Roasted sunflower seeds are a very popular food product among the majority of the population. Many people are accustomed to clicking seeds from time to time, and for some, the consumption of products packaged in bright bags has become a kind of pleasant pastime.
Despite the relatively low selling prices for the finished product, production roasted sunflower seeds is a reliable investment for entrepreneurs. A seed business is a cost-effective and relatively simple process with a minimal payback period.
Where to begin?
How to organize from scratch to establish a technological process for the production of fried seeds? After registering a business entity, it is imperative to obtain permission to open a workshop in Rospotrebnadzor. Registration of a certificate of conformity for this type of product is now a voluntary procedure - it can be acquired at any time by submitting a package of documents and a sample of the final product.
Seed roasting technology
The process of industrial preparation of roasted sunflower seeds consists of a number of stages:
– calibration and rejection of raw materials;
- cleaning and washing;
- roasting and cooling on special devices;
— packaging of finished seeds.
To open production, you need a room that meets all sanitary and fire standards for food facilities. Machine maintenance and packaging in a small workshop will require the efforts of a team of 2-3 workers.
by the most simple equipment for industrial roasting of seeds is electric or gas drum oven.The basis of this unit is a metal drum with agitator, windows for removing moisture and temperature controllers.
Other popular roasted seed production equipment is oven with roasting function in "fluidized bed". The technology consists in placing raw materials in a special bunker and treating it with hot air under pressure supplied by a fan. The use of such models has an important advantage - when frying seeds in suspension, carbon deposits settle on the hood without polluting the finished product.
Infrared units for roasting sunflower seeds are based on the drying of raw materials in the production circuit with narrowly directed thermal radiation. Furnaces have a high efficiency and a good efficiency parameter, since they do not use energy to heat the surrounding space. The device gives a high-quality product at the output without impurities and soot particles. The use of such a model guarantees the purity technological process, preventing contamination and excessive temperature rise in the production hall.
The workflow for roasting seeds cannot be organized without additional devices. The conveyor includes cooling devices and machines for cleaning and polishing the product. If the feedstock is heavily contaminated, you will need to wash various designs. Calibration apparatus or simple fractionated vibrating screens are required for initial seed calibration and debris removal. The choice of a specific model of units depends on the size of the premises, financial reserves and the principle of operation of the production line.
The final stage of the industrial process is the packaging of finished seeds in bright bags of different sizes using special devices. The better the packaging design is thought out, the higher the demand for your products will be. At the initial stage, a good lever for increasing consumer interest will be promotions that increase product awareness.
Properly established production process and 100% implementation of the finished product allows you to achieve a profitability rate of 85%. The funds invested in production will pay off in a month of work, further bringing a stable profit to the enterprise and its owner.
Video showing a fully automated production of roasting sunflower seeds
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.
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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:
In this article:
Almost everyone has eaten roasted sunflower seeds at least once in their lives. For some people, the systematic eating of such a product becomes a kind of leisure. Why not use this human weakness and organize your own business for the production of roasted seeds?
Some entrepreneurs are confused by the extremely low selling price of the finished product. However, reality shows the opposite results. The production of roasted sunflower seeds will pleasantly surprise you with its simplicity, profitability and fast payback period.
Despite the variety of similar products on the store shelves, new bright packaging continues to appear steadily.
A few organizational moments
At first, you should choose the organizational and legal form of the enterprise being created. The most preferred options are:
- IP (individual entrepreneur);
- LLC on a simplified taxation system. In both cases, a fixed payment will have to be transferred to the state treasury, but when choosing the second option, a certain amount is also required statutory fund, production of a seal, development of a charter, etc.
It is desirable to make a choice in favor of an LLC if there are two or more partners. IP is characterized by a simplified registration procedure, forms of accounting and reporting.
When registering an enterprise, the following OKVED code should be indicated:
15.33 "Processing and preservation of fruits and vegetables, not included in other groups."
First of all, it is necessary to issue a sanitary-epidemiological conclusion for production(contact the department of Rospotrebnadzor at the place of registration of the enterprise). To date, the mandatory certification procedure has been abolished.
If desired, you can issue a voluntary certificate of conformity. Documentary evidence of compliance with hygienic and sanitary-environmental standards finished products will boost demand. To obtain such a document, samples of roasted seeds and the following documents should be provided:
- technical passport for seeds;
- characteristics of production equipment;
- certificates of state registration enterprises;
- charter;
- industrial premises lease agreement.
Choosing the most preferred model of equipment for the production of roasted seeds
The most popular option is the electric drum oven. It consists, respectively, of a drum, agitators, a temperature controller, windows for removing moisture and a shovel for sampling.
Some models have additional equipment in the form of coolers. Drum ovens that run on gas are also quite in demand. They perform all the necessary functions, at the same time allowing you to save electricity. As fuel of the furnace bottled gas is used.
The next popular model is equipment that works on the principle of frying in a stream of hot air.
A distinctive feature of such models is a special technology in which the seeds are placed in a bunker and roasted "in a fluidized bed". The frying itself is carried out in a suspended state thanks to the operation of a pressure fan. The main advantage of such equipment is the powerful blowing of raw materials, in which all carbon particles settle in the exhaust pipe, and do not mix with the finished product.
There are also models that work on the principle infrared radiation . The seeds are roasted or dried using such a flow, heating only the feedstock, and not the surrounding air. Often, such furnaces are characterized by a continuous cycle of operation and a correspondingly high level of productivity. The equipment allows you to get a completely ready-to-eat and evenly fried product, in which there are no burnt particles.
The main characteristic features of the operation of such furnaces are:
- saving electricity;
- purity production process and the resulting product at the output;
- lack of heating (soot) on the surface of the product and the walls of the furnace;
- natural air temperature in the industrial premises;
- absence of soot and burning, prompt and extremely precise setting of operating modes.
Such devices are ideal not only for roasting seeds, but also nuts, vegetables and even potatoes.
Another model, which is quite common in the market for the production of roasted seeds, are ovens with roasting by means of microwaves. Compared with the last oven, it has many more advantages. Braziers in modern production lines often contain two of the above models. Their average cost is about 1.5 million rubles.
Without coolers, it is quite difficult to imagine the production process for the production of fried sunflower seeds.
Seeds cool slowly, and long preservation high temperature inside the shell of the product leads to a decrease in labor productivity and, accordingly, a low volume of products. Coolers will also prevent the seeds from overcooking, which in turn will contribute to the manufacture of a quality product. Currently, there are two types of coolers: the conveyor type model and the open round design with agitators. The choice of the most preferred model depends on the area of the production workshop and the principle of operation of the equipment.
Polishing seeds involves cleaning them of debris and soot.
For this, specialized cleaning and polishing machines are used. In the case of its use, the need for pre-washing of seeds is eliminated.
Packing and packing are the final stage of the production process. From attractiveness appearance sunflower seeds depends on the level of consumer demand.
The standard package has the form of a three-seam package consisting of a “cushion” (two horizontal and one vertical “Euro seams”). This type of roasted seeds is provided by filling and packaging machines that have a volumetric or weight dispenser.
Consider some aspects of the operation of the equipment
Roasted sunflower seeds are poured into the storage bin of the filling machine, then they are fed into the dispenser, where the necessary doses are separated and the packaging is formed. A key factor in the choice of equipment is the productivity of the plant, namely the number of packages produced per minute. It is also desirable to have a function for reconfiguring to a different package size in case of production need and a different dosage of the product. Thus, the universal apparatus will allow achieving cost-effectiveness and high productivity. In conditions of limited financial possibilities, it is possible to purchase a semi-automatic packaging machine without a dispenser (former and sealer of bags).
To work with such equipment, two operators are required. One - with the help of a measuring cup, fills the required amount of the finished product, and the second - measures a certain segment of the package, seals it, cuts it off on a semi-automatic device and puts packs of sunflower seeds into carton boxes(large packages).
Production technology of roasted seeds
There are the following stages in the production of roasted seeds:
- calibration;
- salting, washing and cleansing;
- frying;
- cooling;
- package.
The calibration stage involves separating large seed grains from small ones. It also cleans the raw material from debris. For such purposes, special calibration machines or vibrating screens are used, which perform the function of dividing the initial product into several fractions.
In the process of choosing technological equipment for washing seeds Special attention should be given to its productivity, the desired level of which should reach 100-150 kg / h.
Sinks have a tunnel type design, differing in functions:
- top watering;
- top and bottom watering (for thorough washing of seeds);
- with one or two outlet heaters.
Salting of the product is necessary in the manufacture of salted seeds. The coating drum is responsible for this function, which is sometimes also called an additive machine. Often, such equipment is used in high-performance environments and in companies of impressive size.
The direct frying process is carried out using a variety of ovens that are intended for bulk products. A calibrated seed is poured into the oven, which will be roasted for one hour. At the same time, operators must visually control the quality, if necessary, turning off the rotation drive of the equipment drum. If the result is satisfactory, the worker turns off the burner, puts the container for the finished product under the drum, and pours the roasted seeds into it. After that, it is the turn of a new batch of raw materials for immediate production.
Permanently setting a certain amount of time (for example, 1 hour) is possible when the following roasting conditions are met:
- the same burner fire (regulated by a tap or gearbox);
- the seed must have the same moisture level;
- same ambient temperature.
Cooling of the finished sunflower seeds takes place in special apparatus which significantly improves productivity. Then, with the help of a packaging machine, the seeds are packaged.
Business plan for the production of roasted seeds
Choosing a production facility
The set of requirements for the premises for the production of roasted seeds are similar to the requirements for buildings in which any food products are produced. It is necessary to comply with construction and sanitary norms implementation of fire safety measures. On the area of the production premises (at least 60 m²) there will be a workshop, warehouses for temporary storage of raw and finished products. Reliable protection against rodents is also necessary: for this, the floor is concreted and iron doors are installed. The production workshop may be located outside of the city. In this case, the rent will be much more affordable, amounting to about 6,000 rubles.
Raw material costs:
- the cost of 1 ton of raw seeds is 22,000 rubles (including transportation costs);
- 1 kg. packaging film - 150 rubles.
Recruiting staff
Two auxiliary workers can operate the line for the production of roasted seeds. One will combine his immediate responsibilities with monitoring the implementation specifications. The second operator can act as an agent for the supply of raw materials and marketing of finished products.
The monthly wage fund is 10,000 rubles.
Automation
The cheapest option for the production of fried packaged seeds is the organization of the production process on the following equipment:
- gas frying machine for sunflower seeds - 33,000 rubles;
- cooler (with cleaning function) - 32,000 rubles;
- packaging complex - 45,000 rubles.
Total - 110,000 rubles.
Calculate the cost of 1 package of seeds weighing 50 grams:
- cost 50 gr. seeds - 1, 10 rubles (at the rate of 1 kg of raw seeds - 22 rubles);
- 1 package for packaging - 0.3 rubles (at the rate of 1 kg of film for 150 rubles for 500 packages);
- the work of operators for roasting, calibrating and packaging the product for 1 package of seeds - 0.36 rubles;
- costs for electricity, rent and gas - 0.69 rubles;
- costs for public utilities(electricity, gas, water) - 0.03 rubles (for 1 pack of seeds).
Thus, the cost of packing fried sunflower seeds will be: 1, 10 + 0.3 + 0.36 + 0.69 = 2.45 rubles.
The declared equipment has the ability to fry and pack 1800 bags of 50g per 1 shift (90 kg.).
Thus, in 22 working days, the monthly output will be 39,600 packages of the finished product (1 ton 980 kg.).
The retail price of one package is 16 rubles -20% (VAT) = 12.80 rubles.
Thus, the income from 1 sachet will be equal to: 12.80 - 2.45 = 10.35 rubles. The revenue for the sale of fried seeds per month will be: 10.35 rubles. x 39 600 pcs. = 409,860 rubles.
The total cost of monthly output is 97,020 rubles (2.45 rubles x 39,600 rubles). Gross annual profit (revenue - cost - equipment costs) = 409,860 rubles. –97,020 RUB - 110,000 rubles. = 202 840 rubles.
Profit after tax (15%) -172,414 rubles (net profit).
The profitability ratio (net profit / revenue) will be 85%. Thus, subject to 100% sales of products and the absence of unplanned costs, the equipment will pay off in the first month, bringing profit 172,414 rubles.
Decide on sales channels
The best stimulation of consumer demand is the application of an innovative idea that will be a distinctive feature from competitors. For example, you can put a folding bag for the husk or some kind of flavoring (with the taste of bacon, cheese, etc.) in the package. If desired, the consumer will be able to open the package and enjoy the familiar product with their favorite flavor.
The good tradition of putting additional product into the packaging has become incredibly popular. People bought dozens of packs in the hope of finding a gold pendant or a large bill. Even an ordinary lollipop inside the package will be a pleasant surprise for people of all ages. Advertising in the media, billboards around the city, etc. require a certain item of expenditure, but soon they will justify themselves with the recognition of the product and a significant expansion of the clientele.
IN Lately especially popular, especially among young people, is such a product as fried sunflower seeds. In addition, a certain (and considerable segment) of the market for this kind of snacks is fried pumpkin and, again, sunflower seeds, but peeled.
Along with its undoubted usefulness, such products have another advantage: high payback and very low cost of equipment for production. This fact is known to few, as start-up entrepreneurs often ignore this fast-growing market segment, embarrassed by the low selling price of products.
It is this fact that makes them refuse to open a business for the production of fried seeds without even studying the issue. In addition, residents of the northern regions of the country often simply do not want to get involved in production based on imported raw materials, fearing inflated prices and supply disruptions.
Thus, the real coverage of needs, i.e. the volume of output does not correspond to the needs of the consumer at all. Therefore, fried sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds are often imported to regions where these crops do not grow, from afar, and already in the form of finished products, on the price of which the interest of intermediaries is “wound”, transport company and so on.
All of the above makes the production of roasted sunflower seeds (in original packaging) very profitable business, if, of course, competently dispose of the funds invested in it.
Requirements for production and storage facilities and personnel of the sunflower seed roasting business
Production room for a sunflower seed roasting business is no different from a production facility for any other food products- it is enough only that it complies with sanitary and building codes and regulations. Depending on the type of equipment - electric oven for frying or gas - fire safety measures must also be adjusted.
By and large, it is believed that an electric oven is more expensive to operate, but a gas one requires additional investments at the start ( project documentation for gas equipment; installation of an additional fire shield, etc. - in most regions, a separate room is also required for gas equipment).
Ultimately, the choice is made in favor of the type of furnace that corresponds to the equipment of the room - i.e. if the room is not equipped with a gas pipe, it does not make sense to start it on purpose if the volume of production is small.
Warehouse space it is desirable to equip with additional options against mice and rats - a concrete floor, an iron tight-closing door, etc., as well as birds that can fly into windows (if any) or penetrate through a poorly covered roof.
There are also no special requirements for personnel: the presence or absence of a technologist in such a primitive, by and large, production will not affect the quality of the products; ordinary workers will be considered unskilled, respectively, there is no need to talk about high labor costs.
Production and auxiliary equipment for the production of roasted sunflower seeds
The main apparatus will, of course, be the brazier. There are several types of fryers: gas, electric, or microwave ovens (they are also powered, of course, by electricity, but fundamentally differ in the way they are roasted). The latter are quite rare and are made only to order.
Microwave ovens, perhaps the most promising roasting method, are not worth buying just for the production of sunflower seeds - except as an additional equipment when expanding production (see the section on business prospects).
According to the scheme of roasting sunflower seeds, there are periodic loading-unloading ovens (i.e., each roasting cycle is carried out manually loading and unloading seeds) and walk-through (automated - on one side of the roasting drum, raw seeds are supplied, on the other - fried seeds are unloaded).
As you might guess, continuous ovens primarily exclude the notorious human factor and can be built into a fully automatic line for the production of fried and packaged seeds. However, even large manufacturers are more willing to take several dozen impassable braziers.
Of course, the point here is not at all the price of the equipment: with large volumes of production, an automated line is, of course, much more profitable. In this case, the consumer principle applies: "simplicity is a guarantee of reliability."
The fact is that non-passage ovens allow you to control the roasting process manually, at any time you can turn them off and, for example, fix some problem, etc. Of course, also for the start of production, for the moment of opening own business cheap and not requiring qualified personnel non-passage furnaces (especially gas ones) are much more profitable.
The second, both in importance and cost, is packaging equipment. Packaging for sunflower seeds is a polypropylene bag (capacity from 50 to 300-500 g), soldered from a polypropylene tape with two horizontal "Euro-seams" and one vertical overlap.
Polypropylene tapes can be metallized (opaque, with a mirror inner surface) and transparent (such packaging is 2 times cheaper than the first one).
The mini-line for frying and packaging of fried seeds consists of a semi-automatic packaging machine and an electric (or, respectively, gas) oven.
Its cost is € 2,600 (less than 110 thousand rubles), and its productivity is 30 kg per hour. It occupies up to 10 meters of area (taking into account the aisles and the area for unloading under boxes or boxes on a pallet).
As you can see, the cost of the line is quite small. Based on the workshop area and financial capabilities, production can be completed with any number of mini-lines.
The installation and list of additional equipment is determined by the type of raw materials that will be used and your ability to expand your business. Regarding raw materials: if you use sunflower heads, you will need a special crusher to extract seeds (a grain cleaning machine - about 320 thousand rubles or a vibrating pneumatic table - about 180 thousand rubles).
In addition, sometimes sunflower seeds are washed in special baths before frying, and after frying, they are passed through a cooler cleaner, consisting of a rotating sieve with a fine mesh, and simply sifting black dust and ash deposits from roasted seeds. See the extension below.
Further prospects for business development
As mentioned above, the ovens used for roasting sunflower seeds can (after appropriate one-time reconfiguration) also be used for roasting pumpkin seeds, peanuts, coffee beans, etc.
In addition, by purchasing separate equipment for cleaning, peeling and separating sunflower seeds (about 670 thousand rubles), you can sell the sunflower kernel, which also has its own demand.
In general, there are a lot of development options: this is the production of fodder cake, cake, butter, drying oil, margarine, gozinaki, halva and much more, up to biofuel from husks.
Video about the production process of packaged roasted seeds
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?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 stream, so to speak "thin stream", and therefore it is not difficult to cool it.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 ovens with gas heating, motivating this decision by the consumer's habitual this species 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.
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