Switching To Microwave Processing Has Six Distinct Advantages

Since the beginning of industrial thermal processing more than a century ago, indirect heating methods have been indispensable in many respects. However, more and more companies are turning to industrial microwave technology to either replace or complement the secondary drying capabilities of their already existing equipment. This allows the producers to enjoy a variety of benefits. No matter what kind of dryers you use—fluid bed, rotary, spray, tunnel, freeze, or flash—it is important to investigate the use of direct heating with microwave dryers in order to acquire the following significant competitive advantages:

1. Reduced waiting times for processing

2. Production of a higher grade

3. The capability to produce objectives that are just not attainable with indirect heating procedures

4.A more manageable footprint and a more secure working environment

5.A decrease in the amount of material lost

6. Adaptability across a wide range of applications

This article delves deeper into each of these advantages of microwave technology and contrasts them with alternative methods.

Quicker Processing Speeds

Since microwave technology relies on direct heating, it can shorten the amount of time needed to complete a variety of different processing tasks by a significant amount. When a substance is heated directly, rather than receiving heat indirectly through the heat of its surroundings, it receives heat directly from within itself. Direct heating is often more cost-effective than indirect heating since there is no loss of heat energy through heat transfer surfaces or in the air or fluid around the items being heated.  

When compared to freeze drying, the processing times offered by microwaves can be up to a hundred times faster in certain applications, while maintaining or even improving output quality. Freeze drying is a technique that is often used in the food manufacturing industry since it maintains the colour, flavour, and nutritional value of the food. However, in comparison to other methods, freeze drying demands a greater time and labour investment on the part of the user. The drying process using a microwave can give results that are equally as spectacular but require a significantly shorter amount of time to process.

Quality of Output That Is Much Better

Those that do not already use freeze drying as part of their drying process may find that the efficiency of microwave thermal processing represents a substantial improvement over what they are already doing. A microwave can bring food up to temperatures that are exceedingly precise for a variety of reasons.

To begin, the material is heated directly by microwaves, which is the best method for achieving an accurate temperature. In a manner analogous to this, temperature sensors provide the operator with full control over the working environment by detecting the temperature of the substance that is being heated as opposed to the temperature of the air in the surrounding area.

Second, the use of microwave heating enables a quicker response to any changes that may occur. When utilising a microwave, temperature changes can take place almost instantaneously, in contrast to the slow heating and cooling that is required when using an oven. Depending on the needs of the process at hand, the amount of electricity that is consumed may be varied continuously. It is possible to make immediate adjustments in the event that the temperature falls outside of the acceptable range.

Last but not least, the combination of agitation technology and a microwave delivers the best of both worlds by ensuring that the heated batch of materials are uniformly heated throughout the whole batch. It is feasible to produce extraordinarily balanced heat dispersion by producing a fluidized bed of material inside the thermal processor. This can be done even with very large batches of the product being processed.  

The microwave enables the production of high-quality outcomes that are consistent and predictable. In addition to precision control and direct heating, the microwave necessitates the use of constant agitation. Recent advances in technology have not only provided further benefits, but they have also produced those benefits through the application of vacuum technology in microwave processing, which will be addressed in the following section.  

Proficiency In Handling Specialised Materials

Recent developments in microwave technology have made it possible to combine agitation, hoover and microwaves to create a highly consistent, highly regulated process that has been successfully applied to the thermal processing of specific materials. Temperature-sensitive foods and food additives, hemp, calcium carbonate, cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), carbon black, hemp oil, and even some kinds of metal powders have all found applications.  

Vacuum and microwave technology work together to lower sensitive materials' boiling points. It has shown to be feasible to heat and dry materials that were previously thought to be too sensitive for industrial thermal processing in bulk, including several of the materials mentioned above as well as other medicinal and chemical uses. Furthermore, low-moisture drying of food and nutritional supplement preparation has been made possible by the vacuum technology without sacrificing the materials' vital colour, flavour, or nutritional content. Manufacturers who use heat-sensitive materials or formulations that need to be heated precisely ought to take this technology into consideration right now.  

A Safer Working Environment And A Smaller Footprint

Industrial microwave technology typically has a more condensed space requirement when compared to other forms of thermal processing equipment, such as dryers and other devices that employ indirect or external heating. In contrast to other types of heating technologies, microwaves do not overheat or produce an excessive amount of radiant heat in the region directly surrounding them. Because of this, there is no need to be concerned about the safety of microwave technology when it is placed in close proximity to other processing equipment. In a similar vein, maintenance workers and operators are able to be in close proximity to the machinery without risk.  

Decreased Material Loss

A wide number of factors can contribute to the disappearance of material. Attempting to raise the temperature by a few degrees in order to speed up the component processing can often be all that is required to reduce the amount of time required to complete a batch. In other instances, the material loss may have been avoided if the operating temperatures had been more consistent. This would have prevented the improper processing of some of the material. Indirect heating methods also make it difficult, if not impossible, to maintain an accurate temperature control, as was just mentioned. Microwave technologies get around all of these problems since they transmit heat directly to the target, and as a result, their results are highly constant.

Adaptability In A Variety Of Uses

The vast majority of large manufacturers in today's market are concerned about the degree to which their manufacturing equipment is adaptable to the demands of a variety of applications. The thermal processing equipment, which has a long lifespan, should be able to accommodate newly created materials given its longevity. In industries such as food and pharmaceuticals, applications change on a regular basis; hence, it is essential to purchase machinery that is capable of adapting to these changes as the business adopts newer materials.

In most cases, a microwave thermal processing system can be used for many various sorts of applications with only a few small tweaks required. The microwave is an effective tool for a variety of processes, including heating, drying at low temperatures and low moisture, removing solvents, and lowering the number of microorganisms. Because of how intuitive and simple to use the technology is, it may be implemented in a wide variety of contexts, such as within the same factory or production line. When adopting microwave technology, the guarantee that the machinery can easily be updated to handle new materials maintains the manufacturing line competitive in fluctuating markets.

In Summary

The use of industrial microwave technology for thermal processing can be beneficial to a wide variety of applications in the production of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, foods, and packaged goods. These applications can all benefit from the technology. Costs can be reduced, product quality can be enhanced, and workplace safety can be enhanced when thermal processing equipment that already exists in a manufacturing facility is upgraded or supplemented with microwaves.  

If you want to figure out whether or not microwave technology is right for you, one of the simplest methods to do it is to test out some sample applications. In order to deliver results with your materials, Lantai Microwave Processing Solutions maintains a test facility that is the most advanced and well-stocked in the business.