Open any bag of powder, may it be nutraceutical premix, food ingredient or detergent base -and one trait quietly decides how it pours, packs, dissolves, and sells: particle size band.
Too fine and you get dust, caking, and slow packing. You get coarse and lose dispersibility and consistency. That’s why, in spray drying, size isn’t a by-product of design; it is actually way around, particle size decides Spray Dryer design.
Why particle size matters to your business
- Customer experience: Flowability, dust levels and how fast it reconstitutes in water all track back to particle size.
- Packaging & logistics: The right bulk density reduces bag count, stack height and transport loss.
- Price realization: Buyers often specify size bands. Hit them reliably and you avoid discounts, rework or claims.
How size drives the dryer you choose
At Shachi, we start every project by fixing the target particle size and distribution then engineer backward.
- Number of drying stages: Finer powders typically suit single-stage drying. If the need is of larger, free-flowing particle size band, we add an integrated or external fluid-bed stage to finish drying and shape the granule.
- Product density & feel: By tuning the percentage of fines recycle (sending light particles back into the chamber) we can build structure, raise bulk density and cut dust.
- Air contact & residence time: Co-current vs mixed flow affects how quickly a droplet dry, which in turn sets surface texture and hollowness, key to dissolving performance.
- Atomization strategy: Pressure influences initial droplet size, nozzle selection strategy is defined on desired μm (micron) sizes.
The Shachi way: size-first, proof-backed
- Size Briefing: We align on commercial targets (e.g., D50/D90 bands, bulk density, moisture). This becomes the spec sheet the plant is built to serve.
- Pilot trials: In our application setup we run compact trials varying atomization pressure, inlet/outlet temperatures and recycle rate to map how size responds.
- CFD validation: We run CFD simulations to visualize airflow and droplet paths inside the chamber, spotting hot/cold zones, fine build-up risks and uneven residence times. So the plant hits the size band more reliably.
- Configuration mapping: Results guide the stage count, recycle arrangement and airflow strategy. If your market needs bigger, rounder particles, we incorporate fluid-bed finishing.
- Scale-up with confidence: We transfer pilot learnings to plant scale with documented set-points, so you reach saleable powder faster.
Particle size band is the lever that links performance in your customer’s hands to efficiency in your plant. By designing the spray dryer around your size target stage count, recycle, airflow, and controls, Shachi helps you land the powder your market values at the cost your P&L needs.
Have a product in mind? Share your desired particle size band and density. We’ll map the configuration and prove it in trials