Testing and Evaluation

Pilot plant facilities with accompanying analytical laboratories are available at Niro A/S in Copenhagen and at Niro Inc in Wisonsin. Niro's Testing Department is staffed by a dedicated team of experienced Test Engineers and Process Operators. In association with other testing departments worldwide, such as the USA, Niro has access to worldwide testing experience and can conduct product testing, process evaluation and evaluate the optimum processing parameters.

The test facilities at Niro's Head Office in Denmark are the most comprehensive of the Group with over 35 different pilot plants, including both batch and continuous operations (capabilities listed below). The range of equipment sizes available enables samples from a few grams up to hundreds of kilograms to be processed.

Laboratory Analyses

Niro's accompanying analytical laboratory is fully equipped with the latest instruments (listed below) for product quality analyses. As a result, properties such as particle size distribution, bulk density, moisture content, photomicroscopic analysis, flowability and hygroscopicity can be determined onsite.

Analytical equipment available at Niro, Copenhagen include: Malvern Mastersizer, Gas Chromatography (GC), Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetri (DSC), Atomic Absorption (AAS), High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

Other GEA Testing Facilities

Pilot plant facilities are also available at Barr-Rosin Ltd. in Maidenhead (UK) for Ring and Rotary Drying as well as Niro-Soavi SpA, Parma (Italy) for High Pressure Homogenizers.



Niro A/S Pilot Plant Capabilities

Spray Drying and Spray Cooling

• Rotary atomization.
• Nozzle atomization (Pressure Nozzle or 2 Fluid Nozzle).
• Cyclones, Bag filter, wet scrubber for product collection and cleaning the outlet air.
• Co-current, counter-current and mixed configurations.
• With integrated fluid beds (Fluidized Spray Dryer - FSD™, COMPACT DRYER™).
• With integrated filter (IFD™ Dryer).
• With integrated belt dryer (FILTERMAT® Dryer).
• Closed or open cycle operation.
• Water based or organic solvent based feeds.
• Atmospheric air or nitrogen drying medium.
• Evaporative capacities from a few grams to more than 100 kg per hour.

Fluid Bed Processing

• Drying, cooling and de-dusting.
• Static fluid beds.
• Vibrating fluid beds (VIBRO FLUIDIZER®).
• Pressurised steam fluid bed dryers.
• Closed or open cycle operation.
• Atmospheric air or nitrogen drying medium
• Sizes from a few square cm to 2 square metres.

Other Drying Processes SWIRL FLUIDIZER™ (drying filter cakes).

Freeze Drying.

Agglomeration / Granulation

• Coffee rewet agglomerator.
• Diary products agglomerator with lecithination.
• High Efficiency Compactor (HEC™).
• Tumbler de-dusters (V-Blender, Zig-Zag®).

Concentration

• Falling film evaporator.
• Freeze concentration.
• Membrane filtration.