Develops and manufactures vacuum and freeze-drying systems for the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries.
Bucher Merk Process GmbH
Laufenburg (Lippersmatt 2) · Laufenburg (Steinmatt 6)New on Amplifa
About Bucher Merk Process
Bucher Merk Process GmbH, based in Laufenburg, develops, designs, manufactures, and installs vacuum drying and freeze-drying systems for temperature-sensitive liquids and pastes. The product portfolio includes continuous vacuum belt dryers (DryBand, miniDryBand), vacuum and freeze-drying chambers (DryCab), continuous freeze belt dryers (DryBand Lyo), and quasi-continuous freeze dryers (QCF). The location features a technical laboratory with continuous and batch pilot plants where product drying tests, feasibility studies, and process optimizations are conducted. The systems are built according to cGMP, FDA, and HACCP recommendations; customers include global corporations and medium-sized companies from the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. In addition to new systems, the company offers retrofits for existing dryers, spare parts, maintenance, training, and energy and process optimization. Since 2021, the 1994-founded Merk Process GmbH has been part of Bucher Unipektin AG.
- Site
- Laufenburg
- Processes
- Vacuum Drying (Vacuum drying chambers, vacuum belt dryers, complete lines), Freeze Drying / Lyophilization (Freeze drying chambers, continuous freeze belt dryers,, Vacuum Belt Dryer (DryBand) – continuous vacuum drying of liquids and pastes, miniDryBand – continuous drying of liquid, paste-like, heat-sensitive products, DryCab – Drying or Freeze Drying / Lyophilization, DryBand Lyo – continuous freeze drying of food, QCF – Quasi-continuous Freeze Dryer, Dryer retrofit – Conversion of existing drying systems
- Materials
- Food (vacuum and freeze-dried, temperature-sensitive liquids and pastes), Vacuum Drying, Freeze Drying / Lyophilization, Food
- Certificates
- System construction according to cGMP, FDA and HACCP
- Founded
- 1994
- Employees
- 22
- Industries
- Food Industry, Pharmaceutical Industry, Chemical Industry
- 01
Process development and feasibility studies in the technical laboratory
- 02
Design and engineering of drying systems
- 03
Manufacturing in the own workshop in Laufenburg
- 04
Assembly and commissioning of systems
- 05
Retrofit, maintenance, spare parts, and process optimization
Processes & Products
Vacuum Drying
Continuous vacuum drying of liquid and paste-like, heat-sensitive products using vacuum belt dryers and drying chambers.
Freeze Drying / Lyophilization
Gentle drying using freeze-drying chambers, continuous freeze belt dryers, and quasi-continuous freeze dryers.
Food
Vacuum and freeze-dried foods, as well as temperature-sensitive liquids and pastes as process products.
Sites
Laufenburg (Lippersmatt 2)
DEHeadquarters / Center of Competence for Drying Technology with Technical Laboratory and Test Center
- Lot size
- Individual systems and series systems (manufacturer specifications)
- Materials
- Vacuum and Freeze Drying Systems
- Vacuum belt dryer DryBand and miniDryBand
- Vacuum/Freeze drying chamber DryCab
- Freeze belt dryer DryBand Lyo
- Quasi-continuous freeze dryer QCF
- Pilot plants in the technical laboratory
Laufenburg (Steinmatt 6)
DEWorkshop (Manufacturing)
Equipment & Systems
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vacuum Drying (Vacuum drying chambers, vacuum belt dryers, complete lines)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Freeze Drying / Lyophilization (Freeze drying chambers, continuous freeze belt dryers,Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Vacuum Belt Dryer (DryBand) – continuous vacuum drying of liquids and pastesEngineering | – | – | – | – | liquid and paste-like food products |
| miniDryBand – continuous drying of liquid, paste-like, heat-sensitive productsEngineering | – | – | – | – | liquid, paste-like heat-sensitive products |
| DryCab – Drying or Freeze Drying / LyophilizationEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| DryBand Lyo – continuous freeze drying of foodEngineering | – | – | – | – | food |
| QCF – Quasi-continuous Freeze DryerEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Dryer retrofit – Conversion of existing drying systemsEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Test Center Services – Pilot plants, product drying testsTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| System construction / Engineering, manufacturing, installation and commissioning of process systemsEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Drying tests / Feasibility studies, optimization of quality and performance, assessmentsTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
5 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vacuum Belt Dryer (DryBand / miniDryBand) | Bucher Merk DryBand, miniDryBand | – | – | – | Laufenburg, Germany |
| Vacuum Drying Chamber (DryCab) | Bucher Merk DryCab | – | – | – | Laufenburg, Germany |
| Freeze Belt Dryer (continuous, DryBand Lyo) | Bucher Merk DryBand Lyo | – | – | – | Laufenburg, Germany |
| Quasi-continuous Freeze Dryer | Bucher Merk QCF | – | – | – | Laufenburg, Germany |
| Pilot Plants (continuous and batch dryers in the technical laboratory) | – | – | – | – | Laufenburg, Germany |
Additional services
Quality
Systems are built according to common recommendations of cGMP, FDA, and HACCP. In the technical laboratory, individual product drying tests are conducted to optimize product profiles such as taste, color, bulk density, solubility, and shelf life.
| Evidence | Laufenburg |
|---|---|
| System construction according to cGMP, FDA and HACCP |
History
- 1955
First vacuum belt dryer by Sulzer; roots of the Bucher Merk brand through predecessor companies such as Zschokke, Wartmann, ZWAG, Meprotec (Schneider), Zedrys, Terotech (Teropam), and Ecken
- 1994
Founding of Merk Process GmbH in Laufenburg
- 2021
Acquisition by Bucher Unipektin AG (06.01.2021) and renaming to Bucher Merk Process GmbH
- 2022
Cooperation with SCHRADER Verfahrenstechnik GmbH for holistic system concepts from extraction to vacuum drying