Industrial Vacuum Dryers for Powders, Pastes and Slurries
Hosokawa Micron designs and manufactures vacuum dryers for a wide range of industrial applications, including the processing of solids in the chemical, pharmaceutical, food and metal industries. Our technologies enable precise, low-temperature drying of heat-sensitive, solvent-laden and cohesive materials—while maintaining product integrity, safety and energy efficiency.
From powders and filter cakes to pastes and viscous slurries, our vacuum dryers are engineered for consistent performance and clean operation—even with sticky or temperature-sensitive products. Whether you're processing APIs, chemical intermediates, food ingredients or metal powders, we tailor each solution to your product and process.
How Vacuum Drying Works
In a Hosokawa vacuum dryer, thermal energy is transferred through the heated vessel wall. Product is gently agitated to maintain uniform temperature and prevent clumping. Under vacuum, the boiling point of the solvent is reduced, allowing it to evaporate at low temperatures. Vapours are continuously removed via a vacuum line, then condensed and collected in a closed-loop system—ideal for solvent recovery and safe handling of hazardous substances. This closed system ensures safe, efficient drying of moisture- or solvent-containing products, while minimising contamination and thermal degradation.
Nauta® Vacuum Dryer – Gentle, Universal
The Nauta conical screw dryer was one of the first agitated vacuum dryers designed to replace vacuum tray dryers—and it remains a trusted industry standard today. Its vertical screw agitator gently lifts product along the heated wall, while gravity returns it through the centre, creating a continuous, convective flow.
Thanks to its low-shear operation, the Nauta dryer is ideal for drying:
- Segregative, fragile or free-flowing powders
- Temperature- and oxygen-sensitive substances
- Sticky pastes or slurries requiring solvent recovery
Its versatility makes it suitable for GMP, sterile or aseptic installations, with options for CIP/SIP and FDA-compliant designs.
CPD – for Fast Drying and Reactions
The Conical Paddle Dryer (CPD) offers fast vacuum drying, mixing and reaction capabilities in a compact footprint. Its centrally driven rotating paddles ensure intensive contact between the product and heated surface, enabling faster drying cycles and excellent thermal transfer.
This makes the CPD highly suitable for:
- Crystallisation under vacuum
- High-viscosity or sticky materials
- Reactions, heating, cooling or solvent removal in one system
Its robust agitator design allows handling of heavy, cohesive and poorly flowing products without clogging or dead zones.
Full Process Integration
Hosokawa vacuum dryers support multiple processing steps beyond drying. Depending on your process needs, a single unit can perform:
- Crystallisation and reaction under vacuum
- Heating or cooling with precise control
- Sterilisation of heat-sensitive materials
- Liquid/solid separation and de-aeration
We can deliver sterile, aseptic, ATEX- and FDA-compliant systems designed for pharmaceutical and food-grade production environments.
Energy-Efficient Drying Systems
Drying accounts for over 15% of total energy use in many industrial processes. Our vacuum dryers are engineered to reduce energy consumption through:
- Low-temperature drying under vacuum
- Efficient heat transfer via jacketed vessels
- Closed-loop solvent recovery
- Precision temperature and pressure control
These features reduce utility costs, minimise emissions, and improve yield in solvent recovery operations.
Test Before You Invest
Before investing in new equipment, test your materials under real process conditions at our Test & Process Development Centre in the Netherlands. Our experienced specialists help you determine the most efficient mixing, agglomeration or drying process, from laboratory trials to full-scale production testing.
Whether you want to evaluate a single machine or a complete processing line, we provide tailored testing and process optimisation to ensure reliable scale-up and proven performance. We also have rental equipment available for batch drying.
Learn more
Talk to our experts
Let our specialists help you configure the ideal vacuum drying system — tailored to your process and optimised for efficiency, safety and product quality.
Applications
Hosokawa Micron vacuum dryers are ideal for a wide range of products. Here are a few examples:
Why Choose Hosokawa Micron?
✅ Innovating powder and solids processing equipment for over 100 years
✅ Custom-fit systems for your product and process
✅ In-house testing, scale-up and engineering expertise
✅ Long-lasting, sustainable and cost-efficient equipment (TCO)
✅ Built to the highest standards of quality and reliability
✅ Global support and responsive service
✅ Trusted partner to industry leaders worldwide
Sustainable process technologies
Hosokawa Micron B.V. is committed to sustainable and responsible process technology. Our ISO 14001 certification covers key environmental aspects such as air, soil, energy, waste, water, noise and hazardous substances. With an EcoVadis Silver Medal, we rank among the top 3% of EcoVadis-rated companies in the special machinery industry.
