Honey processing equipments
In this post we will talking about Honey processing equipments and its related machines, before this, we need to know what is honey? As we all know honey is a natural sweetener made primarily by bees collecting nectar and pollen from flowers, that means the honey is not human made, it is a natural gift. Because honey is rich in nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, it is widely used in food and health care products.
As people’s demand for healthy and natural foods continues to increase, the honey market is growing bigger. In order to meet market demand, honey processing plants need to adopt a series of advanced equipments and machines to improve production efficiency and product quality. This article will detail the main equipments you may intrested and need.
Honey collection equipment
The processing of honey starts with collecting the honey. This is a technically intensive job that requires precise equipment and methods to ensure the purity and quality of the honey. The relevant equipment is as follows:
1. Beehive: Bee breeding is the basis of honey production, so beehive is the most basic type of honey processing equipment. There are two types of beehives: fixed and mobile. Fixed beehives are suitable for large-scale farming, while mobile beehives are suitable for home farming and small honey processing plants.
2.Honey shaker: Honey shaker is a device used to extract honey from the hive. Its main working principle is to shake the honey out of the hive through a rotating blade to simulate the flapping action of a bee, and then store the honey in a honey storage tank. Common honey shakers include vertical honey shakers and horizontal honey shakers. This equipment is usually made of stainless steel, making it both sturdy and easy to clean.
Honey purification equipment
The extracted honey is not the final product state we want. It contains large amounts of pollen and other impurities and needs to be filtered and clarified. In this step, we will use a filter and centrifugal separator.
1.Filter: A filter is a device used to remove impurities and particles from honey. It is mainly used to filter impurities and foreign matter in honey to ensure the quality and hygiene of honey. Common filter materials include stainless steel, nylon, plastic, etc. The pore size and material of the filter should be selected according to the quality requirements of the honey.
2.Centrifugal separator: A centrifugal separator is a device that uses centrifugal force to separate solid particles and liquid in honey. Through the centrifugal force of high-speed rotation, the solid particles in the honey can be thrown towards the cylinder wall, and then settle to the bottom through gravity, thus achieving the purification of honey.
Honey concentration equipment
Concentration is an important part of honey processing. The purified nectar needs to be concentrated, which can remove excess water and increase the concentration of the honey. It can also kill any bacteria and parasites that may be present. In this step, we will use a vacuum concentrator or a steam evaporator and a thin film concentrator.
1. Vacuum concentrator: The vacuum concentrator is a device that uses the principle of vacuum to concentrate honey. Under vacuum, the water in honey will evaporate quickly, thus greatly increasing the concentration of honey. The advantages of the vacuum concentrator are fast evaporation speed, good effect and easy operation.
3.Thin film concentrator: The thin film concentrator is a device that uses the contact heat transfer principle between the material and the membrane for concentration. By adjusting the thickness of the membrane and the concentration of the material, honey concentration requirements of different concentrations can be achieved. The advantages of thin film concentrators are simple equipment structure and easy operation, but the evaporation rate is relatively slow.
Honey crystallization equipment
The sugar concentration in concentrated honey is still high and requires crystallization and separation to form solid honey crystals. Commonly used crystallization-related equipment includes constant temperature water baths and crystallization tanks.
- Constant temperature water bath: The constant temperature water bath is a device used to control the honey crystallization process. By heating the water in the water bath, the sugar in the honey can gradually dissolve in the water, thereby promoting the crystallization process of the honey. The temperature of the constant temperature water bath should be controlled at 30-50°C to ensure that the honey can fully crystallize and to avoid the loss of nutrients caused by excessive temperature.
- Crystallization tank: The crystallization tankis a device used to collect honey crystals. Through stirring or vibrating devices, the crystallized particles in honey can be dispersed evenly, which facilitates subsequent separation and packaging. The design of the crystallization tank should be selected according to the quality requirements of honey to meet different crystallization effects.
Honey storage tank and honey filling equipment
Honey after crystallization and separation needs to be stored. In terms of storage, honey should be stored in a cool and ventilated place, away from direct sunlight and high temperature and high humidity environments, and then go through processes such as filling, sealing and labeling, and finally the finished honey is sold. and transportation. The relevant equipment is as follows:
- Honey storage tank: A honey storage tank is a device used to store honey. Usually made of stainless steel or plastic, it has good sealing performance and corrosion resistance. The size of the honey storage tank should be selected based on honey output and storage time to meet the needs of the production line.
- Honey Filling machine: A filling machine is a device that transports honey from honey storage tanks to packaging bottles. Through automated operation, a fast and accurate filling process can be achieved and production efficiency can be improved. The filling machine should be selected according to the viscosity and fluidity of honey to ensure filling quality and production efficiency.
Conclusion
To sum up, the main equipment required in the honey processing process includes honey collection equipment, honey purification equipment, honey concentration equipment, honey crystallization equipment and honey storage equipment. The selection of these equipment should be comprehensively considered based on the quality requirements, output and production process of honey to ensure the safety, efficiency and environmental protection of the honey processing process.
Note: This artical was wrote by Miss. Jessie from Shanghai Npack Automation Equipment Co.,ltd, for more details, please email her npack@npackpm.comÂ
