NOVADRY the vacuum pump made to optimize food & packaging processes
September 7, 2020
3 MIN READ
Vacuum as a key technology
The demands placed by manufacturers and consumers on the quality, shelf life and resource efficiency of food and packaging processes are constantly increasing. This applies especially to perishable products such as meat or fish, for example. Vacuum is considered an enabling technology, contributing significantly to optimizing these processes. Therefore, Leybold has developed the innovative NOVADRY, a new 100% oil free, air-cooled pump, as a solution to support customers.
No oil, less effort
Many applications in meat processing and packaging cannot tolerate vacuum pumps emitting oil, and NOVADRY prevents such contamination. That is why Leybold designed a 100% dry pump following hygienic criteria. This increases safety in applications such as tumbling, filling, vacuum packaging and thermoforming. An additional advantage of oil-free vacuum pumps is the lower cost of ownership, as less maintenance and spare part changes are required. In addition to the oil-free screw principle, Leybold has transferred proven components and principles from other vacuum pump series to the NOVADRY, including the bearing structure and the belt drive, which synchronizes the rotors in the NOVADRY.
Seeing is believing! Click the video below and discover the six ways the NOVADRY can optimize your food and packaging processes.
Air cooling reduces total cost of ownership
Normally, dry pumps are water-cooled, but the NOVADRY is air-cooled. This reduces operating costs by simplifying the installation and commissioning. The total life cycle operational costs of the NOVADRY are lower than for oil-sealed vacuum pumps, and this was a key driver during the pump development.
Broad range of applications
The NOVADRY also stands out due to its robustness and long uptime. Some competitor products lose their end-pressure or reduce pumping-speed due to wear of the inner coating, for example. The NOVADRY, however, achieves its performance over the entire pressure range and life cycle. This makes it ideal for simple applications, which emit low amounts of humidity, such as packaging of cold products. Moreover, the pump is also perfectly suited for more demanding processes with large amounts of water vapor, for example when hot meals with temperatures of up to 95°C have to be quickly cooled down by evaporative cooling. In addition to the air and steam mixture coming from the process, the NOVADRY screw vacuum pump can also handle the anticipated contamination inside the gas flow very well. These include organic acids, spices, vinegar or other residues, for example.
Proven in real life
NOVADRY has successfully passed many qualifying field endurance tests in a wide range of food applications – tumbling, tray sealing and thermoforming. In all applications, it shows very good performance; the users reached fastest cycle times and low final pressure
Related: Hear from customers and industry experts as they share their experiences with the NOVADRY. Click and visit our product page for Leybold Vacuum Solutions for Food Processing and Packaging.
Forward-looking pump
At Leybold we have succeeded in developing a forward-looking product which has the potential to set a new standard for the food processing and packaging markets. This is due not only to the absence of oil, but also to the NOVADRY's quiet operation, the robust design and the low life-time costs.
Find out more about how vacuum technology has influenced the food industry in our eBook on modern vacuum technology and industrial food production. Click the button below and download your free copy.