Sormac develops and produces processing machines for potatoes and vegetables. The manufacturer has grown into a specialist in peeling potatoes, carrots and onions, and in washing and drying leafy vegetables. The manufacturer supplies complete customer-specific processing lines in addition to stand-alone machines, and, in their own words, they’re striving for perfection in their machines.
Commercial manager Roy Lemmen says drying leafy vegetables is a profession in its own right, and is often divided into two groups: mechanical dehydration and thermally drying. “The Sormac centrifuges are in the category of mechanically drying. These machines are particularly suitable for the mechanical dehydration of delicate leafy vegetables, in particular because of their patented drive and filling method,” he says. “The tilted drum ensures the product is evenly loaded and that it falls out undamaged. Movement means damaging. That’s why it’s always important in centrifuging that each leaf is directly placed upon loading in the spot where it will remain during the cycle.”
There’s also a growing demand for thermal drying systems. The Sormac air drying tunnel (LDT) dries the product thermally. Roy: “The LDT is characterised by the high capacity that the machine can handle and its small footprint. We use a floating bed, so that the product floats over the lower belt, as it were, the drying therefore takes place evenly. To guarantee a good shelf life, lower moisture contents are desired. With the LDT, the products can be handled without getting damaged, and moisture contents lower than one per cent are possible, which results in an appealing and fresh-looking product.”
Continually in development
By continuing to innovate with new machines and refining existing machines, Sormac can still remain ahead of developments on the market. One example of this is the recently introduced Sormac Veggieline: processing machines for smaller capacities for cutting, washing and drying a diversity of vegetables. These machines have been further developed in the field of technique, ergonomics and hygiene; they’re more robust and made from only high-quality materials. The machines from Veggieline can be used as stand-alone machine, but can also be combined to create a complete processing line.
Sormac hasn’t been standing still in the field of peeling either. The new knife peeler MS-30 can be used, just as existing Sormac knife peelers MS-10, MS-20 and MS-20/Combi, to peel tuberous products for the fresh market, as well as re-peeling steam-peeled products. Roy: “The new design of the knife peelers is characterised by the fact that the machine no longer has loose parts. The doors in the new design have been permanently installed to the machine and can be opened horizontally. The knife peelers have been designed in such a way that there are no blind spots, so that the machines can easily and efficiently be cleaned. Furthermore, the patented ‘floating’ three-point suspension ensures a calm and stable rotation of the peeling drum. The special shape of the drum and the positioning of the knives ensures a good final result and an optimal return of the product.”
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Sormac
Roy Lemmen