Top 7 drying machine manufacturers in Europe

1.Introduction

Europe is home to some of the world’s most advanced drying technology providers, offering innovative solutions for industries ranging from pharmaceuticals and food to chemicals, feed, and specialty materials. These companies combine decades of engineering expertise with modern process design, delivering equipment that ensures efficiency, product safety, and compliance with global standards.

2.Making.com

Making.com is a global platform that connects manufacturers with over 500 leading machine suppliers and 20,000+ technical experts. It offers more than 10,000 equipment solutions across industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, feed, chemicals, and minerals. The platform helps users quickly identify and source the right technologies while keeping all project data confidential.

For drying equipment, Making.com provides a wide range of options, including spray dryers, fluid bed dryers, freeze dryers, vacuum dryers, belt and tunnel dryers, flash dryers, and heat pump drying cabinets. These solutions are energy-efficient, adaptable to heat-sensitive materials, and designed for hygiene, easy cleaning, and smart control. The key advantages include versatility for different industries, customized configurations, reduced energy use, and reliable support from a global expert network.

3.Dara-Lyo

Dara-Lyo, established in 2008, was created to fulfill GMP-compliant freeze-drying and loading system demands from Spanish pharmaceutical manufacturers. Acquired by Dara Pharma in 2020 and rebranded as Dara-Lyo, it now offers turnkey solutions—combining fill/dry/close processes with integrated isolators—for injectable freeze-dried products.

Their product scope includes laboratory & pilot freeze dryers (e.g., LyoMicron, LyoLab series), GMP production units (LyoNano, LyoCompact, LyoCool, LyoPro, LyoPharm), probiotic/nutritional lines (LyoBiotic), plate freeze-thaw systems, automated loading/unloading systems, containment (LAF, oRABs, cRABs, isolators), plus full turnkey lines and support services. Advantages include full process integration, compliance with pharmaceutical standards, scalable capacity, automated handling, and global R&D and aftermarket support.

4.Hosokawa Micron B.V.

Hosokawa Micron B.V. is a Netherlands-based specialist in powder and bulk solids processing. They design and supply equipment for mechanical and thermal treatment—particularly mixing, drying, and agglomeration—for industries like food, pharma, chemicals, minerals, cosmetics, energy/environment, and animal feed. They operate R&D & test centers, have ISO 14001 environmental certification, and emphasize sustainable, custom-fit solutions.

Their drying equipment includes Nauta® Vacuum Dryers, Conical Paddle Dryers, Active Freeze Dryers, Flash Dryers, and lab/R&D scale vacuum dryers. They offer tailored designs to match material properties; strong hygienic and quality standards; test-scale proofing before scale-up; and optimized total cost of ownership via durable construction plus efficient, reliable operation.

5.European SprayDry Technologies (ESDT)

European SprayDry Technologies (ESDT), trading under spray-dryer.com and based in the UK, is a specialist designer and builder of spray drying, fluid bed, and powder processing plants. With over 40 years of experience, they serve industries including food & flavours, dairy, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, battery materials, and recycling.

Their product range spans lab/pilot-scale spray dryers (e.g., ESDT1, ESDT5) to full production-scale systems, fluid bed dryers/coolers, and evaporators. They offer bespoke, industry-compliant solutions, tailored for high performance, safety, and ease of use, backed by services like project management, operator training, commissioning, and global support.

6.Heinkel

HEINKEL Drying & Separation Group is a long-established German engineering company specializing in solid-liquid separation, drying, filtration, mixing, and related equipment.

Their drying‐/dryer‐related products include vacuum drying and mixing systems (via BOLZ-SUMMIX), filter dryers and nutsche filters (via COMBER), lab & pilot scale dryers/mixers, and other dryers & mixers adapted for pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, food, recycling, and metal processing.

Advantages: high sanitary & GMP compliance, ability to scale from lab/pilot to production, strong separation + filtration + drying integration, robust design for high throughput, and global service including test centers, spare parts, upgrades, and technical support.

7.GEA

Heinkel Drying & Separation Group, founded in 1884 and now under De Dietrich Process Systems, is a Germany-based leader in solid-liquid separation, drying, filtration, and mixing technology. It operates through four brands—HEINKEL, COMBER, BOLZ-SUMMIX, and JONGIA—serving pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, food, recycling, and more.

Their drying product portfolio includes vertical and horizontal vacuum dryers, conical screw vacuum dryers, (agitated) Nutsche filter dryers, paddle, pan, and central shaft dryers. These systems are designed for heat-sensitive materials and offer excellent discharge, sanitary construction, compliance with cGMP/FDA, modular controls, pilot testing, and global service support.

8.Schedio Group

Schedio Group, based in Stabio, Switzerland, specializes in particle engineering—including micronization, spray drying, spray congealing—and high-containment systems (isolators, ex-proof solutions). Their key sectors include pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and batteries, supported by services like R&D, formulation development, PSD analysis, and a 7-year warranty.

Their drying solutions—especially spray dryers—offer precise control over particle size, moisture, and morphology, suited for sensitive materials like HPAPIs, cosmetics actives, and battery materials. They also provide compact high-containment mini-spray dryers (e.g., S-300 with integrated isolator) that ensure operator safety, easy cleaning, and compliance.