Many customers asked the differences between home freeze dryers and commercial freeze dryers. Especially when they try to select one small freeze drying machine, to start their business, they found the prices are big different. It is true, that professional commercial freeze dryers’ prices are times higher than home units. Actually, there are many differences between.
Differences
1, Capacity
One of the obvious differences between home freeze dryer and commercial freeze dryer is the capacity. Home freeze dryer capacity <5kgs, commercial units can be tons.
2, Functions
For home freeze dryers, users are not professional as specialists. So, the easier to use, the better. Typically, a home freeze dryer machine has 2 buttons (1 for freeze dryer, 1 for vacuum pump). After frozen products loaded, click the 2 buttons one by one, the drying process will start.
On opposite, commercial freeze dryer are complex, whatever the hardware config or software functions. Here list some:
- Freezing and heating shelves: The plates where raw material and trays placed, should capable of freeze the raw product and later heat them to speed up the drying.
Chamber pressure and temp. control: Enable set shelves temp. and max allowable temp. variance, enable set pressure ranges for both 1st and 2nd drying stage.
Freeze drying recipes management: For each product, user can set its exclusive freeze drying steps, each step can individual set drying temperature and lasting hours. And the recipes system can storage thousands of different recipes.
Freeze drying data management: For each freeze drying cycle, the data that temperature sensors and vacuum probes detected (from start to end, record every 30s). Automatic store in an excel file, and downloadable.
3, Drying Time
Home freeze dryer need 2~3 days, commercial units <24hrs.
4, Drying Quality
For sure, products dried by commercial freeze dryer have a better quality. The reason is very simple, commercial units can precisely control the sublimation temperature and vacuum pressure, which potentially influence the freeze dried product quality.
5, Cost of Freeze Dryer
Home freeze dryer is very cheap, mostly less than 2K. Commercial lyophilizers are very expensive, it can be tens thousands of dollars. But anyway, home freeze dryers and commercial units are uncomparable. Because the key points that user groups care totally different.
6, Structure
Home freeze dryer can satisfy basic freeze drying needs, on small volumes basis. Commercial large volume freeze dryers consider more of machines’ efficiency, like batch duration, labor cost, reproductivity and fully controlled production.
Home Freeze Dryer Structure
Commercial Freeze Dryer Structure
Considers
If you are freeze dried food shop owner, absolutely, you can parallel several sets home freeze dryers. It is economic and can satisfy your requirement.
If you are representing a factory, a commercial freeze dryer is strongly recommended. Even one commercial unit cost you times more money than a home one (Speak of the same capacity machine). But it will help you in future:
- Above analyzes, home freeze dryer, from structure to functions are totally different from commercial units. So, once your business expands, need an industrial freeze dry system. All the data you got from the commercial unit (e.g. freeze drying recipes), can directly transfer to your new industrial freeze dryer (Since their controller/functions are similar), include your operation habit.
- But if you are using a home freeze dryer previous, you are still a fresh hand when use an industrial machine. And face the possibility of huge lose (electric, raw material and labor), due to unfamiliar operations of the machine.
Options and Customization
- CIP, SIP.
- Backups for compressor, vacuum pump, fluid circulating pump.
- Drying chamber air filter.
- Pneumatically chamber door lock.
- Shelves spacing changeover.
- Dry vacuum pumps.
- SCADA control package.
- Documents and validation package.
- Lyophilizer in site install and debug service.
Vikumer as one of the most influential lyophilizer manufacturers in China, we can satisfy any of your demand. Create feasible lyophilization solution and offer the right freeze drying machines. Any we can help, please feel free to contact us.
