Machines and equipment for cleaning potatoes and vegetables.

Cleansing potatoes and vegetables involves removing the outer parts of the epidermis by mechanical means, chemical or thermal.

Mechanical peelers. All periodically operated mechanical peelers for cleaning potatoes and vegetables work according to the same principles. The basic part of the peeler is a vertical cylinder, the bottom of which is a rotating disc with a corrugated horizontal surface or a truncated cone. The shaping of the surface of the disc causes the vegetables to move towards the walls of the cylinder. The cylinder walls and the disc are lined with abrasive material, most often carborundum, which rubs the skin of peeled vegetables. The peelings are rinsed with running water flowing from the top of the cylinder. The peeling depth depends on how long the entire load is peeled, which for most vegetables is approx. 3 minutes. In machines with a truncated cone - due to the more intense and even movement of the tubers - peeling is more effective, and less waste. The cleaning efficiency also depends on the size and shape of the tubers. Tubers should be of equal size, round, with a small number of cavities, the so-called. mesh. The epidermis from the eyelets is removed manually. It is a laborious activity. One employee 100 kg of mechanically cleaned tubers peel approx. 2,5 hours. The amount of waste during mechanical peeling is 25-30%, and during manual peeling 19-36%. The disadvantage of mechanical peeling is the greater loss of vitamin C, protein and mineral compounds and a greater darkening of the surface of potatoes.

The most popular are the three types of batch peelers for potatoes and vegetables. They are marked with the symbols OZ-4, OZ-40 and OC-1.