Fluidization is achieved when the solid materials display fluid-like behaviors, such as the ability to flow. As the temperature and pressure rises, evaporation occurs and moisture inside the materials becomes a gas and diffuses with the air. Dehydration can also occur if the materials are dried long enough. Read More…
Leading Manufacturers
Dürr Systems, Inc.
De Pere, WI | 920-336-5715Dürr is a leading global supplier of environmental solutions and engineered products tailored to meet customers' industrial process requirements. We offer a complete portfolio of air pollution control technologies and drying and curing systems, including industrial dryers and ovens for roll-to-roll processes, web forming processes and conveyor handling of webs, as well as specialized coating lines for lithium-ion battery electrode coating.

The CMM Group
De Pere, WI | 920-336-9800The CMM Group provides custom-designed industrial dryers and ovens for a wide range of applications in single or multi-zone configurations. The CMM Group designs and builds conveyorized curing, baking and drying ovens for automated production of small-to-medium sized products. Conveyorized roll support web dryers are available in horizontal or vertical tower design and can handle thin film to heavy gauge substrates, narrow to wide, slow or fast speeds.

CPM Wolverine Proctor LLC
Horsham, PA | 215-443-5200Over 100 years serving a host of process industries that fall under food, chemicals, tobacco, textiles & web processing. We meet every detail of your requirements for equipment & complete systems to dry, cool, bake, roast, toast, cure, laminate, sterilize, etc. The best prices, performance & productivity – individual retrofits to new production lines & turnkey install. Extensive dryer selection!

Swenson Technology, Inc.
Monee, IL | 708-587-2300Swenson Technology is a recognized leader in the manufacture of process equipment. Some of our equipment includes industrial dryers, gas dryers, air dryers, spray dryers, rotary dryers, flash dryers and fluid bed dryers. Call us today for quality process equipment.

Ventilex USA Inc.
Cincinnati, OH | 513-217-5830VENTILEX supplies a full line of drying technology for the mineral, food, chemical and biomass industries, including: fluid bed drying and cooling systems, continuous steam pasteurizers & sterilizers, and whole plant dehumidification systems. VENTILEX drying solutions are known worldwide for being energy efficient and robust. The gentle, reciprocating VENTILEX fluid bed dryer prevents product degradation while being one of the most energy efficient dryers on the market today.

Fluid bed dryers are used for small particles or materials that are sticky, temperature sensitive or fragile because fluidization can be reached at temperatures lower than the boiling point and is relatively gentle. The material should be relatively uniform in size, shape and moisture content to ensure that all particles are properly and completely dried.
Utilized in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, food and chemical industries for powders and agglomerates, fluid bed dryers are used with pesticides, detergents, pigments, milk powder, yeast, powdered flavorings and more. Depending on the application, the permeable plate can vibrate to achieve fluidization for certain materials while a circulating bed causes the particles to become suspended.
Fluid bed dryers are generally used for industrial-sized batches, and standard capacities contain loads from 30 to 25,000 pounds and range from 24 to 72 inches in diameter.
Fluid bed dryers are made from stainless steel and can be horizontally or vertically oriented depending on the space available. A large rounded tank or rectangular box with multiple intake and output valves contains the permeable surface and holds the materials. The supply hose for the gas is connected at the base of the tank because gas will rise once heated.
Pipes are fitted to transport the product into and out of the tank, and there may be multiple internal chambers in the tank. Once the material has entered the tank, the heated air is released. Heating panels or tubes immersed in the material can also contribute to the rising temperatures. The velocity of the air increases to a point where it exceeds the velocity of gravity of the particles and fluidization occurs.
The particles display fluid-like behavior and every piece of the material shakes and moves, allowing direct contact between the air and the complete outer surface of the material. This prevents clusters from forming and allows each particle to reach the same moisture content and level of dryness. Once fluidization is reached, the product is able to flow through the bed and exit the tank.
Continuous fluid bed dryers allow a constant stream of material to enter the tank as the dried product is removed. This process is much faster than drying material in batches, and some models of fluid bed dryers reach up 99% efficiency.