Pasta dryer will reduce energy use by 40% while maintaining quality, claims Bühler
The manufactuers of the Ecothermatik machine claim it reduces thermal energy by 40%, cooling energy by 20% and energy consumption by 10%.
Recirculated heat reduces thermal energy which, the company claims, accounts for around 2-3% of the total costs of long goods production, and can cut costs by 1%.
The company said the cooling energy was saved through thermal installations while energy consumption reductions were obtained through fan blades.
Profit boost
The cost reductions created by fuel savings could boost margins by as much as one-third, said the Switzerland-based company.
Juraj Bartanus, product manager at Bühler, told BakeryAndSnacks.com the dryer was launched this year at trade show Ipack Ima in Milan and is available worldwide.
“IPACK IMA is a show that takes place every three years only, so this was our opportunity to launch the Ecothermatik.
“All pasta producers worldwide will profit from this breakthrough innovation increasing their profit margins by a significant amount,” he said.
Bühler said the pasta is kept in a rubber state throughout the process, as opposed to a glassy state, which allowed proteins to coagulate and cross-link.
The automated dryers are available with 1,250 kilograms per hour (kg/h) and 1,750 kg/h capacity and pasta colour can be adjusted by selecting different temperatures.
Sustainable production
Bartanus said: “The key factor was to reduce energy consumption and to create a modern, clever design that is easy to maintain and servicing while maintaining at least the same pasta quality as with conventional dryers.”
He added it was as easy to integrate into an existing Buhler line as a conventional dryer.
