Kason Corp. and ABM Equipment introduced a patent-pending 2-stage fluid bed dryer that can dry up to 10,000 pounds of cannabis an hour with minimal cannabinoid loss. Ideal for batch or continuous drying of cannabis biomass, the VIBRO-BED fluid bed dryer uses heat as an accelerant rather than a primary driver for evaporation, burning off less CBD than alternate technologies, the companies say. Additionally, two-stage fluid bed dryers are an improvement over belt and tumbler dryers because the fluid bed pushes air up through the product while it is being constantly shifted with vibration. This fluidizes and maximizes exposure to air, speeding the drying process while maintaining product integrity. The new system, available through ABM Equipment, also dries and retains more CBD with less energy than tumbler and belt dryers, it says. Because the product is suspended over the airstreams, this method increases the surface area of the product being exposed to dry air for greater efficiency and drying consistency. Cannabis processors also are using the equipment to capture and return lost trichomes to each batch.

ABM Equipment, 13911 NW 3rd Court Vancouver, Wash. 98685; 360/558-7156; abmequipment.com.