved cleaning and maintenance in mind, its smoother improved hygiene flow path and inner cap chamber technology, all Click&DryTM nozzle caps don’t use o-ring sealing grooves in the cap, thanks to the Push Fit CCT (concentric clasp technology), a system allowing wear part alignment within the nozzle cap, that improves spray quality, and allows better spray outcomes on the cap external face, assisting in longer runs and cleaning outcomes.
Hygiene is improved with a totally smooth and easy to clean cap chamber and flow path design, making rinsing and cleaning after long product runs, on more sticky products faster and easier. The fact that the Click&DryTM spray dry nozzle system does not have internal o-ring grooves in the cap assembly, means that they have the lowest outer cap profile of any nozzle designed for powder production. This means better outcomes for users looking for low bearding or low product build up on their nozzle caps or face. With this feature, spray drying plants can run longer, even with fat-filled or additive rich concentrates that may assist in adhesion or build up, which also equates to reduced fire risk and improved powder quality outcomes, saving time, money and increasing safety within the drying zone.
Click&DryTM also offers as standard the ultimate long-life body thread system, a feature making the Click&Dry spray dry nozzle system one of the safest, easiest to disassemble, clean and re-assemble systems, without thread damage or the need to use chemical thread anti-seize or lubricants, a major plus for both infant formula and pharma grade powders and products. The material and thread design used on all full versions of Spray Nozzle Engineerings Click&Dry nozzle systems, also comes with their standard three-year hardware parts longevity warranty, a first In the industry and added peace of mind and a major safety and cost-saving bonus for spray dryers today. Click&Dry is the world’s first full axial seal system, eliminating problematic radial body seals that can be pinched or fractured during the assembly process. The axial seal system on Click&Dry means safer assembly with no chemical assistance like lubrication, which means less contamination, easier cleaning and ability to run at higher pressures If required.
No matter what the spray nozzle dryer type or size, lance configuration, or products being dried, Spray Nozzle Engineering has one basic nozzle body architecture, that can take every cap and wear part retention system in the range, from Its entry level to its latest clasp technology for improved spray performance, increased powder quality and reduction in wear part consumption and for faster and easier cleaning, making it better for turnaround times and a better cleaning process.
If you have an existing system using conventional radial sealing technology, mated to conventional nozzle caps, you can try Spray Nozzle Engineering’s Click&Dry spray dry nozzles, with a simple conversion cap called Click&Dry Conversion Series. Designed to screw into many popular weld body types capable of accepting the cap, the Conversion Series is a quick, convenient no-weld low-cost way to get all the benefits of the Click&Dry spray dry nozzle system, without expensive welding or downtime, simply pick the model you wish to use, match the swirl and disc size, screw it in and away you go, giving you the easiest spray dry nozzle system to clean and operate on the market today.
If heavy product adhesion is a problem, the Click&Dry can be ordered with optional screw clasp technology, giving you easy removal without wear part breakage, which means major operational cost savings. By using the threaded option, in extreme adhesion applications, the nozzles are easier to disassemble without the need for impact or force on the Internal wear parts, assisting is easier and quicker nozzle strip down, further assisting cleaning teams.
Cleaning issues can also extend into the chamber and vibrating fluid bed itself, as a result of poor nozzle outcomes or use of nozzles not able to take an inline check valve anti-drip system. Click&Dry spray dry nozzles can now be ordered with Spray Nozzle Engineerings’ unique Drip-Pro anti-drip nozzle check valve system.
Designed to run with high solids and long run concentrates, Drip Pro is now used on dryers worldwide on all powder types. Easy to insert, easy to clean and with a patented replaceable sealing surface, this simple device stops post-shutdown drips into VFB well mix areas and can assist in reducing contamination and extra cleaning required, where water is dripping into chambers and beds but not evaporating but instead making contact with the residual powder. They are also perfect and used widely for dry clean-in-place (CIP) system dryers.
Spray Nozzle Engineering has perfected a better spray dry nozzle over a decade of testing, to address all areas of performance including easier cleaning, productivity, powder quality, faster change-outs and long-term cost savings. As a result, Spray Nozzle Engineering now offers an industry first guarantee of one-year wear part wear, two-year wear part breakages and two-year thread galling on the compact nozzles.
Let Spray Nozzle Engineering show you better, safer, more hygienic and lower cost spray drying. Contact the company using the enquiry form on this page or visit its websites spraynozzle.com and spraydrynozzle.com to find out more.
