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Thermal Processing Solutions. Dryers, Ovens, Roasters, Toasters and Coolers.

2 Bühler Thermal Processing Solutions

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Sanitation is a priority with all Bühler food and feed dryers. All

dryer designs incorporate customer requirements for sanitation

and cleaning. Examples include full interior access for inspec-

tion, cleaning and maintenance; elimination of debris collection

points, fines management and clean-in-place systems.

Industrial Materials

In the processing of charcoal, polymers, synthetic rubber and

other industrial products, Bühler dryers feature heavy-duty,

robust construction capable of withstanding elevated tempera-

tures and harsh conditions. Special design requirements often

include precise conditions for airflow and temperature

uniformity, special grades of steel and surface finishes for

sanitation, or highly specific PLC based control systems for

moisture regulation and monitoring.

Thermal Processing Solutions for Customer Success.

Expertise in drying and other thermal processes ensures

a competitive edge for processors in a variety of markets.

Food

Bühler’s unique airflow system provides uniform heat and air

delivery for breakfast cereals, snacks, sugar-infused fruits, nuts,

potato products and other food products. Customer benefits

include maximum product quality, color and moisture content.

Energy savings is an additional benefit, thanks to the dryer’s

high thermal efficiency and balanced airflow design.

Petfood and Aquafeed

Bühler is a leading supplier of drying solutions for petfood and

aquafeed. Innovations include multiple-pass and sequentially

zoned dryers, advanced control systems and an oscillating

feeder that provides consistent bed loading for uniform product

moisture content.

Key Benefits of Bühler Drying Equipment

AeroDry Single-Pass Conveyor Dryer. Accommodating the widest range of materials, the single-pass dryer provides

gentle product handling, energy efficiency and long-term reliability.

AeroDry Multi-Pass Conveyor Dryer. Customers with limited floor space can double or triple their capacity with a

multi-pass dryer. Zoned temperature control and alternating airflow provide unmatched moisture uniformity.

AeroDry Multi-Stage Conveyor Dryer. High levels of process flexibility and product quality are possible with the multi-

stage dryer. Bed speed, product loading, zone temperature and airflow can all vary per stage to develop or retain desired

characteristics.

AeroDry Impingement Oven. Greatly reduced processing time in a small footprint defines air impingement technology.

High velocity air provides rapid, uniform moisture removal while developing color, consistency, texture and flavor.

AeroRoast Dry Roaster. Superior product quality, color and moisture content are the result of roasting on the Bühler

AeroRoast. Separately controlled roasting and cooling zones maximize efficiency while reducing energy usage.

AeroToast Fluid Bed Toaster. Enhanced product characteristics such as color, texture and size are possible with air

fluidization technology by Bühler. A variety of foods, as well as tobacco and some industrial products, benefit from this

high heat transfer process.

Bühler Thermal Processing Solutions 3

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Markets Technologies

AeroRoast AeroToast AeroExpander

AeroDry Conveyor Dryers Dry Fluid Bed Hot Air Pellet

Single-Pass Multi-Pass Multi-Stage Impingement Roaster Toaster Expander

RTE Cereal n n n n n

Snack Pellets n n n n

Snack Chips n n n n

Nuts n n nand Seeds

Fruits n n n

Vegetables n n n n

Food n n n n n nIngredients

Aquafeed n n n

Petfood n n n

Synthetic Fiber n n n n

Polymers n n nand Rubber

Chemicals n n n nand Catalyst

Biomass n n n

Minerals n n n

Tobacco n n n n


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Conveyor Drying, Roasting and Cooling.Flexibility for a wide range of products.

AeroDry™ and AeroRoast™ Dryers and Coolers

The core of Bühler’s dryer offering is the conveyor dryer. A

variety of styles and configurations are available for countless

types of food, feed and industrial materials.

- Single-pass dryers move the product through multiple tem-

perature zones on a conveyor bed. Gentle product handling

is ensured, as there are no turnovers or drops during drying.

- Multiple-pass dryers feature conveyor beds positioned one

above the other in order to maximize capacity in the least

amount of floor space.

- Multiple-stage dryers offer multiple speeds and temperature/

airflow conditions, assuring the product will be processed

within the optimum time and temperature range.

- The AeroRoast dry roaster features dual plenum technology

for unmatched uniformity. For smaller capacity lines, the Aer-

oRoast is available in an inline airflow configuration.

All dryer designs incorporate customer requirements for

sanitation and cleaning. Examples include full interior access or

inspection, cleaning and maintenance; elimination of debris col-

lection points, fines management and clean-in-place

systems.

Bühler’s commitment to providing value begins with a thorough

understanding of the customer’s product and unique drying

needs. This often entails product testing and thermal profile

development. Learnings here are carried out through the design,

engineering and construction of the dryer.

Easy In, Easy Out

Feeding the flow of product efficiently and accurately, as well as

proper discharge conveyance, are critical parts of a successful

operation. Bühler offers numerous options for different product

types. For example, drying systems can be integrated with

spout feeders, belt feeders and vibratory feeders, along with

infeed gate hoppers. Just as important, the product may need

to be mixed or divided during processing. In these cases, a

lump or product “breaker” or a rotary picker-and-rake assembly

can be customized for the product.


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Specialized Thermal Processes.Blending science, research and experience.

Impingement Ovens

High velocity air in the AeroDry impingement system acts upon

the surface layer of the product and brings internal moisture to

the surface for rapid, uniform removal. These systems can cut

processing time in half when baking, roasting or heat treating a

variety of products. They also require less floor space than

conventional ovens, which can be critical to processors seeking

greater capacity with minimal investment. Impingement

systems use proven airflow techniques to preserve a product’s

natural color, consistency, texture and flavor characteristics.

A wide range of product types can benefit from impingement

processing. This includes items that are individually transferred

and controlled such as snacks, pizza dough, cooked eggs and

convenience foods; and products in a sheet form such as pulp

fiber webs and composite building materials. Bühler drying

experts can configure impingement systems with a variety of

conveying platforms, each with carefully optimized airflow and

velocity appropriate to the product.

To arrive at the optimal configuration, Bühler partners with the

customer to test the product and understand its thermal

transfer and product handling characteristics. Bühler applies its

full processing expertise and attention to detail up front,

ensuring that the equipment operates at its highest efficiency

and lowest energy usage.

AeroToast™ Fluid Bed Toaster

The AeroToast processes products by gently separating,

agitating and surrounding them with air to achieve the right bal-

ance of heat transfer and moisture removal. This technology

delivers high-velocity air above the product to accelerate

toasting, drying and expansion. Applications include ready-to-

eat breakfast cereals, snack foods, aquafeed, polymers and

other particulate-type products. These applications all benefit

from high heat transfer. AeroToast is specifically designed to

provide tight control of air and heat conditions, resulting in

highly consistent color and texture in the finished product.

Bühler’s track record in toasting applications is well established,

thanks to partnerships with customer teams of product

marketing specialists, food scientists, operations engineers,

plant managers and top executives. Combining thermal

processing expertise with test data on a wide variety of

products, Bühler supplies customized systems perfectly

matched to the customer’s requirements.

AeroToast Fluid Bed Processor.High temperature fluid bed processing creates products with distinct texture and color.

AeroDry Impingement Oven.Impingement air jets across the entire internal area provide consistent air delivery to all product on the conveyor bed.


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AeroExpander™

Snack food marketers and processors are beginning to address

the growing demand for snacks that are “better for you.” Hot air

expanded snacks play a significant role in this sector. Bühler

understands that providing healthy snack choices takes

innovation – both in product ingredients and process methods.

Helping customers better serve their customers is what drove

Bühler to develop the AeroExpander.

The AeroExpander provides 100 percent expansion of pelleted

snack products using no oil. Instead of oil, snack food pellets

are expanded using energy-efficient recirculation of process air.

Eliminating the frying process has been shown to yield a savings

of 50 to 75% in operational costs while also producing a health-

ier, reduced fat snack.

Additionally, AeroExpander operates continuously rather than in

batch mode. This allows processors to scale-up production and

gain a position of market leadership.

Three sizes are offered to accommodate plant throughput

needs and space constraints. As the plant grows, AeroExpand-

er’s modular design allows for quick expansion and future

«With AeroExpander, customers are able to add a healthy alternative to their existing line of snacks, with low or no-fat.»

scalability. At any scale, the system delivers the same attention

to product quality. For instance, precise air circulation and

variable temperature controls, as well as a custom conveying

system, ensure precise dwell time and product uniformity. This

helps maximize productivity and maintain consistent quality,

even as process parameters change when a product evolves.

Every AeroExpander project receives the same commitment to

thermal processing excellence. Bühler engineers work closely

with the customer to determine the best design for conveying,

expanding and maintaining product properties.

Pelleted snack products before and after hot air expansion on the AeroExpander.


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Clean Processing and Food Safety.Industry leading innovations for peace of mind.

Sanitation and clean operations are considerations for many

processors. The Bühler Group leads the way with technology

that enhances food safety and sanitation, participating in

industry forums and technical working groups worldwide. Büh-

ler’s drying center is a major contributor to this effort,

providing guidance on both processing equipment and best

practices surrounding its use.

Every Bühler dryer incorporates sanitary design features from

the door and panel designs, to the type and grade of

components, to easy access for internal and external cleaning

– a simple but critical task for product safety. Cleaning devices

such as automatic rinse-in-place and clean-in-place systems

help maintain high levels of sanitation. Clean design also eases

maintenance operations, allowing customers to successfully

perform routine maintenance more quickly and cost-effectively.

Customers with existing dryers turn to Bühler’s Customer

Service group to provide safe, clean food through careful

inspection and maintenance of each component. Sanitation-

focused retrofits such as sanitary doors and spraywash systems

are also available.

In addition to its leading role in food safety forums and

equipment design, Bühler implements sanitary design practices

in its manufacturing, purchasing, shipping and installation

processes.

Safe, clean food.Since 1959, Bühler has supplied sanitary drying technology to the most demanding customers in the ready-to-eat cereal industry.

Superior accessibility.Full height access doors provide complete interior access for routine inspections, cleaning and maintenance.


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Processing power at your fingertips.AeroPro controls provide touch-screen access to dryer performance parameters and recipe lists.

AeroProTM Advanced Dryer Controls.Enhanced production and operating efficiency.

All thermal processing systems are not created equal. One

differentiator for a high-performing system can often be its

control system. Bühler pays great attention to detail inside the

software that governs each machine’s action and data

exchange.

Bühler maintains a dedicated team of electrical and control

engineers ready to customize the dryer automation solution to

the customer’s product and process. The ideal dryer control

package can range from a basic relay panel to various

centralized configurations of programmable automation

controllers and computer platforms.

AeroPro Advanced Dryer Control packages from Bühler help

customers operate at optimal performance, starting at the

machine level. For example, if a process is over-drying the

product, money and time are being wasted. Adding a

customized control package allows the dryer to consistently

perform at the specified level. Customers see immediate

improvements in product quality, energy usage and profitability.

AeroPro control systems offer many additional benefits:

Maximized Product Quality and Yield

An Evaporation Control function measures key process

variables during operation and modifies settings to ensure

consistently high quality product. This function is critical when

upstream process conditions change and the product entering

the equipment has variations in moisture, temperature and size.

Increased Energy Savings

Humidity Control and Energy Performance Monitoring can

improve the operating efficiency of the thermal processing

equipment. The Humidity Control System measures exhaust air

parameters, then modifies process settings to optimize exhaust

levels to suit the current evaporation load.

The Energy Performance feature is an information summary and

can signal an alarm to notify operators when energy efficiency

is out of range. Operators determine the best corrective action

based on the data provided.

Improved Equipment Utilization

Tracking the presence of the product and its location in the

thermal processing equipment is accomplished with the

Product Tracking system. This system is significant for

processors who conduct fast product changeovers during

continual operations. Tracking is also used to activate other

automatic controls for evaporation, humidity or energy saving

modes.


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Customer Services.Helping customers achieve their full potential.

Customer Service

Service is a commitment to complete customer satisfaction by

every department and employee. Bühler has drying center

offices and field service technicians in North and South

America, Europe, Asia and South Africa. In addition, the Bühler

Sales and Service organization is available at a moment’s notice,

with over 50 offices around the world. This enables Bühler to

support customers with technical assistance whenever and

wherever it is needed.

Because training is a critical element in a customer’s success,

Bühler offers worldwide technical seminars on drying theory

and dryer maintenance, as well as on-site training. Equipment

evaluations, spare parts, refurbishments and expansions are

available for all brands of conveyor dryers. New product

development and testing complete the Bühler portfolio of drying

related services.

Process and Mechanical Seminars

An understanding of the essential elements relating to the dry-

ing process gives customers the tools they need to improve

existing equipment, as well as make better operational and pur-

chasing decisions. Since 2002, Bühler drying experts have con-

ducted multi-day training seminars on drying theory and dryer

maintenance worldwide. Some 1,000 graduates from more

than 200 companies in food, feed and industrial market seg-

ments have put into practice their new knowledge for

greater plant performance and profitability. In addition, Bühler

Field Engineers have conducted customized on-site training

programs at over 200 customer sites around the globe.

Process Evaluations

Bühler was the first conveyor dryer manufacturer to provide its

customers with a dedicated process evaluation team. This

program formally began in 1998, and has grown every year as

customers partner with our engineers to improve their

equipment performance. Experienced Field Engineers evaluate

the performance of drying equipment from any supplier while

the dryer is in operation. Customers are then provided with a

detailed report including recommendations for improvement,

benefits and associated costs.


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Mechanical Evaluations, Expansions and Parts

Bühler Parts & Refurbishment Engineers apply their knowledge

in process technology and mechanical operation to help

customers dramatically improve capacity, productivity and

efficiency.

Upgrading a dryer through a retrofit, refurbishment or expansion

can be the optimal path to expand production with existing

equipment. Bühler engineers will provide a detailed mechanical

assessment to uncover areas of opportunity in energy savings,

product consistency and reduced maintenance.

Plant managers will be pleased to know that Bühler serves as a

one-stop supplier for dryer parts and accessories not only for its

own systems, but for those of many other dryer brands.

Single-source supply of spare parts makes Bühler a valued ally

to customers seeking to boost efficiency, product quality and

plant uptime.

Product Development & Testing

Bühler drying equipment specifications begin with product test

data. Our process and design engineers know the latest

thermal processing and equipment designs. But that’s not

enough. Only when we know your product’s unique character-

istics can we recommend the best equipment solution for dry-

ing, toasting, roasting or expansion. We have made significant

investment in the resources that allow confidential testing for

our customers. Our state-of-the-art drying technology center

features an interactive training and conference center and our

process engineering staff, with experience in a wide variety of

industries and products, ready to assist.

We continually put our equipment, product and process

experience to use in joint product development cycles with cus-

tomers. Testing a variety of recipes and thermal process meth-

ods in the drying test facility can help customers develop new

products to bring to market. This is exactly the kind of joint

development that has led to many highly successful new

product launches by plants who choose Bühler.


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Plant technology – from mechanical equipment and automation

controls to information systems – increasingly plays a role in

operational efficiency. Management initiatives are aimed at con-

tinuous improvements in plant performance. Capital investments

and resource allocations are based on operations that most

directly add value for the customer. As such, waste and ineffi-

ciencies are removed in all their forms to add maximum value.

This is especially applicable in a manufacturing environment.

Customers looking to improve their drying operations by opti-

mizing flow and increasing efficiency can turn to Bühler’s thermal

processing engineers. This team will ensure that the equipment

contributes to the customer’s initiatives to reduce waste and

enhance billable value. Some examples include:

- Customized designs for faster product changeover, increased

operating time, and fewer manpower requirements.

- Precise moisture uniformity that eliminates over-drying and

keeps utility costs low.

- Use of recirculated process air to reduce energy usage.

- High efficiency fan and drive motors for increased throughput,

energy efficiency, and long life.

- Accessible, sanitary design for quick and effective cleaning

and maintenance.

Of course, it’s not enough to plan energy savings, waste reduc-

tions and other plant improvements. Plant managers and

owners must justify their investments by establishing bench-

marks and systems to measure, track and document the

projected and real saving. For some customers, establishing

baselines and tracking improvements is a manual affair. For

large customers, our partnerships extend to include mechanical

as well as electrical engineers who can help customers imple-

ment fully integrated control strategies to provide access to

data for ongoing programs such as Overall Equipment

Effectiveness and the use of key performance indicators at all

levels of the organization.

Operational Efficiency.Added value from your drying operation.

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Maximizing your return on investment in Bühler’s thermal

processing technology is similar to the issue of sustainability.

Many factors contribute to the big picture and the bottom line.

For example, the accessibility of Bühler dryers provides easy

access for cleaning. This does more than promote sanitation

and food safety. It also speeds changeovers, reduces mainte-

nance downtime, enhances plant productivity and contributes

to more rapid payback. Likewise, precise control of airflow and

temperature inside the dryer improves product quality and

reduces waste. These features also contribute to the customer’s

bottom line. When existing drying systems are operated and

maintained in the proper manner, they will provide decades of

reliable, cost-effective operation for reduced total cost of own-

ership. Here, customers turn to Bühler for dryer-related services

and in-depth training programs.

At the start of each new project, Bühler seeks to fully under-

stand your product and application requirements. This eliminates

unwanted surprises in your drying operation that can compro-

mise schedules and threaten profitability. Proper design and

engineering results in systems that operate at their highest effi-

ciency with reduced energy usage. This is another important

source of payback that dovetails with environmental initiatives.

A high performing plant is only one aspect of success for a

Bühler customer. Our process systems are designed to produce

the highest quality products. For example, a new snack food

with unique color, texture and nutritional properties is a market

differentiator and ongoing source of profit for the customer. Our

partnership with plants – from the initial definition of needs to

training and participation in Lean Manufacturing initiatives –

helps our customers reduce costs and maximize profitability.

The resulting high-performance plants our customers operate

provide greater value to their own customers, supporting new

revenue growth in a competitive marketplace.

Bühler Drying Technology.A sustainable investment.

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Bühler Drying Solutions 15

The Bühler Group AdvantageBühler is a specialist and technology partner for plant and equipment and related services for processing basic foods and manufacturing highgrade materials. The Group is a global market leader in the supply of flour production plants, pasta and chocolate production lines, animal feed manufacturing installations, and aluminum die casting systems. The core technologies of the Group are in the field of mechanical and thermal process engineering. With its expertise and over 150 years of experience, Bühler time and again rolls out unique and innovative solutions for its customers, helping them achieve success in the marketplace. Over the decades, Bühler has come to be acknowledged as a reliable partner, thanks to its distinct commitment to quality and its global presence.

Buhler Aeroglide is the Group’s drying center of competence. This business unit strives to lead the industry with systems that excel in quality and food safety, while eliminating waste and maximizing value for our customers. Drying is an integral piece of a processing operation with many opportunities for innovation and savings. With each dryer supplied, Buhler Aeroglide is fully committed to adding value and delivering a return on capital investments – today and well into the future.

Buhler Aeroglide

100 Aeroglide Drive

Cary, NC 27511 USA

T +1 919 851 2000

F +1 919 851 6029

[email protected]

www.buhlergroup.com/drying

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