Pilot Freeze Dryer BFD-20

The BFD-20 freeze dryer machine offers an almost unlimited amount of application possibilities to meet any of your production needs, allows products to be dried in material trays or in containers (PCR plates, vials, pre-packed boxes etc.), and it fits various product forms (liquid, solid, paste, granular, irregular shape and bulk type etc.).

The drying chamber, condenser, shelves, trays and accessories that possibly contact with products is fabricated from high quality stainless steel, which will not react with and degrade products.

Vikumer’s BFD-20 freeze dry system is designed fits clean room installation. The touch screen HMI enables operator control all the machine functions in operation room, no need goes to technical room to do manual works.

Drying chamber and ice condenser are separate, connected by a spool piece and an isolation valve can be installed between to perform pressure rise test.

The drying chamber is rectangular shape that offers maximum space using rate, and the ice condenser is cylindrical shape. A group of electric heating rods are surrounded on external of ice condenser wall for rapid defrosting.

The product chamber and shelves are fabricated entirely from high quality stainless steel, surface mirror polish roughness better than 0.6um. The shelves both surfaces polish roughness better than 0.4um and flatness better than +/-0.5mm/m.

The ice condenser is also made of stainless steel, inner wall surface polish roughness better than 0.6um, smooth wall type for easy defrosting (exposed coils type optional).

Pilot freeze drying units are the critical intermediates that connect laboratory and commercial plant. So, they have to be as efficient as the commercial ones to support the upcoming mass production.

The BFD-20 freeze dryer was designed same technical performance as the commercial ones, so that you can simulate production environment and prepare for technology transfer.

The shelf system is always temperature controlled: silicone oil circulates inside sandwich type heat-plates for product pre-freezing and later heating for sublimation. The shelves are cooled through a brazed plate heat exchanger and are heated by an electric bar. PID control and heating/cooling rate >1C/Min, which is same as the production freeze dryers, ideal for R&D activities.

An additional heat-plate is installed on top of shelf module to provide extra energy for thermal balance. Temperature sensors have been installed on both the fluid inlet and return pipe, as well as the fluid heating bar point, to control and monitor shelves temperature. Temperature variance between heat-plates and plate points are less than +/-1C.