When planning to invest in a potato processing plant, it is not always immediately thought of. However, the timely removal of foreign objects is not only necessary, but also has great advantages for both food safety and the processing of the potatoes.
Golf balls and glass
DT Dijkstra‘s product specialists regularly visit companies dealing with foreign objects in the potato flow. There are stones and lumps, but also lighter stones and „stray“ golf balls (often hard to distinguish from potatoes), glass, metal or plastic splinters and other parts. In addition, leaf debris can cause problems in a processing plant.
Trend
A trend identified by DT Dijkstra is that people increasingly want to remove foreign materials earlier in the process. With good reason, of course.
Loss of production
Foreign objects can cause major damage in the process. Expensive production losses due to downtime are the result, but also unplanned and expensive maintenance of knives, cutting machines and pumps. Prevention is therefore essential.
Food safety
The later in the process foreign objects are removed, the greater the risk that they will be ground into smaller pieces along the way.
A major threat to food safety and processor reputation. A recall due to glass or other hazardous parts is a nightmare that every food processor wants to avoid.
Wear and tear
Another reason to remove foreign objects from the product flow at an early stage is the wear and tear on the system. Abrasive and hard parts as well as sticking leaves can cause malfunctions and can significantly reduce the lifespan of various (rotating) parts.
Customised solutions
Optimising the quality of the product flow by removing foreign objects is therefore an important step in the process. For DT Dijkstra, the design of a plant is an overall concept. Depending on the type of foreign object, different solutions can be integrated, each of which improves the quality of the product flow at its specific point in the process.
Special maschines
Some commonly used solutions aimed at removing specific foreign objects are:
- magnet
- coarse particle separator
- Scott‘s Evolution Separator
- hedgehog conveyor
- destoner
- washer
- floating matter separator
Magnet
Various types of static magnets or special conveyor belt magnets can be used to remove metal objects such as lost knives, horseshoes or agricultural machine parts such as cultivator tines from the product flow.
Coarse particle separator
Large foreign objects, such as parts of fence posts or pieces of concrete, can cause major damage to the system, but also blockages. With a coarse particle separator, these large foreign parts can be removed as early as possible in the process.
Scott’s Evolution Separator
Scott’s Evolution Separator
Conventional roller cleaners can be used to remove dirt; the design of the roller type depends on the type of dirt and the situation. A Scott’s Evolution Separator can be used to remove dirt, small stones and leaves. This machine has many setting options and therefore offers a wide range of applications.
Hedgehog conveyor
Hedgehog conveyor
Leaves and weeds can be difficult objects to handle that can cause problems in your facility. We can recommend an excellent solution for every application, either in a flat or diagonal configuration. By using a roller driven in the opposite direction, haulm and other small parts are removed from the product flow gently and yet precisely.
Floating matter separator/leaf rake
Light parts, such as leaves, pieces of wood and corn cobs, can be removed using the floating matter separator (a leaf rake) on the combi washing machine.
Optical solution
Tomra FPS
We can also advise you on the right machine at the right point in your processing line for the optical removal of foreign objects. DT Dijkstra always integrates the best solution for your specific application. This can also be a machine from another specialised manufacturer. We have had good experiences with Tomra 3A machines, for example, with unwashed potatoes and onions to remove lumps and other foreign objects.
For companies that process the potatoes industrially into French fries, crisps or other products, we can, for example, use a Tomra 5A machine after the potato washing line, which removes foreign objects very precisely, and optionally also carry out a quality sorting of the potatoes, so that, for example, potato berries, potatoes that are too green and potatoes with rot can be removed.
Optimal result
It is estimated that the above machines can remove 90-95% of all debris from the product flow.
A next step to remove the remaining foreign objects as much as possible can be an optical sorter. This is most effective with washed product. An impressive 95-98% of the remaining foreign matter can usually be removed with this.
Your tailor-made solution
Are you also dealing with foreign objects in your potato flow? Our product specialists are ready to advise you on how to achieve optimal results in your process. In this way you avoid the costs of unnecessary wear and tear on your system and guarantee the quality and food safety of your product. Contact us without obligation at sales@dtdijkstra.nl or phone +31 527 30 77 00.
