A production line of TORBED Mineral Processors

22-Feb-19 This is the first time we have seen a production line of mineral processors being constructed. These units which are to be applied to the exfoliation, or puffing up, of vermiculite are state of the art as they were when first introduced. The technology uses less energy, produces a better exfoliated product and does not release fines into the environment. Each plant saves 150 tonnes of CO2 per year from being emitted to atmosphere - what's not to like!

Launch of new Hybrid Microwave TORBED platform technology

29-Aug-18 With regulators and markets increasingly demanding the decarbonisation of high-emitting industrial sectors, we are on the verge of a low-carbon industrial revolution. However, to get over the line the products and services supplied to these sectors need to transform. To embrace this rapid shift towards precise, electrically fuelled novel solid processing, Torftech, University of Nottingham (‘UoN’ - Microwave Process Engineering Research Group) and Teledyne e2v (supplier of large scale industrial microwave generators) have agreed to develop and launch a new Hybrid Microwave TORBED ('HMT') technology platform. In total, some £1m has been committed to demonstrate this world leading technology at a significant scale.

This demonstration facility will be capable of producing commercial quantities of a range of products such as:

• Food - pasteurisation, cooking, blanching, drying, roasting, toasting, puffing, expansion and baking.  This follows on from the successful pilot trials already completed with the HMT.
• Minerals - bloating, exfoliating, expanding, roasting, drying, calcining, thermal shattering and carbon removal.
• Catalysts/zeolites - impregnation, regeneration, recovery, calcination.
• Carbon activation - biomass and coal devolatilisation and activation, impregnation.
• Waste streams - pasteurisation, devolatilisation.

In all cases, the ability to process materials in very short retention times and with absolute precision enables the much lower energy consumption that is necessary for renewable energy sources. 

Back to our roots...

01-Aug-18 - The TORBED processors were originally conceived to increase the efficiency and reduce the scale and cost of bulk manufacture of vermiculite.  They have subsequently been used in many other applications.  We are delighted to have received an order for our twenty-first vermiculite machine.  When shipped in December, it will join an operational fleet the oldest of which is approaching its 30^th anniversary. 

Camstar Ingredients Herb and Spice processor in production

26-Mar-18 180th TORBED Processor successfully in production - see Camstar Ingredients of Eye in Suffolk

Large Scale Biomass Drying Grows Apace

14-Nov-17 - Last year we announced the successful commissioning and continuous operation of a biomass dryer built by Cedrus in Poland.  This machine can handle up to 10 tonnes per hour of sawdust at 50% moisture and is designed to dry it to a 12% moisture content.  Following on from this, we have just completed and commissioned a further dryer for the same application and also a dryer that is being used to dry vegetable matter from over 80% moisture content.  These relatively high-volume dryers are compact, 3.5 or 4.5 metres in diameter, and together with their ancillary equipment, occupy a space no more than 10mx10mx10m - much less than that taken by rival technologies.  The TORBED processors’ traditional strengths of simplicity and accuracy combine to produce evenly dried biomass of consistent quality around the clock. 

Orders currently in hand include one dryer for sewage sludge.  A more complex, double tiered, stainless steel dryer designed to dry citrus pulp with a moisture content of around 90% is also in manufacture.

180th TORBED Processor in production

12-Nov-17 - We are currently manufacturing 180^th TORBED processor.  Due for commissioning in early January 2018, this T750 unit will be used for drying and roasting spices and food flavourings.

Production of Activated Carbon from Straw

23-Jun-17 - Significant quantities of activated carbon are now being produced from wheat straw. The 1m diameter TORBED non pressurised air blown gasifier installed at a heating station near Wroclaw in Poland is producing more than 20 tonnes per week as a valuable byproduct that is finding a ready market for environmental application. The char characteristics can be seen here.