Is Your Dryer in a Tight Spot?

Is Your Dryer in a Tight Spot?

We can build a sectionalized rotary dryer replacement with factory specs.

What can material processors do when their aged and worn rotary dryer needs replacing and yet, since it was originally installed, structural steel or even a complete building has been erected around it? Now that the dryer needs to be replaced, both the dryer and the owner-operator are in a tight spot!

Yet Louisville Dryer Company has provided several customers with the ideal solution for such challenging circumstances. We custom-build sectionalized replacement dryers that are produced and completely assembled in our factories, then disassembled and shipped to the customer’s site, and then rebuilt onsite by our team with exacting precision. The new sectionalized dryer replaces the old dryer that had been cut up and removed from ‘inside the bottle’ using heavy lifting equipment including gantry cranes.

How We do it.

The individual sections are designed and custom-manufactured by our dryer craftsmen:

  • They are assembled in our ASME facility typically using flanges with machined pin holes and dowels, disassembled, and shipped, and then precisely reassembled at the customer site..
  • Initial alignment is achieved using bolts through the flanges, and then further fine tuning is done using dial indicators before the sections are permanently welded together.
  • Precise sectional welding is another area where our expertise shines – as we maintain the specified shell runout and consider weld draw (distortion of the metal from welding).

The Louisville Dryer installation and commissioning teams ensure that the new unit and all related components are professionally installed, precisely balanced and optimally performing.

Some of our numerous projects for which we have provided Sectionalized Rotary Dryer Replacements.

a steam dryer being loaded onto a barge

For a minerals processor in California

A mineral company processing sodium sulfate had two direct heat dryers which were beyond their useful life cycle. The feed ends of the units were partially nested in a building and the dryers were surrounded by dust control and process equipment.
Louisville Dryer developed a plan to build each of the replacement dryer drums in three sections. Each section was flanged so that the drum could be completely assembled in our shop to hold to normal runouts. Once transported to the customer, the dryer sections were lifted into place and flange-mounted, then the sections were field welded. The result was a fully fabricated drum operating to factory specifications.

a steam dryer being loaded onto a barge

A sectional hastelloy dryer for an agricultural products processor in Illinois

a steam dryer being loaded onto a barge

For a Western region mining and refining company

a steam dryer being loaded onto a barge

Additional sectionalized dryer projects

Challenges of Building Sectionalized Dryers

Some of the engineering challenges of a sectionalized dryer solution include:

  • Design it with the fewest number of shell sections.
  • Avoid locating a welding seam in the middle of a tire or gear tube support.
  • Maintain the specified shell runout, taking into account weld draw.
an industrial dryer being transported down the river on a barge

Ideal Solution for Processing Companies
who are in a Tight Spot.

While sectionalized rotary replacement dryers are more expensive than monolithic rotary dryers, they can be designed to either match or exceed the production rate of the original dryer. And they can often serve as the ideal solution for material processing companies who require such design ingenuity to resolve their space limitations and equipment challenges.

As we have proven time and time again – and as confirmed by thousands of satisfied customers – Louisville Dryer Company is the team who can help you and your dryer get out of a tight spot.

Incinerating Waste To Produce Energy

Incinerating Waste To Produce Energy

Rotary Kilns
Many kilns, by definition, are refractory lined – using materials which are resistant to decomposition by heat, pressure or chemical attack. The refractory retains its strength and form at high temperatures.

Basically, rotary kilns are rotary shells that are insulated on the inside – which must be done with precise engineering, design and installation of the refractory bricks or other interior lining. Special focus must be placed on the critical relationship between the dryer shell and its rolling components.

a steam dryer being loaded onto a barge

Refractory used in rotary kilns prevent premature shell degradation from heat, pressure and chemical attack.

Refractory-lined kilns are designed to operate 24/7 because the primary factor which shortens their operating life is the thermal changes experienced from ambient temperature ramping up to 1000°F or 2000°F or more. Rotary kilns must be designed and operated carefully to gradually elevate their temperature and then stabilize it at a given rate for its production.

Louisville Dryer Rotary Kilns
Louisville Dryer Company provides both refractory lined Direct-Fired Kilns and Indirect Heat Kilns – often for incineration and gasification of petroleum sludges, biomass, or municipal solid waste. The process material is heated in the rotary unit and in a semi-inert gas stream. The complex organic molecules are converted to synthesis gas. This syngas is withdrawn to a secondary combustion system – ultimately converting waste to energy.

an industrial dryer being transported down the river on a barge

This Louisville Dryer rotary dryer kiln shell was recently custom designed to incinerate industrial process waste and convert it into energy.

For this custom application, the biosolids will be gasified from complex organic compounds into simple hydrocarbons – which will be extracted and then routed back into the burn chamber.

Dimensions and weight of this Rotary Dryer Kiln Shell custom engineered and manufactured by Louisville Dryer craftsmen are approximately:
• 14.5 ft. in diameter x 40 ft. in length
• 9” thick refractory lining
• 50,000 lb. tires (riding rings)
• 250,000 lb. dryer shell + 250,000 lb. refractory = approx. 500,000 lbs. total unit weight.

an industrial dryer being transported down the river on a barge

Once the refractory has been installed (on the inside of this kiln), approximately half a million pounds of steel and brick will rotate to the customer’s specifications with high accuracy and longevity.

To learn how Louisville Dryer applications engineers can custom-design, fabricate and install a long-lasting rotary kiln for your application, contact us today.

Should You Insulate Your Dryer/Kiln?

Should You Insulate Your Dryer/Kiln?

The Answer is a Definite – Maybe.

For Starters
A number of people in the process industry have highly recommended and promoted the idea of insulating dryers and kilns, even some that are already operating in the field. There is absolutely no simple answer as to whether dryers and kilns should be insulated. As with most industrial equipment, a well-founded and accurate answer for your specific component in your specific application would require a professional study of the metallurgical and thermal transfer aspects of operating your dryer/kiln while processing its full range of materials at its full spectrum of operating temperatures.

Optimizing Results for each Customer
Louisville Dryer Company and our affiliates have built over 5,000 dryers for all types of industries processing a wide array of materials, temperatures, and production rates. Most every dryer/kiln is custom-designed and evaluated in our own fabrication facilities even though many of them are going to be commissioned within the same industry – as some will be operating in slightly different conditions.

a steam dryer being loaded onto a barge

Based on Louisville Dryer’s 120+ years of corporate legacy and solution-providing experience, we have honed best practices and procedures for calculating and projecting each unit’s performance longevity. We take pride in earning and continually maintaining the industry designation as providing rotary dryers and drums with The Lowest Cost per Revolution.

Precision Dryer Testing Laboratory
Our applications engineers indicate that the best way to confirm optimal results for a unit is through material testing. We have in own test laboratories multiple scale models and designs of test dryers, and operator-engineers with experience in precision testing.

To facilitate accurate test runs, we request that the processor or end-user send samples of their actual material(s) to be processed, which will be precisely measured and run under careful controls in the Louisville Dryer test lab unit. The test dryers are of the same design as full-scale in-production unit; they are just scaled-down versions.

Precision Dryer Testing Laboratory
Our applications engineers indicate that the best way to confirm optimal results for a unit is through material testing. We have in own test laboratories multiple scale models and designs of test dryers, and operator-engineers with experience in precision testing.

To facilitate accurate test runs, we request that the processor or end-user send samples of their actual material(s) to be processed, which will be precisely measured and run under careful controls in the Louisville Dryer test lab unit. The test dryers are of the same design as full-scale in-production unit; they are just scaled-down versions.

an industrial dryer being transported down the river on a barge

Louisville Dryer testing units include both direct-fired dryers (both in co-current and counter-current airflow patterns) and direct-heat dryers (where the source of hot gases is generated external to the units). Our lab also houses scaled rotary steam tube dryers – which can operate under a variety of steam temperatures and pressures and adjusted to very precisely remove moisture down to one-tenth of one percent.

Our test lab also operates indirect heat models where the heat is supplied on the external shell from multiple burner-firing positions. Having scale models of the full range of dryers is an important contribution toward our custom-design, fabrication and maintenance of full-scale units for very specific and demanding applications – considering all requirements of the material to be produced, moisture to be removed, temperature needed to effectively yet safely process the customer’s materials, and more.

Over the decades Louisville Dryer Company has precision-tested numerous various materials and have catalogued the results, amassing a valuable source of performance information. And we still regularly test new combinations of materials and operating conditions since some processors want to do more than dry their materials, but also change the state or phase of material and/or combine ingredients to create a new product.

Custom Design of Every Dryer/Kiln
As our engineers step through the custom design process, they consider multiple operating factors including the angle of repose of the material, the amount of lifting material and if there is degradation by the veiling, the length of time in-process needed to remove either external or internal moisture of material, production rate, the amount and type of emissions (both particulate and products of combustion which may exit the rotary drying unit).

a steam dryer in transport along a railway

To Insulate or Not to Insulate

Rotary Kilns
Toward answering this frequently posed question, an initial differentiation is made between rotary dryers and rotary kilns. In general, many kilns, by definition, are refractory lined. Basically, the unit is insulated on the inside of the rotary shell, which must be done with a great deal of precise engineering, design and installation of the refractory brick or interior lining of the kiln.

Additional considerations must be made for kilns which need to be fabricated with less common materials or for those which will be processing end-user materials that require a high-heat input in at least a portion of the unit and, perhaps, cooling in the longer shell section.

Most of the refractory-lined kilns are designed to operate 24 hours a day/7 days a week because the factor which shortens their operating life more than anything is the thermal changes experienced from ambient temperature ramping up to 1000°F or 2000°F or more. Thus, they have to be designed and operated carefully to gradually elevate their temperature and then stabilize it at a given rate for its production materials.

replacement dryer being installed by louisville dryer company crew

Rotary Dryers
Generally speaking, rotary drying units which process materials at a lower temperature and at a constant 24/7 production are often better candidates for insulation. Of course, the insulating of rotary dryers yields lower savings than with rotary kilns because, with rotary dryers, there is less loss of shell heat from drying operations at lower temperatures.

The insulation decision become more complex when evaluating drying units with operating temperatures between those of the typical rotary kiln and rotary dryer. The drying units in this medial range are the ones which, perhaps, need to elevate material up to several hundred degrees Fahrenheit and then operate in a start-and-stop mode.

Such units which operate at these higher temperature ranges tend to affect the performance of the internal flighting, dams or baffling as the entire rotary cylinder heats and expands during processing. The rate of expansion of this rotary cylinder is very critical and will dramatically impact the entire life of the drying unit.

Furthermore, if the process is subject to stops and starts daily, or even multiple times a day, those operations also can create internal corrosion in the internal shell and dramatic corrosion between the external shell and any layer of insulating materials.

Again, perhaps there are some BTU savings of energy loss from the external of the shell, but this cost-wise is more than compensated for based on shortening the life and vastly increasing the chances for frequent maintenance of the entire shell, supporting tires, circumferential tires, support rollers and trunnions, the drive gear, the support pads and structures for the tires and gear, seal systems and many other factors.

If the calculations are not made precisely, the gap between the dryer/kiln when it’s heated up will have a lot of slack, what’s known as ‘creep’, and the unit will tend to wear in an irregular pattern and shorten the life of the tire-mounting and can also affect the carrier rolls/trunnions and the drive system.
Likewise, if the unit is not engineered correctly and the thermal expansion of the rotating shell presses into the tires too much, the result can crush the shell and then cause cracking, dents, and many other problems in the process.

With these real concerns in mind, one of the functions which our Louisville Dyer engineers perform in many heavy-duty design rotary units is an FEA (Finite Element Analysis) to measure and evaluate many of those factors. This process will then help them determine if insulation should be used on the shell or some portion of the unit.

Insulation of New Custom-Designed Dryers vs. Existing Rotary Dryers/Kilns vs. Used/Repurposed Rotary Dryers/Kilns:
Our engineers report that, once they have done the relevant testing and evaluation of new custom-designed dryers and considering the production and temperature ranges and other relevant factors, it is sometimes appropriate to insulate certain rotary dryer unit. While, on the other hand, it is often at great peril to plant/production facility when operator-owners choose to insulate an existing dryer or used/repurposed units without first employing proper testing.

replacement dryer being installed by louisville dryer company crew

One relevant example shown here is a rotary drying unit which is a very efficient rotary aggregate dryer. The input of its ambient material may be as low as 40°F, while the unit commonly processes and elevates the exit temperature of the material to over 850°F. What is remarkable is that the exit gas temperature going to the air pollution equipment is only around 280°F.

replacement dryer being installed by louisville dryer company crew

This case is a very efficient heat transfer rotary process. And it would absolutely be the worst candidate for insulating the rotary shell. The operation starts and stops multiple times every day. Since the shell frequently expands and contracts, were it to be insulated there would be great potential for corrosion and more rapid wear.

What would be even more severe for this case would be the cracking of the shell or compression of the shell by the tires if there was not ample design in the process for shell expansion. Another issue would be that the temperature on the shell on the burner end would be hundreds of degrees more than the shell on the intake material feed end.

So, the quandary would be trying to insulate its various sections differently: first a 20 ft, section with a certain amount/type, then a 27 ft. section with a different amount/type, and then none. This approach to shell insulation could not provide dependable nor desirable results.

replacement dryer being installed by louisville dryer company crew

Then, of course, there are several fly-by-night brokers or even scam artists who claim that virtually any rotary unit can be used to process most any material. They claim that a nominal rotary drying unit can be purposed for six or eight different types of material, at all temperatures, for all production rates – which is certainly misleading and, in many cases, fraudulent.

The Bottom Line
Insulation of a rotary drying unit can be acceptable when all the design and operation factors are tested and evaluated before custom-building the unit.

To learn more details about dryer/kiln insulation, or to request information on our custom dryer designs, contact us at 800-396-6365 and
louisvilledryer.com.

Why Build a Seal Test Assembly?

Why Build a Seal Test Assembly?

When a customer requested our advice on the most effective long-lasting seal technology for steam tube dryers in petrochemical applications, our application engineers designed and ran a Seal Test Assembly to generate live test data to inform and confirm their recommendations.

To gather relevant data in a controlled environment, our engineers and fabricators built a scale-model steam tube dryer seal assembly in our own test lab.

a steam dryer being loaded onto a barge

For this test seal, we decided to use chevron V-packing in lieu of the traditional square packing. Whereas square-packing is made from woven PTFE and integrated graphite, the chevron V-packing is made of extruded polymer – which is optimally suited for maximal segregation of external oxygen from entering the internal dryer’s closed inert atmosphere. The V-packing is housed within a machined, cooling-jacketed, stuffing box.

an industrial dryer being transported down the river on a barge

To simulate a real processing environment, we mounted the test unit on a slew bearing, and allowed to float with the rotating seal surface using adjustable die springs.

an industrial dryer being transported down the river on a barge

Electrodes were attached to induce heat and ports were used to pressurize the system up to 1 PSIG, and gauges were installed and monitored.

a steam dryer in transport along a railway

The test unit operated continuously over the course of three years with only minimal tweaking such as bearing lubrication. The test data confirmed the effectiveness of using the longer life chevron V-packing on both the feed and discharge end of central discharge dryers in petrochemical applications. They significantly limit the leakage of ambient atmosphere or vapors and prevent the intake of external oxygen.

Why Central Discharge?

The Louisville Dryer “CS” Central Discharge Steam Tube Dryer design was developed for solvent extraction, and processing materials wetted with liquids other than water, which must be processed in an inert atmosphere and where the vapors must be captured and not allowed to escape to atmosphere.

replacement dryer being installed by louisville dryer company crew

Many materials at some point in their manufacture are volatile and reactive with O2 which can degrade the product, ignite, or explode. Some materials are processed with acids or volatile liquids where if leaked to atmosphere can cause injury to personnel, or damage to surrounding equipment or facilities.

The Louisville Dryer “CS” Central Discharge Steam Tube Dryer reduces the required sealing area by conveying the dried product through the center of the steam chest with helical discharge flights, into a very efficiently sealed discharge housing. The “CS” sealing mechanism is comprised of a machined mechanical seal and packing assembly which allows for static and dynamic purging with a variety of process gases and/or steam. Cooling water can be used in applications where required, as well as grease purge glands.

replacement dryer being installed by louisville dryer company crew

The Louisville Dryer “CS” seal design can be designed for process side pressures up to 1.5 PSIG, and in a number of carbon steel alloys and nickel alloys for highly corrosive applications. They are most effective when installed on both the feed end of the dryer and the discharge end.

Test Your Product in Louisville Dryer Company’s Test Lab

Curious how testing your product in our production-worthy scaled dryers in our own leading-edge research and development lab can benefit your company? We have manufactured coolers to help companies develop new products such as wood composite, airbag propellant, rocket fuel, algae-derived oils and others. Our test engineers can help determine best processes and equipment for your team. Call us today at 800-735-3163.

What value would you assign to a properly designed aggregate processing plant?

What value would you assign to a properly designed aggregate processing plant?

Proper engineering design and equipment reliability are essential to a profitable aggregate processing operation; without which significant downtime and other financial losses are inevitable.

Proper engineering design and equipment reliability are essential to a profitable aggregate processing operation. Just a small interruption in production can affect a company’s bottom line. If your plant is not operational then you are not making money. A primary purpose of your equipment provider and servicer is to get you up and running no matter what brand(s) you are using – a team who are not only experts on their components but also on their competitors’ components. A team who can resolve your problems, alleviate pains, and reduce your company’s operating and maintenance expenses – increasing your R.O.I. Here is an excellent example of how our conscientious solutions team did just that.

Within one month of operation, the company observed the rotary counterflow drum mixer drifting and lunging uphill and downhill. The great force of a unit that is 11 ft. in diameter x 50 ft. long rotating with 250 HP did not just run hard against the thrust rollers (which holds the unit in either the uphill or downhill position), but impacted them hard enough to tear them loose from their hard mounts and even breaking the idlers themselves at times. Within their first 30 days of operation, this failed design caused four of the thrust rollers to rip loose – causing their entire plant to shut down.

In 2005 a major U.S. aggregate processor wanted to consolidate some of their production facilities in the Midwest and decided to go with a large 600 TPH plant. They contracted for a ‘super plant’ with a major manufacturer, who assured the customer that they could supply the plant without any major problems. Yet, appearing to only upsize one of the OEM’s existing models – without executing a thorough engineering study and comprehensive structural design analysis, a string of costly major problems began unfurling.

crew loading a silo onto a barge

Operational damage to thrust rollers, tires and trunnions can often be avoided through proper plant design and precise alignment.

Since the thrust rollers sat at an elevation of 11 ft. in the air, it was very difficult, cumbersome, and concerning safety-wise to get access to them to perform damage repair and component replacement. Plant breakdowns became so predictable that the company was forced to purchase an $80,000 man-lift to provide them with sufficient access to safely change out the broken thrust rollers. Without a better solution on hand, the designated change-out crew had to work hard to reduce the change-out time down from a few days to between four to seven hours that were required to do the removals and replacements.

crew loading a silo onto a barge

An $80,000 manlift had to be purchased to minimize downtime every time the thrust rollers had to be replaced. Although nice to have onsite for maintenance, that was a painful and avoidable expense.

The repetitive scenario for their multiple emergency breakdowns required calling the mobile changeout team, positioning the tools and equipment, and waiting for plant components to cool down to a safe temperature. Meanwhile, as the plant remained idle and the silos stood empty, a queue of hauling trucks would line up for blocks – waiting for their orders to be filled. Imagine the disappointment, frustration, stress and dread this repeated scenario caused the plant operators and owners!

crew loading a silo onto a barge

Unscheduled plant downtime from breakdowns is expensive for plant owners and negatively impact their customers, including material haulers lined up, waiting, and delayed from performing their jobs.

Within the first two years of operation, the company called on the OEM to provide support and some warranty consideration to help lessen their financial losses. The OEM did not honor the request and indicated they would consider looking into the equipment problems as a paid service. Upon looking into the problems, they were unable to fix the root cause of the issues. The operating company was simply told they needed to learn how to operate the plant in a better manner per the written guidelines and ensure that the tires and trunnions were aligned properly. The OEM themselves could not do what they were asking the customer to do.

Throughout the next 10 years, the company experienced nothing but trouble from the OEM’s 11’ x 50’ dryer. During that time, 28 thrust rollers were sheared off, multiple tire-rigging bolts broke, numerous discharge sweep end-rings wore or broke off, and they never truly had operational control of the drum.

Hoping to remedy the situation, the company purchased new heavier duty trunnions, bearing assemblies and trunnion bases from another source, but that didn’t solve their problems. In fact, the problem became more severe. Their next step was to bring in an independent company to diagnose and resolved the issues. But that company failed to get the drum under control. Meanwhile damaged thrust rollers continued to pile up in the scrap yard behind the plant.

crew loading a silo onto a barge

Unbelievable damage to thrust rollers, trunnions and tires can result from improper design. In the poorly designed system revealed in this article, 28 thrust rollers had been torn off from the uphill and downhill thrust of its dryer.

After several attempts to remedy the situation, enduring breakdowns for nine years, the company engaged us at Louisville Dryer Company (LDC) to assess and resolve their drum control problems. Following our initial onsite inspection and measurements of the relevant components, we dispatched a field team of engineers and technicians to observe the problematic dryer in operation. Following several days of inspecting, measuring, and testing, our team came to some dramatic conclusions.

Our solutions team observed that when the rotary dryer heated up and expanded, the supporting base and unitary frame heated up at a different rate. Sean Kyser, LDC Project Engineer, reports that “there was a significant difference between static non-loaded conditions vs. dynamic loaded conditions. This system had a built-in problem of deflection because it allowed movement of the trunnion and base. Thus, the dryer did not have a solid operational base of carrier roll trunnions, framework and thrust rollers.”

It was revealed that the OEM had not had this 600TPH design aggregate dryer system back when they had originally agreed to supply it. They basically had only upscaled the motor horsepower and trunnion size – without upgrading the frame, base support and thrust rollers. Such a quick manufacturing approach ignored fundamental engineering practices. Our team further determined that the OEM’s drum frame had no gusset support or enough trunnion cross-beaming to support the weight of the drum – especially when loaded.

We engineered optimal solutions and submitted our recommendations to the customer. The suggested remedy was to stabilize the dryer by constructing a monolithic concrete pier under both trunnion base assemblies. By building a foundation directly under the load-bearing of the trunnions, this method would eliminate all deflection and vibration in both the trunnion base supports and the dryer main axle beam. The customer agreed with the solution and the project was set into motion.

crew loading a silo onto a barge

To stabilize the dryer, the Louisville Dryer field service team constructed monolithic concrete piers beneath the trunnions.

The customer also engaged us to build a completely new replacement rotary dryer and separate bases to be isolated on concrete foundations. The foundations were installed and adjusted to the thousandths for stability and parallel alignment with the tires.

crew loading a silo onto a barge

Louisville Dryer Company provided the new replacement rotary dryer.

Ed Stump, Sr. Installer with Louisville Dryer, oversaw the change-out and commissioning of the new replacement shell while Steve Smith, LDC Sr. Field Technician, was on-site to optically align and record the elevations and slope. They oversaw the concrete pouring and inspected the grout for new piers on which to mount the trunnion bases. By transferring all the load from the drum directly into the pier, the defection and vibration was eliminated. Further accelerated trunnion and tire wear was avoided, and the recurring thrust roller/idler damage and expensive replacement problems were solved.

After everything was aligned and the trunnions set, start-up was a success. Ever since the repair/replacement solution was provided in early 2017, the drum has produced mix flawlessly and under control. The trunnion drive motor amps dropped, and stack temps are the best they have ever been. Major pains were alleviated, the owner/operator’s investment was recovered.

The Louisville Dryer replacement drum has processed over 3 million tons – with virtually no maintenance needed (other than replacing worn flight clips, which cost less than $3,000 for parts and labor). And, they’ve never had to adjust the trunnions once since our solution was implemented over five years ago. The plant superintendent reported that, “No one touches the adjustment of that dryer except Ed from Louisville Dryer.”

crew loading a silo onto a barge

The aggregate processor is very pleased with the complete solution provided by Louisville Dryer Co.

To say that this customer is pleased is an understatement. Of course, the plant personnel are happy that the sound they hear now is the repetitive reliable rotation of our custom-engineering rotary drum vs. the dreaded impacts from breakdowns including the honking of truck horns, the ringing of cellphones, and the complaints from bosses.

Now the customer has two related decisions:
1. What do they do with the 28 thrust rollers which were ripped loose?
2. Should they sell the man-lift? (Operators like having it for other maintenances.)

While their return on investment cannot be calculated accurately, imagine breaking off a thrust roller with five empty silos, trucks and paving crews standing by on a 6,000-ton day – 28 times!

That situation should never have happened. We at Louisville Dryer Company will do whatever it takes to get you up and running for the long term – at the Lowest Cost Per Revolution.

Furthermore, our pleased customer reports incredibly positive results from their chain supplied by Hotmix Parts & Service. To date, the plant has processed over 4.5 million tons using that same chain!

Louisville Dryer Delivers The Lowest Cost per Revolution

Louisville Dryer Delivers The Lowest Cost per Revolution

5 Proven Ways + 3 Examples

As defined by our customers (global manufacturing companies, process and reliability engineers and maintenance teams), successful outcomes of our custom engineering process are system installations that are:

      • On-Time
      • On-Budget
      • For Decades of Reliable and Precise Performance with Minimal Maintenance.

Over 5,000 rotary drying system installations and hundreds of repeat customers have used Louisville Dryer equipment as a core to their business operations. With that proven experience, following are:

Examples of Outstanding Dryer Longevity

1. Your Process Dictates our Technology:

Whether your application requires New Rotary Dryers, Replacement Drums/Shells, or other Rotary Products, our engineering teams expertly design, build and install entire solutions – including dryers surpassing 140 feet in length, 20 feet in diameter, and 200 tons in weight.
crew loading a silo onto a barge

2. Your Service Requirements Drive our Mechanical Design:

We routinely bring operational needs from concepts to design to production – considering your production requirements and process parameters, material characteristics, site and environmental conditions, and so much more.

steam tube dryer standard steam chest

3. Your Products are Thoroughly Tested in our Testing Lab:

When our customers request our advice on the most effective processing solutions for their specific application, we implement pilot scale testing in our own in-house lab to assess their material performances and outcomes with live test data and analysis.

man performing a quality check on a piece of fabrication

4. Your Equipment is Custom Manufactured in our own ASME-accredited Facilities:

Louisville Dryers are fabricated by our expert craftsmen who build dryers every day. Each dryer has a highly specific written inspection and test plan and quality control assessments. What makes a very large piece of rotating equipment reliable is not only the structural integrity of its design, but the precision with which it is fabricated and assembled.

louisville dryer company crew standing in front of an industrial dryer

5. We provide Professional Field Installation and Commissioning Support:

Our professional rotary equipment installation technicians ensure that each Louisville Dryer is properly delivered, assembled, aligned, and secured on its foundations. The service and maintenance life of any piece of rotary equipment is not based solely on the design and quality of the equipment – but also on the precision in which each component is installed, aligned and performance-tested, and on the thoroughness of the operational and preventative maintenance training provided to your team.

industrial dryer installation in progress
engineers inspecting an industrial dryer

Examples of Outstanding Dryer Longevity

As you can see, it is no surprise that the individuals and companies operating these units are extremely pleased with the results from our dryer systems which operate campaigns, often for months and even years with minimal maintenance or issues.

Success Stories about the dryer longevity our clients have enjoyed:

1. One owner-operator processed highly abrasive materials. We reengineered their system’s components to extend the life from a few months up to years. As one measure, we installed abrasion-resistant cast flighting and chrome carbide liners inside their unit to achieve exceptional performance and longevity.

flighting inside an industrial dryer component

2. As another demonstration of success, a large chemical processing company requested that we perform an extensive FEA (finite element analysis) of a rotary unit which they needed to operate under full load for a five-year period without shut down for maintenance.

tubes running into an industrial steam tube dryer

3. As another example, in recent years a company asked Louisville Dryer to evaluate the potential replacement of rotary dryer units in their processing plant. Their units had been operating dependably for decades and decades. Yet this was a complex project as their building had been constructed around the units, plus there was a river on one side of the building.

replacement dryer being installed by louisville dryer company crew

Louisville Dryer was pleased to assist the customer change-out their units with new shells, drives and bases. And it was not surprising that they selected new Louisville Dryer units since their original/legacy units had also been manufactured and installed by Louisville Dryer – in 1943 – providing over 70 years of reliable operation!

Longevity in Motion

Louisville Dryer custom engineered systems routinely deliver what our customers need and expect:

On-Time, On-Budget, for Decades of Reliable Precision Performance with minimal maintenance.

We provide The Lowest Cost per Revolution for Your Team. Contact us today to learn how.