Freeze Drying

RAY™ plants for the

food and beverage industries
2 · FREEZE DRYING

Superior quality –
unique advantages…
The RAY™ freeze drying plants from GEA offer substantial
benefits to nearly every area of food processing, such as fish,
fruits, coffee and herbs.

The Atlas RAY™ freeze drying technology simply gives you the your competitors, our Atlas RAY™ technology gives you unique
highest quality in the market. Frozen products are dried under economical and technical advantages:
vacuum, ensuring that the inherent solvents in the product (i.e.
water) are removed as vapor. This preserves the overall product • The freeze drying process results in stable products with
structure and size, as well as all nutrients, flavors, and colors. a long shelf life.
• Freeze dried products are durable at a wide range of
Meeting market demands temperatures, eliminating the need for complicated cold
Today, customers request food that is easy to prepare and keeps chain distribution systems.
well without being spoiled while retaining the characteristics • The low weight and easy handling of freeze dried products
of fresh food. Freeze drying allows manufacturers to meet these reduce shipping costs dramatically.
demands by preserving the natural look and consistency of the
product as well as all its flavors, proteins, and vitamins. On top of that, Atlas RAY™ freeze drying plants are designed to:
• Eliminate product loss
Unique advantages • Reduce energy costs
As one of the most experienced designers and manufacturers • Maximize plant reliability and ease of use.
of freeze drying plants in the world, GEA combines unique
technology with reliable plant operation. While providing the
superior product quality you need in order to stay ahead of Water phase diagram
Pressure Torr

In our RAY™ freeze dryers,

frozen products are dried at 1000 LIQUID
temperatures below –18° C. 760 Freezing
Product
No thawing of the product (Room Temperature at
takes place and its quality sea level pressure)
Hot air drying
is preserved.
ICE
100

Evacuation
Vacuum drying
10

4.6 Triple point

1 VAPOR
Freeze drying

Temperature

-18 0 100 °C
0 32 212 °F
 FREEZE DRYING · 3

Advanced simplicity – complete

plants with the RAY™ concept
Advanced simplicity is the best way to describe
the RAY™ concept from GEA.

GEA offers a full range of plant services worldwide – from turnkey The full range
solutions to that vital piece of equipment that will make your The Atlas RAY™ plant is capable of handling most freeze drying
freeze drying process profitable. operations. GEA has the perfect freeze drying solutions with
the CONRAD™ plant for continuous operation and the RAY™-S
Service beyond delivery dryer for sterile processes. Call your local agent for details. See
In addition to actual plant delivery, GEA has the experience and the full range on pages 6-7.
market know-how to support you in your product research and
feasibility studies.

The Atlas RAY™ concept is the result of many years of plant and
process development based on research and collaboration with
our customers in all parts of the world. The result is a freeze drying
process – as shown in the diagram – that is second to none.

RAY™ 125-S plants for sani- Monitor the entire process on-site

tary applications. or from a central control room.

RAY™ 8 plant RAY™ 125 plant for

for various vegetable, fish and
products/test. meat applications.

FREEZE DRYING FACTS

3,000 kg of frozen strawberries will result in 300 kg
freeze dried berries. The same amount of chicken will
give 1,000 kg of dried product.
4 · FREEZE DRYING

RAY™ batch dryers

Refined efficiency Modular design

We have refined the freeze drying process to a point where The Atlas RAY™ freeze dryers from GEA are designed as modular
we are able to supply the most efficient and economical freeze systems, with cabinet, heating plates, and vapor condensers built
drying plant designs in the market. The advantages of selecting as individual units.
our equipment include:
The modular design offers a number of advantages during instal-
• 
Negligible power loss (less than 0.1%) lation and operation:
• Low energy consumption
• 
Compact design • Shorter interval between order and commercial
• 
Simple and reliable operation production thanks to quick installation.
• Uniform drying • Local subcontracting becomes a viable option for
• High sublimation capacity dryer assembly.
• 
Easy access for cleaning and maintenance.

Modular and efficient:

The Atlas RAY ™
Batch Dryers.

Heating plate module

Twin stacks of heating plates designed
for RADIANT drying. The heating plates
are made of anodized aluminium.

Vapor condenser module

Built-in condenser with GEA’s unique
automatic de-icing system. The con-
denser is made of stainless steel.

Cabinet module
Cylindrical vessel with door at one end
for loading and unloading. All connec-
tions with auxiliary systems are located
at the rear end.

FREEZE DRYING FACTS

During re-hydration in warm water,
up to 90% of the removed water
will be absorbed again.
 FREEZE DRYING · 5

RAY™
A water-flushing de-icing system is used for the smaller RAY™
(2, 8, 16, 30, 45, 50) cabinets. At the end of every freeze drying
cycle, the condenser is flushed with pre-heated water. Ice in the
condenser melts within 10 minutes, whereupon the water is
drained. This method is ideal for smaller systems, ensuring:

• Minimum investment cost.

• Simple operation.

RAY™ with CDI

The larger RAY™ (75, 100, 125, 150) cabinets incorporate the
Continuous De-Icing System (CDI). During de-icing, vapor at
25° C from the de-icing vessel condenses on the cold condenser
surface, thus melting the ice. In order to restore the condenser
to operating condition, the condenser chamber is closed off from
the de-icing vessel. The condenser is cooled to operating tem-
perature, resulting in the condensation of any remaining vapor.

As the vapor condenses, the pressure in the condenser decreases

until operating vacuum is achieved eliminating any loss of
operating vacuum at switch-over between vapor condenser
chambers. The CDI system is fully automatic. It ensures:

• An ice layer on the condenser coils of max. 5 mm (1/5”),

resulting in a negligible temperature drop over the ice and
low energy consumption in the refrigeration plant.
• Constant condenser capacity.
• 
High freeze drying capacity per square meter of tray surface.
• 
Short time from one charge to another.
• Higher overall profitability in your large-scale freeze drying
process.
6 · FREEZE DRYING

The full range

1 Tunnel freezing/frost storage 5 Vacuum system
One 8-hour preparation shift provides sufficient product for Process vacuum is typically achieved in less than 10-12 minutes
24 hours of freeze drying. Freezing is by the “first in/first out” depending on RAY™ type. If you have products with special
principle. requirements, this time can be reduced.

2 Transport by overhead rail 6 De-Icing

Trolleys carry the product trays from freezing, through freeze Type CDI
drying, to emptying. A simple, hygienic, and safe system.
7 Refrigeration system
3 RAY™ freeze dryer Incorporates highly efficient refrigeration compressors with
Fully automatic control of the drying cycle for each batch. Just automatic capacity control.
close the door and press the button.
8 PC/PLC control system
4 Heat supply system The control system ensures optimal operating conditions
Drying is carefully controlled throughout the temperature range throughout the plant – freezing, drying and associated heating,
– from below freezing temperature (brine) or room temperature vacuum and refrigeration systems. Remote control via modem
(cooling water) up to 130°C – to ensure perfect product quality. supplied as option.

RAY™

Typical capacities 2 8 16 30 45 50 75 100 125

Effective tray area (m2) 1.5 7.6 15 26 39 45 68 91 114

Max. sublimation capacity (kg H­­2O/hour) 3 17 34 60 85 105 170 230 280

Typical input capacity solids 15% (kg/24 hours) 39 190 380 650 975 1125 1780 2375 2965

Output capacity (kg/24 hours) 6 28 56 100 150 175 275 370 460

Building requirement per cabinet (based on two or more units)

Freeze drying, WxL1 (m2) 36 48 60 60 72 96 108 120

Freezing+cold storage, WxL2 (m2) N/A 12 24 24 36 48 60 80

 FREEZE DRYING · 7

L2

Trolley Filling Frost Storage

Trolley Store
2 x RAY™ 125 3

Control Room
8

L1

6
Emptying
Machinery Room 4

7 5

FREEZE DRYING FACTS

Efficient and gentle: Freeze drying removes only
water and preserves all nutrients, flavors and
other product properties.
We live our values.
Excellence • Passion • Integrity • Responsibility • GEA-versity

GEA Group is a global engineering company with ­multi-billion euro sales and o­ perations in more than
50 countries. Founded in 1881, the company is one of the largest providers of ­innovative equipment and ­
process technology. GEA Group is listed in the STOXX® Europe 600 Index.

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