02 · Dried Fruit & Nut Processing — Equipment
Dries fruit, vegetables, nuts and similar foods with circulating hot air. Tray, heat pump and multi-layer belt designs.
Short answer: A hot-air dryer lowers the moisture of fruit, vegetables, nuts and herbs by blowing heated air over and through the product and carrying the humid air away. The design is set by how much water must be removed, the final water activity you need, how much product sits on each square metre, and the heat source available at your site.
Fans circulate air across a heater and then through the drying chamber, where product sits on trays or moving belts. Warm air picks up moisture from the product surface; part of this humid air is exhausted and replaced by fresh air so drying keeps going. A controller holds the air temperature and adjusts the exhaust.
In a tray cabinet, trolleys are wheeled in and stay until the batch is done; air direction may be reversed during the cycle so all trays dry evenly. A heat pump dryer passes humid air over a cold coil to condense water and reuses the heat, so drying can run at lower temperatures. A multi-layer belt dryer carries product on several stacked belts; it falls from one belt to the next, which turns it over, and dries through zones with different temperatures.
| Form | Suits | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Tray cabinet | Many products, small to medium batches | Loading and unloading labour |
| Heat pump dryer | Heat-sensitive fruit, herbs, higher energy prices | Higher purchase cost; drying slower at low temperature |
| Multi-layer belt dryer | Large volumes of vegetables, fruit dice, nuts | Needs steady feed of one product |
Product arrives from a vegetable cutting machine, a blanching and cooling line or an air knife dewatering machine. It is the drying stage of a dried fruit processing line. For crisp, high-value products compare it with a freeze dryer.
Tray cabinet
product on trays in trolleys or racks; flexible for many products and small to medium batches.
Heat pump dryer
recovers heat from exhaust air; lower drying temperatures and lower energy use per kg of water removed in many cases.
Multi-layer belt dryer
product moves continuously over several belts; suits high volumes of one product.
Our engineers check these points with you, so the quotation fits your site rather than a catalogue default.
It depends on the product, piece thickness, starting and final moisture, loading density and air temperature. Thin fruit slices dry much faster than whole fruit. We estimate cycle time from your product data and confirm it in trials where possible.
It often uses less energy per kg of water removed and dries at gentler temperatures, which helps colour. It pays off when energy is expensive and the dryer runs many hours a year. We compare running costs with your energy prices.
Water activity indicates how available the water is for microbial growth and browning, so it relates directly to shelf stability. Two products with the same moisture can have different water activity, especially with added sugar.
Tell us your raw material, finished product and target output. Our engineers reply with a matched configuration and quotation.
What to send with your inquiry
Email sales@hnfoda.com
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Dried Fruit & Nut Processing
Investors and food companies starting or expanding dried fruit, fruit chip or dried fruit snack production.
Sized to fresh fruit input (kg/h or tonnes per day); dried output depends on moisture removed
Dried Fruit & Nut Processing
Date packers and processors adding value with washed, pitted or paste products for retail and industry.
Sized to whole date input (kg/h or tonnes per day)
Dried Fruit & Nut Processing
Food companies and brand owners launching peanut butter, almond butter or nut spread products.
Sized to roasted nut input (kg/h); output is close to input for pure nut butter
Dried Fruit & Nut Processing
Snack nut producers making salted, spiced, honey-roasted or coated nuts.
Sized to roasted nut input (kg/h) plus the seasoning added
