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  • Writer's pictureMechaTech Systems
    • Apr 25, 2022
    • 2 min read

Pilot Scale Freeze Dryers – UK Designed, Manufactured & Maintained

Updated: May 18, 2022

UK manufactured LyoDry Freeze Dryers range from benchtop to pilot and production scale.


The LyoDry Pilot Scale range includes three models:


All are all fully automated with touch screen control and controllable temperatures, ideal for pilot scale or lower volume production freeze drying.




All LyoDry Pilot Scale Freeze Dryers include visible ice condensers, with automatic hot gas defrost for faster processing between batches; and front loading chambers for easy loading and unloading of product. Freezing, primary and secondary drying are all controlled by a central processor unit, allowing complex pressure/temperature profiles to be controlled accurately and reproducibly without operator intervention.


So, what is the difference between them and how do you decide which freeze dryer is best for your freeze drying requirements?


Firstly, what is your application, i.e. what product types are you freeze drying? The Maxi and Grande are ideally suited to pharmaceutical applications, for several reasons:

  • Temperature is controlled directly on the shelf

  • Temperatures are controllable between either -40 to +60°C; or -60 to +60°C

  • There is an option for stoppering if you’re drying in vials, pressure control for optimising heat transfer and nitrogen backfill for stoppering in an inert atmosphere

  • The chamber is rectangular with rounded corners and no crevices, for easy cleaning

  • End point determination is automatic



Whereas the Heritage is more suited to freeze drying food, flowers and archaeological artefacts, because:

  • The chamber is temperature controlled (not the shelves)

  • Temperatures are controllable between -40 ­to + 50°C

  • The chamber is circular with a clear acrylic door for easy sample viewing throughout the process

  • The chamber has five, large removable trays for large batch processing and the option for a larger condenser size at a lower cost


Secondly, what are your capacity requirements?

  • LSM LyoDry Maxi has the option of 3, 4 or 5 shelves, each measuring 360mm W x 480mm, with a total shelf space of up to 0.86m² (for the 5-shelf version)

  • LSG LyoDry Grande has 9 shelves, each measuring 375 mm W x 500 mm, with a total shelf space of 1.69m²

  • LSH LyoDry Heritage has 5 trays, with two different tray size options, giving a total tray space of either 2.6m² or 5.2m²

Thirdly, what are your budgetary requirements?


LyoDry Pilot Scale freeze dryer pricing starts from around £80,000.


If this is beyond budget, then LyoDry Lab Scale Freeze Dryers provide plenty of options for less automated, lower cost equipment.



For example, the LyoDry Midi freeze dryer, complete with the LSCC10 shelf chamber doesn’t have the bells and whistles, but is a significantly less expensive option. And some of the bells and whistles are available if you opt for the LyoDry Midi Pro freeze dryer, which has data logging, pressure control etc.


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