"Don't you have anything bigger than AMARU? We'd need about 20 to 30 kg per batch." We hear similar phrasing quite regularly, and that's probably why it's better to put my traditional explanation here on the web, so it's more visible.
Of course, we don't keep AMARU's bigger brother in our workshop and only sell it sub-counter. It's been barely 2 years since we were able to get the necessary certifications and market our so far unique lyophilizer at an imaginable price for smaller entrepreneurs and tradesmen. So, it will take some time before we start developing an even bigger device.
However, there is no need to despair. Let's see what other options are available. The first is one big lyophilizer. This could be, for example, the FD18 model offered by our sister company Biotrade. This offers the user 18 kg with an average drying time of around 24 hours. What will not please the interested party is that getting such a device to the Czech Republic and putting it into operation means an acquisition cost of about 200 thousand EUR. Its bigger brother, the FD80, is intended for more seasoned entrepreneurs with a clear plan to overwhelm Central Europe with freeze-dried products, as it will provide a capacity of 80 kg. For this, however, he will ask his new owner for a price of around 300 thousands EUR.
So is there any alternative between AMARU and purely industrial lyophilizers? The first may be the markets of the Far East, i.e. China. I haven't explored these waters myself, but so far I don't know of anyone who has tried this route either. Apart from others, there is one major risk and that is service - if the refrigeration unit of an instrument from another continent fails, it may even be impossible to simply refill the refrigerant (especially the manufacturer must specify it) with the correct amount. What would have been saved on the instrument could have been picked up by the instrument at the first serious failure.
But what if one AMARU is not enough? Then there is the possibility of purchasing more AMARUs. :)
"Of course, what else can you expect from the manufacturer itself!?" you think. Still, it's worth considering this option.
Of course, AMARU will not compete with a 100 kg or more capacity machine, but what about a lyophilizer with a capacity of around 20 kg? Two AMARUs can hold up to 25 kg and the acquisition cost will not exceed 35 thousand euros. Moreover, it is not necessary to make such an investment all at once, but to gradually increase the capacity as the final product proves itself. One large lyophilizer will certainly have the advantage of lower energy consumption (e.g. one large pump consumes less energy than two small ones, etc.). On the other hand, the failure of one of several units does not mean a complete shutdown of production.
