Heat and Control
Heat and Control’s patented new VersaPeel multi-stage batch peeler significantly reduces peel loss and improves finished product quality, according to the company.
VersaPeel uses three separate peeling chambers with progressively finer abrasives and/or brushes for maximum peel removal, even within eyes and recesses. Potatoes finished in VersaPeel retain their natural shape and have a smooth, polished surface with virtually no flat spots. This smooth surface minimizes the usage and carry-over of antioxidants onto finished product and promotes a more stable product color. Dwell time, abrasive liners and brushes can be changed to suit different product grades offering outstanding flexibility in meeting quality standards. Peel loss savings with VersaPeel can save processors thousands of dollars annually.
VersaPeel delivers better peeling control than continuous peelers because product is confined within the peeling chambers. “Short-circuiting,” or product that escapes peeling by bouncing down the length of a continuous peeler, is not an issue with VersaPeel, the company said.
Heat and Control also builds continuous and single-stage batch peelers, a complete line of truck and railcar unloading systems, does dirt removal, sizing, bin storage, crate filling, dumping, metering and inspection conveyor systems for potatoes and vegetables.
For more information, call (510) 259-0500, fax (510) 259-0600 or e-mail info@heatandcontrol.com. Or visit www.heatandcontrol.com.
Magnuson
Magnuson Corporation has been in the business of manufacturing and supplying a wide variety of food processing equipment since 1942.
Magnuson offers several models of continuous peeling machines. The smallest model is a four-roll machine in a “u-bed” configuration, and the largest unit, the “NF 24,” has 24 rolls around the circumference of the machine and can achieve capacities of up to 60,000 pounds per hour.
This is all done with three motors, one for the rolls, one for the cage and one for the full-length auger. Magnuson can supply a machine that meets both the quality and volume requirements for any size of food processor, the company said.
Magnuson also offers automated cabbage coring machines and machines for floretting broccoli and cauliflower. The cabbage coring machine can core, and then halve or quarter full heads of cabbage at the rate of 40 pieces per minute. After coring, the cabbage then can be fed to the Magnuson/Fam shredding machine.
If the requirements of the customer are for peeling, coring or cutting food products, Magnuson has the machine to do the job, the company said.
Maxwell Chase
Maxwell Chase Technologies has introduced further improvements to its MCT 25 Tomato Slicer, which has been specifically designed and engineered to produce precision-cut tomato slices.
The slicer now sanitizes the blades between each slicing, which significantly reduces the odds of cross-contamination or buildup of contamination during a shift. The MCT 25 removes unwanted end pieces and places slices in the tray with no handling. This automated process significantly reduces labor handling costs and delivers in excess of 70 percent yield.
The MCT 25 can slice six tomatoes per cycle, six to nine cycles per minute, producing 800 to 1,200 pounds per hour. One of the key advantages of the slicer is that it integrates with the “Fresh-R-Pax” super absorbent tray, which gives up to 14 days shelf life for pre-sliced tomatoes.
For more information, call (866) 344-0796 or visit www.maxwellchase.com.
Pre-Pack Machinery
Pre-Pack Machinery of Champaign, Ill., introduced its Automatic Melon Peeler in 1999. They now have peelers placed throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates and Switzerland. Large and small processors alike are using the heavy duty, industrial peelers.
Besides honeydew, cantaloupe, pineapple and watermelon, Pre-Pack also has customers using the Peeler to peel rutabaga, summer and butternut squash, mangoes, eggplant, papaya and jicama.
In 2003, Pre-Pack enhanced the peeler by offering a system that would automatically discharge the peeled melons. This peeler was designed for processors that are making long runs of cantaloupe and honeydew. With the auto discharge feature, a single operator can easily operate a pair of peelers. The peelers can be made to discharge the peeled melons to the right or to the left, to feed a common peeled-melon conveyor.
Visit Pre-Pack’s Web site, www.prepackmachinery.com, to see the peelers in action, or call (217) 352-1010 for additional information.
Sormac
Sormac, from Venlo in the Netherlands, has a wealth of experience designing state-of-the-art processing machines and turnkey installations for the vegetable and potato processing industries.
“In 2004, we were honored with an outstanding order to supply vegetable, salad and potato processing installations to the largest Greek food supplier to the Athens Olympic Games,” said Bert Haffmans, Sormac’s new managing director.
Sormac’s expertise has already brought new design concepts to its range of onion, potato and carrot peeling machines, which will complement the existing range of bell pepper coring machines and leaf washing and drying installations, he said.
“Ninety percent of our production is exported and we work very closely with our overseas agents that have direct contacts with our sales and design teams here in Holland,” Haffmans said. “This enables us to communicate very quickly with our customers all over the world.”
Sormac recently installed a turnkey production installation for leaf salad for a progressive and dynamic salad production company in the U.K.
“We worked very closely with our client to design the processing system, which required the highest standards for product quality in combination with volume production and hygienic working facilities,” Haffmans said. “The installation has many new concepts such as pre-washing the whole head prior to trimming, excellent operator ergonomics, fluming through a slicing system and into the twin washers with gentle air injection and creating the ideal environment with microbubble wash. The washers are both equipped with excellent small particulate removal.”
Vortex
Vortex Manufacturing Group is expanding its peeler machinery into the fresh-cut market with the Haith rotary peeler/polisher.
The company carried out extensive testing peeling vegetables using brush only and found that to totally remove all the skin it required something more aggressive at the infeed. By combining the carborudum and bristle you get a peeled polished product of a much higher standard.
The machine consists of a rotary drum with 15 rollers at 3 meters long. The patented roller design has a changeable carborundum section and varying grades of bristle. Configuration of bristle and carborundum length can be altered to suit different vegetables.
By breaking the tough outer surface of the vegetable on the carborundum and then removing the skin with the brush section it peels and polishes the vegetable producing a smooth finish, unlike product that is peeled in conventional carborundum machines leaving a very rough surface allowing bacteria to get in and cause break down of the vegetable.
In extensive testing we proved that by peeling on the new roller design we achieved up to 95 percent yield, improved shelf life with less rework required. The Haith rotary peeler/polisher has an output of 4/5 Tph.
