Conventional older-style spray nozzles collect deposits on the exit point of their caps and this product build-up, known as 'bearding', can cause a series of problems for spray drying plants.

Build-up may be due to dryer configuration, the use of wider spray angles or powder formulation, but it is most likely caused by the imperfect design of the nozzle.

One of the most significant problems caused by build-up and bearding is loss of time and profit. Halting production frequently to manually clean layers of debris from spray nozzles has a serious effect on the budget. Yet, this constant cleaning is necessary to prevent dried product build-up and maintain high-quality milk powder.

If older-style nozzles are still being used and regular cleaning doesn't occur, then bearding will block the air and liquid orifices and disturb the spray distribution. If the bearding is left too long between cleaning it will likely cause decreased flow and clogging – and downtime will be even longer while the nozzles are carefully cleaned.

Short runs times and low productivity can cost powder plants a lot of money. The working week becomes a cycle of working–stopping–cleaning and milk powder production suffers as much as the company budget does.

Good spray nozzles are not simple devices – they're expertly engineered precision instruments that must function optimally to be effective. Nozzles work at high pressure within explosive powder zones, and they need to deliver consistent powder results – via a code compliant system. Nozzle design and functionality must be rigorous and definitive.

Build-up and bearding occur due to deficient nozzle design. The older traditional nozzle designs simply don't perform well enough to maintain high production levels in powder plants. However, in recent years, engineers at one Australian company have been working hard to come up with a nozzle design that reduces bearding and significantly increases run times. - 

Spray Nozzle Engineering designed and manufactured a state-of-the-art spray nozzle that ticks both the boxes above. It not only reduces bearding and increases run times – at one site, run times were increased from 12 hours to 75 hours. This was a site record!

The Click&DryTM nozzle has a flat cap design that provides a lower outer face profile, which greatly reduces bearding. Studies in New Zealand showed that chambers using Click&Dry technology produced powders with 20% less build-up than any other spray nozzle. This sounds remarkable doesn't it? It is, and it was achieved by factors such as the low bearding cap and moving the O-ring into the wear part. This ingenuous engineering has been reflected in the ongoing success and global reputation of Spray Nozzle Engineering.

Click&Dry is not just a great product, there's also ongoing professional support available in the form of a team of engineers onsite that offers comprehensive assistance in the conversion from conventional radial seal caps to Click&Dry low bearding caps.  

Read more about spray drying nozzle technology