Innovative Nutraceutical Blender Dryer with Sonic D‐I‐P® Tank Dryer System

Overview

NBTY, a leading manufacturer of nutraceutical products, is looking to improve its blending process. The lengthy turnaround time for the clean-in-place (C-I-P) process and subsequent drying of their stainless steel blenders between batches resulted in production bottlenecks. The reliance on evaporative air drying and manual methods led to extended drying times of 10-14 hours, hindering manufacturing efficiency.

Solution

To address NBTY's challenges, Sonic Air Systems introduced its advanced hygienic Portable Hot Air Dryer Blower powered D‐I‐P®/ DRY‐IN‐PLACE® Hot Air Tank dryer system and the Handheld Nozzle Drying System, providing an innovative nutraceutical equipment solution customized for NBTY's needs. The D‐I‐P Tank Dryer delivered a powerful stream of hot air through a large-diameter handheld nozzle, effectively removing water from inside and outside the blender and the surrounding surfaces. The nozzle drying process, performed by a single operator, significantly reduced the initial drying phase to less than 20 minutes. Subsequently, by utilizing Sonic's forced convective drying cycle with pressurized hot air, the blender drying cycle was completed in under 30 minutes, optimizing turnaround time.

Result

Sonic's implementation of the D‐I‐P Tank Dryer System brought remarkable results for NBTY. The drying effectiveness and efficiency surpassed expectations, revolutionizing their nutraceutical blender dryer process. This also led to the subsequent installation of additional systems in NBTY's other manufacturing plants across the United States. By significantly reducing drying times and enhancing manufacturing efficiency, Sonic's solution enabled NBTY to keep up with skyrocketing consumer demand while maintaining the highest quality standards.