Criox rotary vacuum dryer / pulverizer

-        Bi-conical rotating drying chamber of CRIOX System allows total and continuous revolution of the mass to be dried and an extremely homogeneous mixing. The chamber rotation speed is adjustable - this permits to treat even products with weak bonds, without modifying their molecular structure.

-        All possible blocks inside the mass are crushed, and the lumps are broken by CRIOX System, permitting to obtain at the end of the process dry powders, with a controlled final particle size distribution, ready to be riddled and packed.

-        Application of CRIOX System minimizes times required to re-establish the line, wash, clean and inspect the plant and it permits to shift rapidly from a product campaign to another.

-        CRIOX® System is the only rotary double cone dryer currently on the market, equipped with electrically operated lump breakers. This is a crucial feature, as electric motor-driven lump breakers offer exclusive performance and benefits, including:

o   Rotating speed control

o   Scheduling of operating cycles

o   Constant torque with changing speed

o   Absorption control

o   Ventilated cooling

o   Moreover, electric lump breakers ensure:

o   Reliability and durability, also in heavy-duty

o   Low maintenance

-        Two sets of electric lump breaker blades inside the rotary chamber guarantee the best possible result, as it is an exclusive feature that drastically increases product surface exposed to evaporation and enhances system mixing effectiveness. Thanks to the chamber rotation, each lump-breaker set alternatively goes in and out the product, promoting self-cleaning when emerging.

-        Lump breakers significantly reduce drying time, assuring the lowest possible residual humidity. They also allow operation at lower processing temperatures, preventing downgrading of the most delicate thermo sensitive products.

-        The system can be used as an effective fast blender or homogenizer, as well as a granulator, limiting the subsequent use of the mill as much as possible.

Special filtering systems, installed directly inside the chamber, are available to cover all processing requirements: sintered metal or PTFE cartridge type filters suitable for trapping very fine powders, whose effectiveness during the process is ensured by an automatic nitrogen back-washing system.

From the experience acquired in the optimization of the drying process, Italvacuum suggests also the use of a heated external safety cyclone filter, designed to avoid pressure losses and condensation phenomena, for a complete protection of the vacuum line.

Another special development of "Italvacuum" company - special pneumatic loading / unloading systems, which are tightly fixed and have only one movable element for connection. This movable element can be equipped with a Clean Connex cleaning device, consisting of C.I.P. washing nozzle. and draining / drying unit, which flushes and dries up surfaces that come in contact with the product and are subject to contact with the environment after each loading / unloading of the product, and before shutdown.

For product loading a dryer-mounted batch drum loader is also available, consisting of a pneumatically-actuated moving device which connects the drum containing the batch to be processed to the CRIOX hopper.

The batch drum loader uses the double-cone rotation to bring the batch drum into the vertical position ready for subsequent loading. When in load position, the butterfly valve on dryer hopper is opened for pouring: the product is introduced by gravity.

In this way the batch to be processed does not come in contact with the surrounding work environment.

Concerning internal cleaning, thanks to the rotation of the drying chamber and the combined action of the lump-breaking units, only very few rinses, with small quantities of fluid, are necessary to achieve the p.p.m. values required by FDA standards to consider a plant as clean, hence reducing the quantity of wastewater to be disposed of. Furthermore, inside the chamber, a C.I.P. device can be applied, able to spray the washing fluid in all the directions. Thanks to this fast and complete internal cleaning, CRIOX System permits to rapidly shift from one product campaign to another.

With reference to internal parts removal, the lump-breaking units blades can be easily disassembled thanks to their small size. Beside, the filtering system can be dismounted from the outside by using a special key in stainless steel, without difficulty for the operator.

Internal inspection is facilitated by the opening manhole port lid and the loading hopper. Moreover, in order to perform the SWAB test, required by the FDA standards for the validation of the washing procedures, Italvacuum designed and patented a large hatch that permits to open completely the machine and to carry out all the required operations with extreme easiness and safety.

CRIOX® System is available from 55 to 12,000 liter capacity. Maximum loading depends on the type of product to be processed. Conversely minimum chamber loading capacity is unrestricted, since the action of the lump breaker units is effective even with a few liters of product.

For the parts in contact with the product, the standard version of CRIOX is made of stainless steel AISI 316L (1.4404), but on request it can be made of other weldable materials, such as ALLOY C-22 (2.4602) and AISI 904L (1.4539).

The particular shape of the CRIOX System allowed also to realize successful versions with internal coating made of particular fluorine-polymer materials, characterized by a high resistance against products containing extremely corrosive substances (acids and bases).

The success obtained by these executions led Italvacuum to realize other versions with enamelled drying chamber, in which the application of a special enamel, consisting of alkaline boron silicates, on the steel support, makes the CRIOX chemically inert inside.

For these specific versions, the blades of the lumpbreaking units are made of ALLOY C-22 (2.4602) or other materials compatible with the process.

In addition to CRIOX® rotary vacuum dryer, Italvacuum can also supply components to complete the system, appropriately dimensioned to meet every process requirement:

-        Saurus939 high vacuum pump

-        Vacuum condensation group for reduction of drying times and recovery of extracted solvents

-      Heated external safety cyclone filter, designed to avoid pressure losses and condensation phenomena, for a complete protection of the vacuum line

-        Heating and cooling group for system thermal regulation

-        PLC control board for total system management, equipped with software in compliance with the CFR 21 Part 11 standard, that guarantees the reproducibility of dried batches and can interface with centralized control systems.