When we talk about decarbonising drying, it can be hard to picture what the future actually looks like on a real machine. That’s exactly why we created our new SteamDry Pilot Plant infographic.
The infographic walks you through how we’ve rebuilt the VTT SAMPO pilot machine into a fully fledged Superheated Steam Drying (SSD) line. It shows the complete journey: from how the wet web enters the first hood, to how closed-loop superheated steam dries the sheet, to how waste heat can be recovered and reused in the mill.
At a glance, you can see the key technical parameters:
- Speed range from low trial speeds up to near-industrial levels
- Web width suitable for realistic scale-up
- A long dryer section with two SSD hoods in series
- High-temperature steam and installed power enabling efficient drying
- A very wide basis-weight window, from light grades to heavy structures
In parallel, the infographic highlights why SSD is such a strong candidate for low-carbon drying. By circulating and reheating steam in a closed loop, the system offers the potential for significant energy savings and a much higher drying rate than conventional hot-air systems. Because the exhaust is steam, its latent heat can be captured and reused, supporting more circular heat management at mill level.
You’ll also find a clear, step-by-step process flow: how the sheet enters, how the steam is superheated, how it circulates through the hoods, and how an optional IR section can be used for final moisture adjustment. For users of pilot facilities, this gives a concrete picture of what kind of trials are possible and how flexible the line really is.
The infographic also touches on the technical challenges that our team is addressing, such as sealing, steam purity, and thermal durability of fabrics and materials at high temperature. These are exactly the issues that need to be solved to pave the way for full-scale industrial implementations.
Finally, the infographic places the pilot plant in its wider innovation context, as part of a Horizon Europe–funded effort to develop energy-efficient, sustainable drying solutions for fiber-based materials across Europe.
If you’re interested in:
- Exploring energy and heat-recovery scenarios, or
- Investigating how superheated steam drying affects product quality,
we’d be happy to discuss what’s possible on the pilot plant.
You can view the full SteamDry Pilot Plant infographic below.
