Traditional spray nozzle technology has a number of problems that reduce production efficiency. These include low quality powder and powder consistency, bearding, sub-standard hygiene, maintenance wear and tear, and safety.

One of the most troubling issues with traditional spray drying powder has been low-quality powder and powder consistency.

While build-up may be caused by other issues such as dryer configuration, wider spray angles and powder formulation, in many cases the problem stems from sub-optimal nozzle design. This causes product build-up to drip onto the chamber, which then becomes scorched particle deposits that impact powder quality. But the Click&DryTM flat cap design solves this problem by providing a lower outer-face profile that substantially reduces the build-up of product in spray dryers.

Studies in New Zealand demonstrated that spray drying chambers using the Click&Dry system produce powders with 20% less build-up than any other spray dry nozzle. This impressive result was achieved by moving the nozzle o-rings into the disc orifice – which solves the problem of misalignment between the swirl chamber and the orifice. It goes without saying that this Click&Dry design innovation doesn’t only alleviate the all-too-common problem of build-up found in conventional nozzle designs, but it increases powder production as well.

Traditional nozzle designs contain misalignments between the swirl chamber and the orifice. These decentralised parts create inconsistent spray drying performance and affect the powder quality through all drying operations. Click&Dry’s unique concentric clasp technology eliminates this problem by increasing spray performance through aligning nozzle wear parts to produce a uniform spray pattern across all lance sets. The result is better powder flow consistency with uniform and predictable results.

Another issue with conventional nozzle designs is bearding. Usually caused by deficient design, nozzle bearding results in low productivity because powder production is continually interrupted by unscheduled cleaning. Hence, maintenance costs are increased, run times are shorter and productivity is reduced.

Click&Dry has eliminated this problem with its flat cap design. Its state-of-the-art lower outer-face profile substantially minimises nozzle bearding. As a result, fewer dryers shut down for cleaning, reducing maintenance costs and increasing powder production.

Maintaining high-quality hygiene standards in commercial plants is another problem posed by older model nozzle designs. Cleaning these spray nozzles can be difficult due to the o-ring groove inside the cap, which leaves tight spaces and corners out of reach. Accessing these spaces for cleaning can be difficult, and this means contaminants often remain inside the spray nozzle.

By contrast, Click&Dry caps are designed for easy cleaning. With a smooth internal profile, spray drying plants can maintain high levels of hygiene with comfort and ease.

Production costs are a constant challenge for commercial spray dryer plants. Disassembling baked spray dryer nozzles often constitutes a maintenance challenge, which may require impact tools, such as hammers, and this can lead to breakage and wear. The problem is worsened by the fine thread systems of many traditional sprayers. They are often too delicate to withstand routine impact damage. Moreover, unprotected sealing faces can be easily damaged during handling, and this then may require cutting and re-welding nozzle bodies.

The Click&Dry disassembly procedure doesn’t require impact tools that may hit wear parts. Hence, breakage is minimised and operating costs are reduced. Click&Dry spray dryer nozzles are designed with heavy duty threads with a special form that is highly resistant to normal impact damage during lance handling. The nozzles also come with a seal face protection skirt. This robust cap protection skirt is designed for protection against o-ring seal groove damage.

Of course, safety issues are always of paramount concern to commercial spray drying plants, and conventional radial seal systems can suffer from o-ring drag and tearing during assembly. This can compromise critical sealing and pose a safety hazard.

The Click&Dry Spray Dry Axial Seal design features an o-ring design that can only reach the sealing face when the cap is fully engaged to the body. This means no dragging and tearing during assembly and less risk of leakage, which improves commercial plant worker safety.

Click&Dry’s leading-edge improvements to spray dryer nozzle technology lower maintenance costs, boost production efficiency and profitability, improve worker safety and raise hygiene standards. These outcomes produce higher-functioning commercial plants that operate at optimal levels with outstanding improvements to their bottom lines.

Read more about spray drying nozzle technology