Description

Pomegranate is a very nutritious fruit and one of significant economic value. It is used in a number of ways in the fresh produce market and in the production of pomegranate juice, seeds, concentrate, etc. The cleaning of the raw material is a vital step in the deep processing of pomegranate. The fruit is generally quite dirty with soil, dust, plant matter and the like on the surface. If the cleaning is not adequate it will have a detrimental effect on the subsequent processing steps (peeling, seed extraction, juicing etc) and will also increase the risk of contamination of the product.

The air bubble pomegranate washing machine is a piece of food processing equipment specifically designed for the washing of pomegranates and other fruit. It works by using a combination of water circulation, bubbling action and spray rinsing to clean the fruit from all sides. The cleaning machine is a high throughput machine and is therefore ideal for use in a fruit processing plant, a pomegranate juice factory or a large scale agricultural products processing factory.

Working Principle of the Pomegranate Washing Machine

The air bubble pomegranate cleaning machine works essentially by combining a bubble generation system with a water circulation system. The whole process can be broken down into the following steps:

1. Raw Material Infeed

Staff place the chosen pomegranates into the infeed area of the equipment. The raw material can be loaded manually or fed automatically via a conveyor to the wash tank depending on the design of the production line.

2. Bubble-Agitated Washing

Once the pomegranates are in the washing tank there’s a bubble generating system at the bottom which produces a huge volume of air bubbles. As the bubbles rise they create a water flow which causes the pomegranates to tumble around naturally and gently knock against one another. This action works to loosen and remove the soil, dust and other debris from the surface of the fruit. The whole process is based on the action of water movement and air bubbles (rather than any form of aggressive mechanical rubbing) which in turn reduces the risk of damage to the skins of the pomegranates.

3. Circulating Water Wash

A water pump and circulation system keep the water in constant motion which improves the cleaning action. Some pomegranate washing machine will also have a filtration system to remove the leaves, sediment and dirt so that it doesn’t all just collect in the tank.

4. Spray Rinsing and Discharge

After the bubble wash the poms are moved towards the discharge end on the conveyor. As they move along the conveyor they pass under an overhead spray for a final rinse to remove any carryover. They are then passed on to the next stage of the line.

Pomegranate Washing Machine Features:

1. Excellent Cleaning Performance

By using air bubbles, water flow and spraying the machine cleans the surface of the pomegranates from all angles thus removing the ‘blind spots’ which are so common when you’re doing it manually.

2. Minimised risk of damage

The air bubble tumbling cleaning method avoids the skin damage which can be caused by aggressive mechanical brushing and is therefore ideal for pomegranates where it’s vital to maintain both appearance and structure.

3. High level of automation

The Pomegranate cleaning machine can be fitted with automatic feeding, conveying, water circulation and spraying, thus minimising the amount of manual labour required and improving the efficiency of the raw material processing. A throughput of up to 5 tonnes per hour is achievable.

4. Versatile Application

This air bubble pomegranate washing machine can be used as a standalone unit or in conjunction with other pomegranate processing machinery (e.g. peelers, deseeders, juicers) to form a fully integrated, automated line for deep processing.

FAQ:

Q1: Is the air bubble washing machine only for pomegranates?

No, this equipment can also be used for washing all sorts of other fruit (apples, pears, oranges, lemons etc). The exact configuration will be dictated by the size, shape and surface of the fruit in question.

Q2: Will the bubble type washing damage the pomegranates?

Bubble type washing when properly configured and operated is a fairly gentle cleaning method as it reduces the amount of mechanical friction and collision damage to the fruit.

Q3: What is the processing capacity of the bubble type pomegranate washer?

Capacity can be as high as 5 tons per hour. The capacity of the equipment can be tailored to the individual customer’s requirements. The actual capacity will of course be a function of tank size, conveyor speed and the configuration of the production line.