Cabinet and tray
dryer controller retrofit
Many tray and cabinet dryers carry a separate temperature controller, timer and humidity unit on the front panel. We evaluate the dryer and, where it suits, replace the three with one RD150 that runs them as a single programme and records every cycle.
THE PROBLEM
A good dryer cabinet with a control panel from another decade
Tray dryers in food, pharma, chemical and ceramic plants often run for decades. The fans, heaters and trays keep working, but the control panel ages: a temperature indicator-controller, a mechanical or digital timer, and sometimes a humidity display, each wired separately. The operator has to start them in the right order and remember what each product needs.
Replacing the whole dryer for better control is expensive and wasteful. Replacing the panel instruments with one coordinated controller keeps the cabinet in service and gives the plant the cycle records it currently writes by hand.
HOW A RETROFIT WORKS
Survey, adapt, replace
Electrical survey first
We assess the existing panel: heater load and switching, fan and damper wiring, sensor types, supply voltage and cut-out size. Electrical compatibility decides how the RD150 connects, and what changes, if any, the panel needs.
Three instruments become one
The separate temperature controller, timer and humidity unit are replaced by one RD150. Temperature and humidity are controlled against the timed cycle, and the start and end of each run happen in one place.
Product recipes from day one
We load the settings your operators use today as RD150 recipes. Each product then runs with the same conditions and duration, whoever is on shift.
Cycle records without paper
With a connected RD150, measured conditions and the timed cycle go to RIOD Live or your own server. Batch reports export as PDF or Excel with an audit trail.
AT A GLANCE
Dryer retrofit with the RD150
- What is recorded
- Measured conditions and the timed cycle
- Replaces
- Separate temperature controller, timer and humidity unit
- Hardware
- RD150 temperature, humidity and timer controller
- Connectivity
- Optional connected variant, MQTT over TLS 1.2 to RIOD Live or your own server
- Safety
- Built-in temperature cut-out, sensor failure detected and reported
- Engineering note
- Electrical compatibility of the existing panel is assessed before the retrofit design
FAQ
Questions buyers ask us
Can I replace the controller on an old tray dryer without replacing the dryer?
In many cases, yes. We first assess the electrical side of the panel: heater switching, sensors, wiring and supply. Where it is compatible, one RD150 replaces the separate temperature controller, timer and humidity unit.
What do you need from us to evaluate a dryer retrofit?
Photos of the panel and nameplate, the heater rating, the wiring diagram if you have it and the cycles you run. From that we plan the electrical changes and the RD150 configuration.
Will the operators need to learn a new process?
The settings they use today are loaded as recipes, so the operator selects a product and starts the cycle. The controller then handles temperature, humidity and timing together.
Can a retrofitted dryer send data to our system?
Yes. A connected RD150 sends data over MQTT with TLS 1.2 to RIOD Live or your own server, and reports can be exported as PDF or Excel. The data is also available to AI tools through MCP.
Have a dryer with three controllers on the panel?
Send us photos of the panel and the dryer nameplate. We will tell you how the RD150 retrofit would work on it.