EN
When you are about to make the home freeze drying business scale up to commercial production the first question that will always come to mind is how much does a commercial freeze dryer cost? The price varies from $80,000 on small pilot systems to more than $1.5 million on large, full automated production lines. The final price is determined by several factors: shelf area, level of automation, construction materials, and other features, such as CIP (clean-in-place) systems. In Jiangsu Bolaike Refrigeration Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd. we produce commercial freeze dryers used in food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical purposes. Prices of commercial freeze dryers are broken down in detail below.
1. Small Commercial and Pilot Freeze Dryers ($80,000 – $150,000)
Small commercial freeze dryers are made to be used in pilot production, small-scale production, and product development. These machines are usually 5-10 meters in shelf space and are capable of handling 50-150 kilograms at a time. Prices are between $80,000 and $150,000 based on features. The most important specifications are: shelf temperature (-40°C to +80°C), condenser temperature (-50°Cto -75°C) and control system (basic PLC or full touch screen with data logging). These units are suitable to small freeze dried foods start-ups, nutraceutical manufacturers, and research institutes that are expanding out of laboratory experiments. The small commercial freeze dryers are energy saving and easy to operate; made of stainless steel and certified to CE standards.
2. Medium Industrial Freeze Dryers ($150,000 – $500,000)
The workhorse of traditional freeze dried food makers, coffee manufacturers and seafood processors is medium sized industrial freeze dryers. The shelf area of these machines ranges between 15 and 40 square meters and they can handle between 200 and 800 kilograms at a time. Prices range from $150,000 to $500,000. The cost drivers are: automation level (manual loading and semi automated), capacity of refrigeration system, and materials used in construction (304 stainless steel and 316 stainless steel). Other options such as hot gas defrost, remote monitoring, and recipe management software are available to increase the price but save a lot of labor costs and cycles. Customers in Europe, Asia and the Americas have confidence in Jiangsu Bolaike medium industrial freeze dryers due to their reliability and low power consumption.
3. Large Production Freeze Dryers ($500,000 – $1,500,000+)
Big production freeze dryers are used by large volume manufacturers of freeze dried instant coffee, ready to eat meals, fruits, vegetables and pharmaceutical products. These systems are 50-200 or more square meters in shelf area and can handle 1-10 or more tons in a batch. Fully automated lines with built in pre freezing tunnels, automatic loading/unloading systems and CIP (clean in place) capability have a price range of $500,000 to over $1.5million. The important cost driving factors are: total shelf area (greater = exponentially greater cost), degree of automation (entirely computer controlled with remote access), material quality (pharmaceutical grade stainless steel), and additional equipment (vapor compression systems, dry pumps, sterile barriers). Jiangsu Bolaike offers turnkey services to large manufacturers such as bespoke design, installation, training of operators and after-sale services.
4. Factors That Affect Commercial Freeze Dryer Pricing
In addition to shelf area and batch size, there are other factors which have a significant influence on price. Type of refrigeration system: single stage compressors are less expensive, but they are unable to attain very low temperatures; cascade systems or cryogenic cooling are more expensive, but are necessary in pharmaceutical products. Vacuum system: the most common is rotary vane pumps, but dry screw pumps or roots blowers are more expensive, but with shorter cycle times. Control system: default PLC with HMI; complete SCADA integration and 21 CFR Part 11 compliance (to validate pharmaceutical) is an extra $50,000-$100,000. Construction materials: Standard is 304 stainless steel; 316 stainless steel when using in corrosive products or in saltwater environment will increase the cost by 20-30%. Installation and commissioning: budget 10-15% of the price of the machine to deliver, rig, hook up and train. Jiangsu Bolaike quotes all these items whether they are in details or not, hence there are no surprises.
Conclusion
Prices of commercial freeze dryers start at $80-$100,000 on the small pilot units to $1.5 million and above on the large production lines. Right machine is determined by your batch size, type of product (food or pharmaceutical), automation requirement and budget. In addition to the cost of purchase, there are costs in installation, energy usage and maintenance. Jiangsu Bolaike has more than 20 years of experience, ISO9001, and CE certifications, and 56+ country-wide patents in providing efficient, energy saving business freeze dryers for food, vegetables, fruits, coffee, seafood, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. Get in touch with us and receive a tailored quote depending on your needs in production.