Fried sunflower seeds are a very popular product in our country. Moreover, everyone buys it with pleasure: not only young people, but also older people. Demand this product snack category is stable, so in this niche there is an opportunity to build a profitable and promising business. We will talk today about how to organize the production of seeds and their sale.

Product group characteristics

If we compare roasted sunflower seeds with other products from the snack category (crackers, chips, etc.), they compare favorably in that the target audience their consumer base is the widest. The popularity of sunflower seeds can be explained by the following factors:

The absence of age restrictions, they are allowed to be used by children, adults, and the elderly;

The absence of restrictions on the place of use, you can eat seeds at home, on the street, and indoors (for example, some people enjoy husking them in the office);

The absence negative impact on the human body with moderate use of this product.

In addition, seeds contain a lot of substances useful for humans, such as vitamins of groups A, B, D and E, zinc, magnesium, and unsaturated fatty acids. Eating this product helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels, accelerates the process of skin regeneration, improves hair condition, and also has a calming effect on the human nervous system, which makes it easier, for example, to cope with smoking cessation. Therefore, by organizing the production of roasted sunflower seeds, you can be sure that your products will not only not harm anyone's health, but will also be useful.

Business Highlights

The production of roasted sunflower seeds, like any other enterprise, has a number of its own characteristics. These include the following:

1. Availability of raw materials, as well as its relatively low cost.
2. Opportunity to buy an inexpensive machine for the production of seeds.
3. Quick return on initial investment.

In addition, the prospect of further business development can be called very tempting. Thus, the equipment used is easily reconfigured for roasting coffee beans, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, etc. If you decide to purchase additional units in the future, you can start making butter, margarine, drying oil, fodder cake and a host of other products.

All of the above makes this enterprise a very successful and promising idea. To begin with, it is necessary to draw up a business plan for production.

Seeds as a business: consumers and marketing of finished products

As a rule, manufacturers of roasted sunflower seeds do not sell them in retail sales, preferring wholesale deliveries. To do this, it is necessary to establish contractual relations both with large retail chains and with a number of small shops, stalls and kiosks, as well as, if possible, with distributors and wholesale buyers.

Do not underestimate the activity of competitors in this segment, which makes it necessary to carefully plan all activities aimed at expanding the distribution channels for your products.

How are roasted sunflower seeds made?

Seed production technology includes the following stages: calibration, washing, salting, frying, cooling, polishing, packing and packing. We propose to consider each of the points in more detail.

Calibration

On this stage there is a separation of large grains from small ones, as well as their cleaning from debris. For this, calibration units or vibrating screens are used, which have the function of separating the product into several fractions.

Washing

At this stage, the product is purified. Washing units have a tunnel, through-type design and are divided into the following types:

With top watering;

With bottom and top watering, which provides a more thorough washing of the product;

With one heater at the outlet;

With two heaters, which allows you to better dry the seeds, thereby reducing their frying time.

Product salting

This stage is used in the production of products with a salty taste. To do this, use a machine for making additives (coating drum). As a rule, units of this type are used in large industries.

frying

This is the most important stage in seed production. Quality finished products will directly depend on the quality of the equipment used for frying. Most often, electric drum furnaces are used for this purpose, equipped with a stainless steel drum, toppers, a thermostat, windows for removing moisture and a spatula for sampling. Sometimes this equipment also includes coolers.

In addition to electric, gas-fired drum ovens are also widely used. They keep everything specifications First, however, they can significantly save on electricity.

Cooling

Since after roasting the seeds are stored for a very long time high temperature inside their shell, in order to exclude the possibility of overcooking, they are cooled with the help of special units. This equipment is of two types: conveyor or open design of a round shape, equipped with agitators and a directed air flow.

Polishing

At this stage, the process of fine cleaning of products from debris and soot takes place. For this purpose, cleaning and polishing machines are used. By the way, if the production line includes such equipment, then there is no need for the initial washing of raw materials.

Packing and packaging

As is known, appearance product is very important in the process of marketing a product. Roasted seeds are no exception. Therefore, it is necessary not only to develop a suitable packaging design, but also to purchase high-quality equipment.

Seed production equipment

The main investments for the manufacture of such products will be associated with the purchase necessary equipment. As a rule, it includes the following names:

Units for washing and drying (at the initial stage, in order to minimize costs, this procedure can be performed manually);

Units for calibration of seeds;

Brazier;

cooler;

Packing machine.

Of course, you can purchase the equipment separately, but most the best option will purchase a finished production line.

If the size of your business investment is limited, then you can purchase a mini-line for the production of roasted sunflower seeds. It is based on an electric oven capable of producing 60-100 kilograms of finished products per hour. It is envisaged that washing and drying will be carried out manually. Two people are required to operate such a production line. Its cost will be about 450-500 thousand rubles. This equipment is designed for a workshop area of ​​30-35 square meters.

If you decide to purchase a fully automated production line, then you will need to spend at least 1.2 million rubles on its purchase. In this case, you will need a workshop with an area of ​​at least 50 square meters.

room

If you decide to start the production of roasted seeds, then you will need to rent a suitable room for this purpose. First of all, it must have enough space to accommodate all the equipment. It must also comply with all the requirements of the sanitary and epidemiological station and the fire service and have access to the main communications. It is best to choose a room on the outskirts of the city in the industrial zone, which will save on its rent.

Business in the production of fried seeds: the financial side of the issue

To begin with, we propose to evaluate the approximate initial investment. So, if you decide to organize the production of fried sunflower seeds with the purchase of a mini-line for their production, then to start such a business you will have to invest about 1 million rubles (including the purchase of raw materials, renting premises and hiring workers).

As for income, the monthly revenue will be about 800 thousand rubles. At the same time, net profit will be at the level of 110 thousand rubles. Thus, the initial investment will be able to pay off after 10-12 months of active work.

So, we can conclude that roasted seeds as a business is a very profitable, promising, highly profitable and quickly payback business.

Practice shows that there are no bad business ideas, there are unfavorable circumstances or an incorrect approach to implementation. De facto, a successful start is not an obstacle to great competition or lack of experience, the main thing is to have a great desire and correctly calculate your strengths, plus, of course, think over a sales strategy. Taking such axioms as a basis, you can take a completely new look at the ways of organizing your first business.

Looking at small businesses without regard to competition and lack of experience, you can see a whole cluster successful ideas, primarily mini production of different formats. Alas, the practice of entrepreneurship in Russia has brought trade to the forefront, but the experience of Western countries suggests the fallacy of this approach. Following the realities of development market relations it can be assumed that in the near future, the retail market will face hard times and vice versa, mini-workshops will receive a tangible impetus for development. Of course, such bright prospects are strategic calculations, but "the sleigh needs to be prepared from the summer." Although in addition to strategic advantages, many small ideas production have very specific advantages and can provide high. Today we will talk about one such direction, also subscribe to the blog, a whole series of articles devoted to this direction is being prepared for publication. Let me remind you that the publication contains three articles with a description, with business plan calculations, it will be interesting.

Fried sunflower seeds without false modesty can be called the most popular product in Russia for "killing time", for example, in the USA this niche is occupied by popcorn. The real volumes of consumption of roasted sunflower seeds in the country are simply not known, of course, there are statistics from large producers, but according to experts, they occupy no more than 10-30% of the market, although these figures are frankly taken from the ceiling. Of course, we can note the trends of the last decade in the growth of the "civilization" of the market and the increasing demand for packaged "factory" roasted seeds. But as always. a cruel joke with the producers was played by their greed. Fast enough big business refused to work with "quality" and switched to work on the principle of "quantity", thereby turning away some of the consumers. Although it is worth being objective, sometimes not only the manufacturer of fried seeds is to blame, but also intermediaries, not observing the storage conditions of the finished product during its delivery. Whatever it was, the result of such actions was a significant deterioration in the quality of finished seeds from "brand" companies. Small businesses began to use this factor, creating small mini-shops for the production of fried seeds on a regional scale, and very successfully.

Strengths of the idea of ​​​​a mini workshop for the production of fried seeds

• - low price of entering the business, more details about the list of equipment for the production of fried sunflower seeds here. (date of publication 18.04.2014);
• - high profitability of seeds processing;
• - ease of organization. You need a small room, minimum requirements from regulatory authorities, including the CEC, at least a few staff and the usual infrastructure, in fact, the same can be said about taxes, and enough;
• - technological simplicity of the production process;
• - high demand. It should be noted that the demand for seeds exists all year round, What

Cons of roasted sunflower seeds

• - organization of sales of mini-workshop products. The most painful issue and requiring special attention, plus non-traditional approaches at the stage of formation of the distribution network.
• - the need for additional investment of money in the advertising campaign.

As you can see, there are few minuses in a small workshop, but they are quite significant, now we will consider the main stages of opening production.

Stage one of the opening of production - the choice of premises.

The room under the mini workshop for roasting seeds should be spacious enough, optimally up to 100 squares, plus 30-40 squares storage facilities. The regulatory authorities do not put forward any special requirements for its equipment, as in fact in any production, cladding, ventilation, the presence of electricity and running water are needed. A good addition would be if gas is brought into the room. Gas ovens are a little more economical than electric ovens, but practice shows that it is not worthwhile to specially conduct natural gas at least at the initial stage of the formation of a small production workshop, the costs are too high. Actually, all the requirements, and of course the premises of the workshop, need to be equipped with a fire alarm. The latter is mandatory for all types of production activities.

Stage two - the choice of equipment for a small production workshop.

Actually, there are several options here, you can go for the most concise option and buy a minimum set of equipment, which will include:

• seed roaster,
• packing machine
• cooler-purifier.

In such cases, only ready-made culinary seeds (previously calibrated, dried and cleaned) will have to be used in production. Such raw materials will cost an order of magnitude more expensive than ordinary farm seeds, which still need to be processed. It should be noted that buying additional equipment for calibration and purification is quite expensive and justifies such equipment only with more or less significant volumes. We will talk about this separately in an article dedicated to equipment for a mini-workshop for the production of fried seeds here.

Stage three opening - installation of equipment

All equipment used in the production of roasted seeds is installed independently and does not require special conditions or knowledge, although if you are buying a new one, then of course the best option would be to buy with installation by the manufacturer. By the way, the ease of installation and dismantling of equipment provides a very high mobility of the business for the production of fried seeds, which is another big plus. For example, the same fish shop is much more difficult to “transfer”, which often has a negative effect. Taking into account small investments in the opening of production and mobility, this is a great option for those who want to try themselves in the production direction and dream of a mini-workshop.

Stage four in the opening of a small production - we select suppliers of raw materials.

Of course, ideally, I would like to find one channel for the supply of high-quality calibrated culinary seeds, but business practice shows that this option is unrealistic. Typically, such a supplier has very inflated prices and is ready for discounts only for large volumes. A small workshop cannot afford this, therefore the constant search for a supplier and the availability of a constant supply of raw materials are the main condition for work. Frankly, the most the best option is the purchase of sunflowers in the midst of the harvest, it is during this period that sunflower seeds are sold at the lowest price. Especially if you buy from the “field” and already “finish” them on your own, bringing them to a marketable condition and selling part of the seeds after the new year. The equipment of a small barn for storing sunflowers will be relatively inexpensive, the main problem is further work with the seed, which implies the presence of certain equipment. And these are additional costs. Although a couple of years ago, making calculations for one farm, calculating the payback for building a mini elevator for processing and storing sunflower seeds, we came to the conclusion that such expenses pay off in 2 successful seasons. True, the purchase of raw sunflower also requires money, and this is an additional burden on the business. In general, I recommend moving in one of the following ways:

• - first, work with small farms with their own storage facilities. It is this category that sells sunflowers in small batches throughout the year to maintain business. The cost price in this case will fluctuate greatly depending on the price of seeds on the market;
• - the second is the creation of own capacities for storage and purchase at the height of the season, which implies additional investment money to open own production. In this case, a small workshop for the production of seeds will have a more or less stable cost throughout the year, and of course a certain stability.

Stage five - fry the seeds.

Actually, the mini-shop technology does not differ in anything special from the technology of roasting sunflowers at home. The main difference may be the presence of an automatic conveyor-oven, but for a small production it is better to use ovens with periodic loading of seeds. This is cheaper for starting a business and makes it possible to better control the roasting process, and this is control over the quality of the finished product. And quality is the key to the success of the idea.

The sixth stage is the sale of finished products.

As implementations have already said, this is the biggest problem when opening a small production, and it doesn’t matter in what area. And with regard to roasted seeds, even more so. A proven way to sell the products of a small workshop is to work with convenience stores, while the vast majority of such stores belong to small businesses that are not picky in choosing suppliers. To be clear, large networks require not only big discounts, but also a fee for placing goods on their shelves. As a result, it is worth starting your business with them, working with retail, you should do two main things at once:

• - dumping. We offer our goods below the wholesale price of branded manufacturers;
• - it is immediately necessary to provide seeds of different packaging, from the smallest packages to 500 grams.

Plus, do not forget about the advertising company, in this case, billboards at traffic intersections with a bright and memorable slogan and, of course, a pattern work very well. It is not necessary to “invent” advertising on your own; it will optimally turn to a professional advertising agency. The second technique, which has proven itself for a narrow regional business, are Promotions using prizes and walking "soft" toys at traffic intersections.

The practice of opening shows that in order to form a full-fledged implementation network, it will take six months of intensive work with retail stores. This factor must be taken into account in order to form a "margin" of strength for a tear-away project.

program "Your business" project for the production of fried sunflower seeds

How to start your own business? Will the show talk about it? roasted sunflower seed project

In our country, seeds are a folklore and even a cult product. When it comes to them, local punks or village clowns who litter appear in the image. Part of the population has a negative attitude towards seeds, but they are also unable to resist the attraction to them.
Sunflower seeds are hypnotizing, addictive, and even after a person's tongue starts to hurt, he is unable to stop.

In the 90s, all the empty places near grocery stores were occupied by grandmothers who sold seeds in paper bags, chewing gum and piece cigarettes. Old women had to master such a business because of small pensions.
Previously, raw seeds were bought at the nearest wholesale and retail market, then washed them. After that, the largest frying pan was placed on the gas burner. The seeds produced by grandmothers in this way were really tasty. They were under high-level control.
However, time does not stand still. Production of roasted seeds reached a new level. Today, hundreds of thousands of bright plastic bags with seeds come out of the shops of various organizations every day. Now there are a huge number of different brands, but among them there are leaders whose product people know, the quality of their products remains unchanged. They develop their own business plan, from which people are tasty and not at a loss.

But how are the roasted sunflower seeds that we crack nowadays produced?

In our country, raw materials are produced in two regions - in Altai and in Krasnodar Territory. Thin and long seeds are collected in Altai, and pot-bellied and short seeds are from Krasnodar. Sunflower seeds are delivered to the frying and packing shops by trains. After the crop is harvested, it is loaded into wagons and sent to the producers.

Roasted seeds must be produced every day. Therefore, regardless of the number of harvests per year, seeds are always present in the warehouses of manufacturers. The main enemies of seeds are: rodents, time and moisture. In large warehouses where seeds are stored, you can always see hundreds of mouse and rat nests. From moisture, heat and time, the seeds become moldy, because of this they acquire a bitter taste.

According to technology, seeds should not be washed. Firstly, it is very difficult to do, and secondly, washing spoils the taste of even those seeds that have not been spoiled. For frying, manufacturers take the seeds of a new and old crop. The mixing ratio depends on many factors. The main factor is the decency of the manufacturer.

Then the mixed raw material goes to the calibration. For this, a special machine with several levels of grids is used. Each grid has its own cell size. Thanks to this, the seeds are cleaned of dust, dirt, and small debris. The seeds are also divided into fractions. Then the largest seeds go into small bags. They are fried separately, as they are large, they require a special method and a different frying time. Medium seeds are placed in a large container, and the smallest seeds are packed in bags for home frying. The finer fraction is used in the manufacture of sunflower oil.
Salted seeds are made by dousing them with a brine solution, which is poured into large, swirling hot pans.
After frying, the seeds are again sent for calibration in order to clean them again. Then they are packed automatically into bags.

Video workshop - roasted sunflower seeds production line:

Like any kind of snacks, seeds are in high demand. But, unlike other representatives of this product (chips or crackers), they have a wider target audience.

This popularity is due to the following product features:

• no age restrictions - seeds are consumed by children, middle-aged and older people;
• no restrictions on the place of use - at home, on the street, indoors;
• practical absence of harmful effects on the human body with moderate use of the product.

In addition, sunflower seeds are the most valuable nutritional product because they contain vitamins A, B, D, E, magnesium, zinc, and unsaturated fatty acids. Their use in food reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood; improves the condition of the hair, accelerates the regeneration of the skin, increases appetite, has a calming effect on the nervous system and helps to cope with smoking cessation.

Of the features of the activity, it is worth noting the following:

• availability of raw materials and their low cost;
• inexpensive;
• quick payback invested investments.

The further prospect of development is very tempting: the ovens used in production can be reconfigured for roasting pumpkin seeds, peanuts, coffee beans, etc. By purchasing additional equipment for separating, peeling and cleaning seeds, it is possible to produce sunflower kernels. Also in the future, it is possible to produce butter, margarine, fodder cake, drying oil, halva and much, much more.

All of the above combined makes the production of roasted sunflower seeds quite attractive and profitable business

Consumers and sales

Potential wholesale consumers of fried packaged sunflower seeds:

• large retail chains;
• small shops walking distance;
• stalls, kiosks;
• distributors and wholesalers.

However, it is worth noting enough high competition in this segment of the economy, which requires careful planning of measures to expand sales channels.

So, manufacturers sometimes have to resort to non-standard ways to increase sales: they put various surprises in a package with seeds or supplement the product with a bag of salt; use unusual distribution channels such as print kiosks and movie theaters (as an alternative to popcorn); promote goods at mass events - beer festivals, football matches; make unusual packaging, for example, in the form of a double glass, one of which is for the husk; produce products under the brand of local celebrities (football teams, sports clubs, etc.).

Range

Packaged roasted seeds on the market can be classified as follows:

• according to the degree of roasting - fried and dried;
• by calibration - uncalibrated, calibrated (the optimal caliber for roasted seeds is 38-40);
• by size - large, medium, small;
• according to the presence of pollution and additional inclusions (peel, fragments of flowers) - with associated garbage and selected (calibrated, extra clean);
• by the presence of the peel - unpeeled and peeled (kernel);
• according to the presence of salt - salted and unsalted;
• by packaging volume - as a rule, these are packages weighing from 40 to 300 grams;
• according to the type of sunflower - classic black seeds and white, so-called Turkish.

Required equipment

The main equipment for the production of roasted seeds includes the following plants:

The above equipment can be purchased separately, but the best and cheapest option would be purchase of a finished production line.

Equipment overview

At present, the market presents a large number of seed production lines. Separately, it is worth noting the Miass plant of packaging equipment, which produces lines of various productivity and degree of automation.

So, a mini-line based on an electric oven with a capacity of 60 to 100 kg / h, on which seeds are roasted and packed, includes a vat-type roaster, a cooling-cleaning machine, a U-01 series 90 filling and packaging semiautomatic device (complete set “ quick start”, manufacturer LLC “MAKIZ-Vostok”). Washing and drying is done by hand, you need to buy a calibration machine separately.

A fully equipped, maximally automated seed frying line of higher productivity, additionally equipped with a seed washing kit, a conveyor for reloading hot seeds, a U-03 series 55 filling and packaging machine, version 21, a compressor with an air preparation system, a loading conveyor, bunker-feeder, conveyor for unloading packages (complete set "business").

With similar performance, these lines differ in the degree of automation and completeness. To start, it is optimal to buy the "Quick Start" line, and to expand production, the "Business" line.

Feasibility study of the project

Under the condition of acquiring a “quick start” line, capital expenditures are required:

• a set of production equipment - 455 thousand rubles;
• equipment for calibration - 240 thousand rubles;
• expenses for adjustment, installation of equipment and training of personnel - 35 thousand rubles;
• Preparation production premises(50 sq. m) - 50 thousand rubles;
• creation of a commodity stock (1 month) - 250 thousand rubles;
• other expenses - 50 thousand rubles.

In total, for the implementation of the project for the production of fried packaged seeds, 1,080 thousand rubles are needed. starting investments.

Calculation of revenue, profitability, payback

* Net profit is calculated based on the industry average profitability for this species activities.

For the last couple of years, we have been experiencing a boom in sales of packaged sunflower seeds. If even 5 years ago you could buy 200 grams of seeds only from street vendors, now in every supermarket, shop or kiosk you can find a multi-colored bag with the coveted inscription.

Moreover, there are bags of these for different tastes: white, yellow, black, transparent, 100 grams, 200, 500 - choose whatever your heart desires. And what is surprising, despite such a plentiful supply, the demand does not fall: bags diverge with enviable constancy, and in return, like mushrooms after rain, new manufacturers and new packaging appear.

Seeing such a hype, only the lazy did not think about starting the production of packaged roasted seeds on their own. But how to fry it on an industrial scale? In fact, everything is quite simple.

Methods for roasting seeds

The seeds are roasted in special roasting ovens, which are of two types: batch and continuous. Accordingly, there are only two ways to fry seeds. Some still, however, rank among the methods of frying options for heating frying ovens, such as: gas, electric heating elements or microwave ovens. But, in our opinion, these are just heating options that may affect the speed of frying and its economy, but not the method of obtaining the finished product.

Periodic loading of seeds

This method involves frying seeds according to the principle of a frying pan, i.e. fell asleep in the oven, stirred, fried, tried, poured out of the oven. Naturally, this method of frying seeds, as in the situation with a household frying pan, requires maximum human participation. The operator must pour the seed into the oven, and this, as a rule, is several tens of kilograms or a couple of bags, constantly monitor the process of roasting the seeds, tasting it, and, having reached the desired quality, pour the seed out of the oven. If a person relaxes his vigilance, it is possible to spoil the entire loaded batch of the product.

The human factor is a key disadvantage of periodic loading. The advantages include the low cost of the frying oven, due to the simplicity of its design. Actually, due to their low cost, intermittent frying ovens retain their popularity - the consumer principle works: “simple, cheap, reliable”.

Passage method of frying seeds

The second method of roasting seeds minimizes human participation in the roasting process. The seeds are roasted in a special drum, on one side of which the original product is fed, and on the other side, the finished product is poured out. The seed, in fact, "passes" through the drum, roasting along the way, which is why the oven and the method are called walk-through.

Used in equipment:

Furnace frying electric walk-through PZHP-70
. Automated line for frying and packaging of seeds ALZHUS-70

In this case, the operator only needs to set the operation parameters once (product feed rate and frying temperature) and in the future the oven can continue roasting the seeds on its own. The human factor does not play such an important role as in periodic loading - the quality of frying is guaranteed not by the care of the operator, but by the immutability of the process.

But such obvious advantages are offset by the price: continuous-type furnaces are much more expensive than batch furnaces.

Our choice

After a long weighing of all the pros and cons, in the end, we opted for the pass-through method - and for about 5 years we have been producing exclusively electric pass-through frying ovens. We also recommend our customers, despite the price, to give preference to continuous-type furnaces. What is the reason for such a decision?

1. Seed roasting speed. In batch ovens, the average speed of roasting seeds is about 20-25 minutes, while in continuous-type ovens it is only 10. In addition to banal productivity, an increased speed of roasting seeds has a number of advantages. Firstly, 20 minutes in the oven is no longer frying, but rather drying. Drying out, the seed, like any other product, loses its taste. This does not happen in continuous ovens and the seeds are really roasted, while maintaining the optimal taste. Secondly, 20 minutes of being in a hot environment leads to charring of the outer cover of the seed and the formation of ash, which then, when the seed is poured out, stains everything it touches: hands, clothes, packaging. And it gets dirty so that getting rid of black spots, sometimes, is quite difficult. In a continuous oven, the seed does not have time to char.
2. Quality stability. The notorious human factor in batch ovens leads to the fact that simple inattention, fatigue or poor health of the operator entails damage to a significant amount of the product. Everything that was loaded into the oven can either be undercooked or overcooked. Therefore, the operator is forced to constantly taste the product and monitor its mixing and even roasting. In continuous type furnaces, the influence human factor minimized - the seed passes through the drum at a given speed. It is enough for the operator to set the necessary parameters once in order to constantly receive the same fried product, without the risk of spoilage.
3. cooling problem. Everyone who has ever fried seeds in a frying pan at home knows perfectly well that this product has the property of “reaching”. Those. continue to fry even when removed from the pan. To stop this process, the seed is cooled, as a rule, spreading it in a thin layer on a flat surface (table), where air circulation extinguishes the roasting process. If you neglect this moment and simply pour the seed into a pile, you can definitely get a burnt product. Now imagine that you are roasting a few bags of seeds in a batch oven. When all this mass is ready, it must be poured out and cooled. And cool everything at once, avoiding staying in the total mass. And at this time, you still need to pour a new portion into the oven (after all, the oven is working) and control its frying. In continuous ovens, the situation is simpler: the seed does not spill out in large volumes, but goes in small constant flow, so to speak "thin stream", and therefore it is not difficult to cool it.
4. Versatility. Passage ovens, due to the ability to independently support the frying process, seeds are easily integrated into automated lines for frying and packing seeds. These lines are capable, in the absence of direct human intervention, to provide a full cycle of packaging of roasted seeds: from the receipt of raw materials (calibrated seeds) to the issuance of portions packed in a separate package. For batch ovens, the question of inclusion in the line does not even rise: a solid share of manual labor makes it simply meaningless. Thus, through-type frying ovens are more versatile than batch ovens, and are able to function both independently and as part of production lines.

Used in equipment:

The above factors, in our opinion, are significant enough to justify the price of continuous furnaces and give preference to them. Moreover, having created our first line for roasting sunflower seeds in 2006, we decided that the design of continuous ovens was not quite optimal and worked on its modernization for several years.

Our innovations

Realizing that the only way to compete with cheap batch furnaces is by clearly superior quality and performance, we have tried hard, and are still trying, to improve the efficiency of the continuous furnace. As of the current moment, we can record the following achievements in this field as our asset.

1. The design of the frying drum and heating elements has been changed, as a result of which the frying time has decreased (less than 10 minutes) and the efficiency has increased. This made it possible not only to increase productivity up to 70 kg per hour, but also to obtain the most optimal taste of roasted seeds. We can say that we have found the only case when, with an increase in productivity, the quality does not fall, but rather tends to perfection.
2. Organized effective thermal insulation of the inner space of the drum, which reduced heat loss and reduced energy costs. In other words, we are gradually moving towards a highly efficient yet economical product.
3. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) was introduced into the standard equipment of the frying oven, the task of which is not only to equalize the “jumping” voltage of the mains, but also to prevent the seed from burning out when the power is cut off. Those. in the event of a power outage, the UPS ensures the operation of the electric drive of the drum and allows the seeds poured into the drum to be roasted due to the residual heat and spill out of it.
4. A frequency controller has been added to the design, allowing the operator to adjust the speed of rotation of the drum and, accordingly, the time of frying the seeds. This moment is important in the case of using raw materials of different moisture content or changing the product to be fried: for more moist (dense) products, you can increase the frying time, and for less humid ones, reduce it. Thus, we, in fact, made the oven even more versatile.
5. Created Feedback according to the voltage of the vibrating feeder, which feeds the seed into the drum, because of which it maintains a stable vibration amplitude during any "jumps" in voltage. The seed will always be fed in the same and uniform flow. In our opinion, this is especially true for manufacturers located outside the big cities.

But, probably, the most important thing is that when modernizing the furnace, we are constantly working on simplifying its design, eliminating unnecessary elements and optimizing the manufacture of parts. Thanks to this, we can afford to keep the prices of the furnace at least one third lower than those of competitors. And this despite the fact that the benefits listed above are included as standard, while competitors, at best, some of them are installed for a fee.

And finally, in the production of frying ovens, we are faced with another important point - the more expedient it is to heat the oven.

Electricity or gas?

As mentioned at the beginning this material, there are at least three ways to heat the fryer: gas, electric heating and microwave. The first two are the most common, the third refers more to the exotic than to reality (although some consider it quite promising). Accordingly, there are two energy carriers suitable for heating the furnace: gas and electricity. Which one to choose and which one will be optimal?

In the race to increase demand, many manufacturers complete their furnaces with gas heating, motivating such a decision by the consumer's familiarity with this type of energy carrier, its availability and low cost. However, in our opinion, this is not entirely true and an attempt to get a cheap stove can have negative consequences.

Firstly, the availability of gas is a relative thing. OK, when production shops are already equipped with a gas main and the only question is to connect a separate installation, but if there is no gas supply to the room where the stove is located, or gas is supplied for domestic needs, the economy loses all meaning. After all, the cost of the furnace is in no way comparable with the cost of the project and the physical connection of the industrial gas pipeline.

Secondly, the gas price is a variable value and very much depends on various conditions: on the political situation, quotations on world markets, limit overruns, etc. In this connection, its sharp and little predictable jumps are possible.

AND, Thirdly, sunflower seeds - a product prone to absorption. The seed, although not strongly, absorbs the products of gas combustion, which leads to a change in its taste characteristics and, perhaps, is not entirely beneficial for the end consumer. Absorption can be avoided by using a heat exchanger in the design of the furnace, but in this case the cost of the furnace increases greatly and the main advantage is lost - low cost.

Therefore, our ovens are exclusively electric. We do not strive for mythical cheapness and do not incline our customers to it, it is much more important for us to make a product of high quality and justified in price. Electricity is connected to almost every building, and if not, the connection cost is much lower than that of gas. The price of electricity consumption is more or less stable, and the combustion process, as such, is absent in principle - the seed simply has nothing to absorb.