In industrial production, industrial drying system is widely used for material moisture reduction, improving production efficiency, it play an important role in large-scale production and ensuring product quality. Among the various drying processes of industrial dryers, belt dryers and rotary dryers are the two most common types, and their drying processes have big differences. What are the differences in the raw materials they are suitable for? How to choose suitable dryer?

  1. Structure

  The belt dryer is a rectangular box-type structure, internally containing one or multiple layers of movable mesh conveyor belts. The rotary dryer, on the other hand, consists of a large, long cylindrical drum rotating around an axis. It is classified into single-drum dryers and triple-drum dryers. Inside the drum, there are lifting blades used to transport materials up and down.

  2. Technology

  Both belt dryers and rotary dryers are continuous drying processes. For belt dryers: Materials are conveyed into the dryer by the feeding device, and the wet materials are evenly distributed on the conveyor belt. As the conveyor belt moves slowly, the wet materials pass through multiple drying zones. For multi-layer belt dryers, when the wet materials reach the end of one conveyor belt, they will naturally fall onto the next conveyor belt and then move in the opposite direction, following an "S" shaped trajectory. Each drying zone has its own independent settings for temperature, wind speed, and other parameters, it will minimize heat damage and preserve the color and nutrients of the materials. For rotary dryers: Wet materials are conveyed into the drum by the feeding device. The lifting blades inside the drum continuously lift the materials, which undergo heat exchange with the high-temperature hot air generated by the hot air furnace, causing water evaporation. The materials move forward inside the drum until they are completely dried, and are then discharged through the discharge device.

  3. Applicable materials

  The belt dryer is suitable for materials that require gentle, uniform, and If the product has high requirements for appearance and nutritional content, then belt dryer is a good choice. Also, its controlled environment and low-speed conveyor belt prevent overheating, making it suitable for heat-sensitive or fragile materials. Belt dryer is widely used for drying fruits, vegetables, herbs, tea, as well as shaped materials such as feed pellets and charcoal briquettes. In contrast, rotary dryers have high drying temperatures and require vigorous agitation and strong heat exchange of materials, making them suitable for bulk, well-flowing, and high moisture content materials. Rotary dryer is widely used for drying sawdust, sand, mineral powder, sludge, fly ash, fertilizer, manure, brewer's grains, and coal. In short, the belt dryer is suitable for fragile and valuable materials, and the rotary dryer is suitable for bulk, sturdy, and heat-resistant materials.

  4. Processing capacity

  The belt dryer has a long material residence time and is suitable for small and medium-scale continuous production. Depending on the type and moisture content of the material, it can process 200 kilograms to 10 tons of material per hour. The high-temperature and intense drying method of the rotary dryer determines its suitability for large-scale industrial drying. The processing capacity varies greatly depending on the type of material being processed. For example, light materials such as wood chips can be processed at a rate of 1-10 tons per hour, while for mineral materials such as coal, the processing capacity can reach 10 to 200 tons per hour.

  The above analysis covers the differences between belt dryers and rotary dryers in terms of structure, technology, material applicability, and processing capacity. The selection of industrial dryer types depends on the type of material to be dried, followed by the choice of model based on processing capacity. Zhengzhou Jiutian is a professional manufacturer of belt dryers and rotary dryers with decades of experience, we can offer various models for applications of different scales. If you are unsure about how to make a choice, feel free to contact us, we will make free drying solutions for you.