The black soldier fly (BSF) business is flying globally. The farmers and Agri-tech innovators are transforming the larvae into the protein-rich animal food, bioplastic material and recyclers of waste. But, with all this advancement, there remains one important difficulty, which is to dry the larvas so as to preserve their nutrient value, and yet in a dry state.
Conventional processes such as sun drying or hot-air ovens are slow, energy consuming and destructive to the nutrients. The result? Wasting profits, creating poor quality, and scale inefficiency.
Enter Kerone engineering solutions Ltd. a global manufacturer and supplier of high-level drying systems in industries. Kerone has revolutionized BSF processing with its AI ML IoT integrated technology, which has changed the process to micro wave vacuum drying; the process is fast, smarter and cleaner than ever before.
The pressed requirement of effective processing of BSF larvae
Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are transforming the protein production. They recycle waste into high-protein food that is comparable to soy and fishmeal. As the BSF market expands at a rate of more than 20%, the efficient drying is the new scalability foundation.
Wet larvae have a moisture percentage of 60 to 70 and this has to reduce to less than 10 percent in safe storage and quality food. However, sun drying is weather-dependent, whereas drying in the oven or by hot air requires tremendous amounts of energy and destroys specific nutrients such as lauric acid and essential proteins.
Kerone Engineering Solutions Ltd. comes in there. The microwave vacuum drying systems used by the company are specifically made to work with insects to cut on time cycles, retain nutritional value and maintain a uniform quality. Whether small farms or large-scale plants, it is the global presence of Kerone that will guarantee the custom solutions that give power to the next generation of sustainable feed manufacturing.
The Challenges in Traditional BSF Drying
- High Energy Use and Operating Power: The conventional dryers like rotary dryers or forced-air dryers consume 5-10 kWh of electricity per kilogram of dried larvae which makes this method very expensive to operate.Prolonged drying (8 – 12 hours) slows down production and bleak profits. That is an unsustainable choke point to BSF manufacturers operating 24/7.
- Degradation of Nutrients in the Presence of Long-term Heating: BSF larvae contain high amounts of proteins and lipids, in particular lauric acid, which helps animals to have immunity. Long-term exposure to heat leads to oxidation and denaturation that lowers the nutritional value by 30 percent. That implies reduced value in the market and performance in animal feed.
- Moisture Inefficiency and Product Inconsistency: The old drying systems dry outward hence unevenly resulting to moulds and batches. That influences feed mills, pet food processors and fertilizer manufacturers who depend on the consistency of products.
The Science Behind Microwave Vacuum Drying Technology
Microwave Energy: Precision Heating from the Inside Out
The microwaves are directed to the biomass and the water molecules are heated evenly across the larva. This volumetric heating reduces drying time (hours) to less than one hour/batch per batch; with little energy loss.
Intelligent System Design to BSF Processing.
The systems of Kerone have been designed to work with insect biomass, with:
- Equalized micro wave fields to avoid hot spots.
- Moisture and temperature real-time sensors.
- Sticky larvae handling trays (easy to clean).
- Scalability Small to industrial operations.
It is powered by AI ML IoT integrated technology which is Kerone based and allows automated control, real time data monitoring, predictive maintenance and performance optimization.
High quality products with Microwave drying.
- Lipid Profile Preservation: The reduction in drying time lowers the level of oxidation preserving lipid molecules greater than 95 percent. This guarantees increased shelf life and improved feed ratio in aquaculture and human pet food.
- Protein Solubility and Digestibility: Proteins are preserved during low-temperature dehydration. BSF dried under systems which has protein digestibility just like fresh larvae, enhancing the feed efficiency and health of animals.
- uniform Texture and Handling: Controlled drying forms uniform flakes or powder which is best used in extrusion, pelletizing or blending in compound feeds and fertilizers. Friable and low dust content results in easy downstream processing.
Economic and Environmental Advantages for BSF Processors
Reduced Drying Cycle Times: Microwave systems reduced processing time and increased daily output by three to six times taking only 30 to 60 minutes-10 hours a day. Such a high turnover increases productivity of small scale and commercial insect farms.
Sustainability and Energy Efficiency: The consumption of energy will reduce to 12-2 kilowatts per kilogram, which will cut down the operating expenses by 50%. The reduced power consumption will be translated into reduced carbon footprint, which is in line with the sustainability requirements of the world.
Scalability and Customization: It has a range of system size, 50kg pilot models to multiple tonne continuous lines. Kerone being a world producer and distributor, tailors each configuration according to:
- Larvae size and moisture content.
- Production capacity
- Integration with the current feed systems.
BSF farms implementation guide.
Pre-Drying Preparation
- Take mature larvae with 50-60 percent moisture.
- Rinse lightly and remove the water to reduce weight.
- scattered on trays (1 cm -2 layer).
Optimal Drying Parameters
- Temperature: ~50°C
- Vacuum: ~75 mbar
- Power: 70% (scale depending on the size of the batch)
- Final moisture target: ≤8%
Integration with Feed Lines
The control systems integrated with AI at Kerone are synchronized with the conveyors, silos and bagging stations- guaranteeing end-to-end automation and least human intervention.
The Future of Processing Sustainable Insect Protein
Kerone Engineering Solutions Ltd. has its global presence and decades of innovation, which keep on redefining drying technology. Its microwave vacuum systems are the ideal combination of efficiency, intelligence, and sustainability.