In recent years, Kuipers Woudsend B.V. has produced three spray drying towers made of a special nickel alloy, Tetra Pak Alloy.
These drying towers are used for drying permeate (a whey product). This permeate is highly aggressive and standard stainless steels such as 304 and 316 are not suitable.
Major disadvantages of this alloy are its high cost and long delivery times.
The plates are ordered directly from the manufacturer in Germany and specially rolled to the required thicknesses and dimensions.
The rolling process results in a relatively rough surface; the plates are mechanically refined by Metalfinish in Sneek.
- In the Netherlands, a dryer was replaced at DVN in Hoogeveen.
- In Leutkirch (Germany), a complete new dryer was delivered.
- A special project was the replacement of a drying tower in Nampa, Idaho (USA).
In all cases, the dryers are largely prepared in Woudsend; processing this high-nickel material requires great care. All components are assembled on site.
Due to this expertise, many products are increasingly exported.
Below is an impression of a dryer under construction (USA), with a diameter of approximately 8 metres and a total height of about 25 metres.
