Description:

Naddeo Technologies washing and drying line for leafy vegetables

Naddeo Technologies washing and drying line for leafy vegetables and fresh cut head products. 
Such as baby leaves, Lamb's lettuce, rocket / Ruccola and spinach and cut head lettuce.

The line consists of the following machines that are all made of stainless steel:

1. Bin tipper for 130 x 130 cm boxes
2. Elevator / dosing hopper 210 cm x 82 cm (L x W)
3. Vibrating web grader
   • For separating soil / sand and bugs from the product
   • 220 cm x 85 cm (L x W)
   • Diameter of holes in conveyor 2 cm
4. Inspection conveyor 190 cm x 95 cm (L x W)
5. Pre-washing unit, Blowing washer WM
   • Complete with drum for removing bugs from the product and dipping the product in the water
6. Water canals for transporting the product in a S-shape, 50 cm wide
7. Main washer, Blowing washer WM, with cleaner water 
   • Complete with drum for removing bugs from the product and dipping the product in the water
   • Elevator with rinsing unit
   • Automatic water renewal in complete line with timer
8. DEW 400 dewatering conveyor
   • 3 mesh conveyors of 90 cm wide  
   • Complete with vacuum ventilators to distract the water
9. Aeolus drying unit
   • With drying unit, with hot air from 10° to max. 38°
   • With cooling tunnel, for cooling down the products' core temperature to 4°/ 5°
   • Possible to pack the lettuce immediately after drying
   • Dimensions: 800 x 240 x 310 (L x W x H) 

Blowing washer WM

The washer machine model WM is a double action washer for washing various types of fruit, vegetables and mushrooms. Thank to the delicate high flow action applied by the washer, it is possible to mix different products. The washer consists of a stainless steel tank divided into several sections according to the capacity; the first performs washing and in the last a flexible mesh belt transfers the product and gently begins dewatering. A motorised paddle is used to adjust the flow of the product inside the unit, to break and to dip the floating layer in combined action with the perforated drum which allows a perfect removal of much of the foreign material (insects, wood portions, plastic, etc.). The washing water is constantly recycled through the incorporated self-cleaning rotary filter.

Advantages of blowing washer: 

• Excellent washing quality.
• Wide range of models available with a capacity ranging from 330 lbs/H to 33,000 lbs/H (150 kg. to 15 tons/H).
• Easy regulation of the washing parameters and double combinated 
• hydraulic – pneumatic action.
• Dewatering elevator belt to extract the product from the washer and a self-cleaning monofilo net belt to filter the recycled water;
• Nominal electric power: 3 Kw

DEW Evolution 400 dewatering conveyor 

The Dew Evolution series is the best solution to dry all the baby leaves. The water is vacuumed on the 3 conveyor mesh conveyor belts while the position of the products is different on each belt. The performances are variable from 150Kg to 300 kg per hour according to the working product, with a moisture level lower than the 4%. This special patented drying technique gives the product back soft, crisp and without any traumatic consequences such as bends or cracks due to centrifugation. A cooling system will complete the drying process giving back a product of great quality and at a final temperature as the ones imposed by the processes of the cold chain. The great facility of all the management and cleaning operations allow however, to make the product change in a short time.

Advantages of DEW Evolution dewatering conveyor: 

• Product Safety.
• Drying less than 4% according to the moisture test.
• Very easy to clean thanks to the simple access to each part of the equipment. 
• Operator’s safety. 
• Complete control of the process. 
• Possibility to chose the more suitable capacity dimension according to the levels of productivity

Specifications of DEW EV 400 dewatering  conveyor

• Nominal electric power: 38 Kw 
• Size: mm 7300x1870x3190

AEOLUS drying unit 

The drying step is always the most complex in the working process of fruit and vegetables. Currently the most advanced drying system for these products is represented by the tunnel. The drying tunnel by means of thermodynamics action allows the elimination of water from the surface of the product.
The cycle is divided into two steps:

DRYING: The product is counter hit by hot and dry air. This flow of hot and dry air “absorbs” the water on the surface of the product, before passing into an evaporative cooling battery which allows the separation of the water (coming from the product) from the processing air.

COOLING: The Dry product is counter hit by cold air to restore the product to the optimum temperature to guarantee the prosecution of the cold chain and then get a product that meets the highest quality standards.

The dryer has inside a direct expansion heat pump and an independent electrical panel. The electricity and water consumption of these tunnel are currently the lowest on the market.

Specifications of Aeolus dryer:

• Nominal power 60 Kw
• Absorbed power 24 Kw
• Production Capacity up to 500Kg/h (of Baby Leaf)
• Average water consumption 1.5m3/h

This washing line can be used for a very different amount of leafy vegetables, such as lamb's lettuce, baby leaf and (baby) spinach. With this line it is possible to wash and dry up to 500 kg per hour and clean your products from any soil, sand and bugs, without damaging the product. 

This machine has only been running for a total of 200 hours. That is +/- 100.000 kg in total. 
The grower who bought this machine new, thought to expand into the lamb's lettuce. But eventually he stopped with this cultivation.