Dryers are used for drying a wide variety of materials. They are usually heated by gas or electric currents, which cause the absorbed moisture to vaporize and be carried away with the air and convection forces. A dry product is the result of this process and can be a solid, powder or sludge. Dryers are commonly found in the sugar, food, paper, textiles, wood, metallurgical and pulp industries.
There are a number of factors that affect the selection of an industrial dryer for a specific application. For example, the size of a dryer needs to be selected based on the production requirements of the application. Over sized dryers can slow down production, while under sized dryers are susceptible to overheating and excessive wear. Dryers also need to be designed for the specific material to be dried. For example, free flowing granules may be dryable by simple conveyor systems, while loose fibres that can tangle together or wet sticky feeds require special conveying methods.
Finally, a traditional dryer must have an exit for the moisture that is released during the drying process. This can be accomplished by connecting a metal venting system to the dryer, and running it to an exterior wall. This is important to avoid the accumulation of lint, which can pose a fire hazard. For this reason, it is recommended to use only metal tubing for venting, as plastic and aluminum foil are prone to collapse or trap lint easily. dryers