Drying system for the food industry

With over 100 years in the industry, a single German company is one of the biggest, global system manufacturers to produce fully automatic machinery for flat and hollow food production. Having previously specified halogen heaters for their drying system, risk analysis carried out by the customers engineers concluded they weren’t safe in a food production environment. Considering suitable alternatives – and regarding ceramic a safer, more structurally-sound choice – the team collaborated with Friedr. Freek to identify the right ceramic elements for their requirements. Opting for Ceramicx 1000W, square flat solid elements (SFSE), these perfectly suited the application. With heavy involvement from the team at Friedr. Freek, together with their own experience in machinery design, our client produced a full concept drawing for an additional system part. Our in-house team then produced detailed manufacturing drawings ready for approval before work commenced. The system had several custom design requests, including a non-standard, smaller frame, lighter grade steel to reduce the system’s overall weight, and an open back for airflow when in use. And for reliable power distribution, busbars were also used to reduce the risk of electrical burnout. Their inclusion also eliminated the use of fibreglass insulated cable, which the client doesn’t allow in their food production machinery in case of contamination.