Ohkawara Spray Dryers for Food Powders (L/OC, FGA Series)

Ohkawara Kakohki is a Japanese engineering company established in April 1980 and headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa, with a sales office in Osaka and a Powder Technology Research Institute in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka. It specialises in spray dryers that turn liquids into powders for the food, pharmaceutical, chemical and ceramics industries, and reports more than 2,500 units installed, about 2,000 in Japan and about 500 overseas, as of April 2025.

Its general-purpose L/OC series scales from R&D to production use and is the main line for food powders. Other lines include the FGA fluidised granulation spray dryer, CL/COC closed-cycle units for organic solvents under nitrogen, Twin Jetter units for fine particles and small batches, compact benchtop PL-2 units, spray coolers for granulation and spray pyrolysis systems. The company also designs custom dryers, carries out spraying, drying and granulation tests to optimise particle design and drying efficiency, provides maintenance and modification, and runs hands-on spray dryer seminars.

• L/OC series: general-purpose spray dryers for food, pharmaceuticals and chemicals from R&D to production.
• FGA series: fluidised granulation spray dryer that produces granulated powders.
• CL/COC series: nitrogen-sealed closed-cycle dryers for organic solvent systems.
• Twin Jetter and PL-2: compact units for fine particles, small batches and benchtop trials.
• Spray cooler: spray cooling granulation for melt-based products.
• Test and training services: spraying, drying and granulation tests plus beginner seminars.

• Coffee and tea processors producing instant powders from extracts.
• Coconut and fruit companies making coconut milk powder or fruit powders for export.
• Herbal extract and functional food makers scaling new powder formulations from lab trials to production.

• Scalable from lab to plant: the L/OC series spans R&D units to production dryers, easing scale-up of new powder products.
• Better particle design: spraying, drying and granulation tests help optimise particle properties and drying efficiency.
• Proven installed base: more than 2,500 units delivered, including about 500 overseas, as of April 2025.
• Lifecycle support: custom manufacturing, maintenance, modification and operator training.

Powdered foods such as instant beverages, coconut milk powder, fruit powders, seasonings, plant extracts and nutritional ingredients are growing because they are light, shelf-stable and easy to export. Vietnam's coffee, coconut, fruit and herbal sectors are investing in deeper processing, which raises demand for spray drying capacity and particle engineering know-how.

Established in April 1980 with head office in Yokohama, capital of 88 million yen and 102 employees as of April 2025. Group companies include Ohkawara Powder Technology (Suzhou), the Shanghai Ohkawara Drying Equipment joint venture and Ohkawara Korea (2013). Its overseas network page lists Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore among countries with delivery records.