Machine selection GUIDE 25
Fruit Processing: Selecting Screens and Extractors for the Intended Product
Choose fruit-processing equipment around the required output, from separated fruit flesh to pulp. Prepare useful screening, extraction and acceptance trials.
Select fruit-processing equipment by the required product form before considering the fruit name alone. Whole fruit, pieces and puree represent different processing objectives. Stone-brushing equipment and a turbo extractor perform different functions, while screen selection depends on the incoming material and acceptable output. A useful enquiry brings together representative fruit, the target product, an assessment of separated streams and a trial conducted under clearly recorded conditions.
Preparing whole apricot products is a different equipment question from making apricot puree. Selecting solely by the fruit name can result in equipment that is relevant to the raw material but unsuitable for the intended saleable form.
FRUMAK specifically notes that its stone-brushing process changes the fruit's form. This is a useful reminder to understand a machine's purpose before comparing its capacity.
1. Specify the required form of the processed fruit
Place a target sample or clear product description at the front of the enquiry. Must the fruit remain whole, retain a defined piece structure or become pulp? The answer establishes the boundaries of the equipment assessment. If one incoming fruit is destined for several markets, list those output scenarios separately.
Also explain where the material goes next. An intermediate for jam may have a different acceptance description from one intended for juice or another fruit product. Do not choose a screen opening or operating setting from a general article: those details should follow assessment of the actual fruit and required output.
2. Distinguish stone brushing from extraction
FRUMAK describes its stone-brushing machine as separating the flesh from larger stones in fruits such as peaches and apricots. Its explanation explicitly distinguishes this from removing a stone while preserving the fruit's original form. Whole-fruit production should therefore not list this machine as an automatic solution.
The turbo extractor is described in relation to passing prepared, heated product through a screen-and-blade arrangement to obtain fruit pulp. Incoming preparation and the intended separation must form part of the selection discussion. Whether these machines are used in sequence or in different routes depends on the defined product and project scope.
| Target | First question | Technical outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Whole fruit | Must the original form be preserved? | Assessment of the appropriate method |
| Separated fruit flesh | Is the resulting form acceptable? | Sample and stone-separation trial |
| Fruit pulp or puree | How will the incoming fruit be prepared? | Defined extraction scope |
| Particulate intermediate | What piece structure is required? | Product-specific suitability review |
| Several fruits | How will seasonal changes be managed? | Screen, format and changeover plan |
3. Bring incoming-material variation into the trial
Record the variety, supply date and preparation method of the trial fruit. Where practical, plan samples representing the batches likely to arrive during normal production. A result from one carefully selected batch should not be treated as proof for an entire season.
Measure incoming material, target output and separated streams using an agreed scope. State where each measurement is made and how material retained in the equipment is handled. This turns a yield discussion into a traceable mass balance rather than an unexplained percentage. Assess whether new trials are needed before applying the result to another fruit.
4. Treat screen selection as a product decision
A screen specification should be linked to its intended product, change method and output acceptance criteria. If alternative screens are proposed, ask which operating scenario each is intended to support. The finest option should not automatically be assumed to be the best choice for every finished product.
Show separated-material collection, accepted-product transfer and maintenance access on the layout. Adequate machine throughput does not prove that these other streams can be managed effectively on site. Include product transitions and operator observation points in the working schedule, so the assessment reflects how the factory will actually run.
5. Create a fruit-specific trial and acceptance record
The report should identify the fruit, incoming preparation, tested configuration, measurement methods and final assessment. If several fruits are included in the proposed investment, distinguish those tested from those still awaiting evaluation. Any performance conclusion should remain within those stated boundaries.
Discuss replaceable parts, cleaning access, recommended spares and operator training. A successful equipment trial does not complete the feeding and downstream integration work. Record those interfaces in the project file, so seasonal variability is acknowledged without leaving the purchase decision vague.
- Are reference and trial outputs compared by the same method?
- How is recoverable product in the separated stream assessed?
- Does the quotation identify the intended configuration for each fruit?
KEY POINTS
Before requesting a quotation
- Decide whether the target is whole fruit, pieces or pulp first.
- Separate each machine's function from incoming-product preparation.
- Record separated streams as well as the desired trial output.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
Does stone-brushing equipment preserve the fruit as a whole?+
FRUMAK states that this process changes the fruit's form. If whole fruit is required, the appropriate method must be assessed separately rather than treating stone brushing as form-preserving stone removal.
Can one screen be assumed suitable for every fruit?+
No. Assess the fruit, incoming preparation and output objective together. The quotation should state which products each proposed screen is intended to support.
How should trial yields be compared?+
Measure incoming and outgoing streams on the same basis, identifying retained or separately collected material. Percentages obtained from different preparation methods or raw-material conditions are not automatically equivalent.
Sources and product information
The following pages document product specifications and equipment scope. Capacity, product suitability and the final supply scope need to be agreed in a project-specific proposal.
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