Sunflower Processing Plant & Machinery Solutions

Seed arriving from the field is screened free of stalk, husk fragments, dust and field soil, and separated by size before dehulling. Even sizing at this point makes the dehuller easier to set.

Seed is dried down and held until the moisture is even through the lot, which is what makes the hull brittle enough to crack cleanly. Moisture is checked on samples before the seed is released to the dehuller.

Seed is impacted to split the hull from the kernel, and the two are then parted by air because the hull is much lighter. Unhulled seed returned by the separator is recirculated for a second pass.

Kernels are graded by size and density, and discoloured kernels, remaining hull and foreign matter are picked out optically. This stage decides which kernels go to the food line and which go for crushing.

Kernels for oil are flaked between rolls and then pressed in a screw expeller to draw off crude sunflower oil. The cake leaving the press is cooled before it goes to storage or milling.

Food-grade kernels are weighed and filled into pouches, with gas flushing used where a longer shelf life is wanted. Filled packs pass a metal check and a weight check before they are cased.