Meeting burning demand
September 1st 2009 Fuel efficiency and high
levels of control, arising from
the use of process gas burner
systems from Lanemark
International, are factors in
the design of snack food
drying equipment from
Planet Dryers whose
machinery is made at Dodman.
The company offers a
range of systems, and in
many cases, extensive use is
made of Lanemark's forceddraught
(FD) burner design.
The burners can operate with
natural gas or propane.
Tony Hornsby, senior
designer at Dodman's Kings
Lynn manufacturing plant,
sys "The burners' modulating
control design, providing a
wide differential between
maximum and minimum
burner firing rates, helps to
optimise the operational
efficiency as it reduces the
need for production machines
to be repeatedly stopped and
started. Importantly, this can
translate into cash savings."
Hornsby cites an example.
A unit designed to process up
to 1000kg of cereal per hour,
uses a single Lanemark FD
10 burner rate at 350kW. It
fires directly into the lower
level of the processing
chamber, rapidly raising the
temperature from ambient to
190°C. A continuous feed
conveyor transports cereal
products, loaded to a depth
of about 100mm, via multiple
passes through the machine.
"The mesh design of the
conveyors allows heat to move
through the chamber so that
at the higher levels, the
temperature has dropped to
approx 90°C," says Hornsby.
"The fact that the targeted
temperature levels are
controlled to within 2°C
throughout is important as
product quality can often
depend upon processing time
and heating control." More articles from Lanemark International Limited: | 
