Cleaning & Grading Equipment — Technical Specification
1. Process Objective
Remove foreign matter (ferrous/non-ferrous metals, stones, fines, off-color seeds) from raw flaxseed at a design capacity of 8 MT/hr. Four-stage dry cleaning: magnetic separation → vibratory screening → aspiration → destoning → color sorting.
2. Equipment Configuration — ASCII Flow Diagram
raw flaxseed (8 MT/hr)
|
v
[ Hopper / Elevator ]
|
v
[ 1. Magnet — 10,000 Gauss ] ← Ferrous removal
|
v
[ 2. Vibrating Screen — 4 decks ] ← Overs/sizing
| 4 mm / 2 mm / 1 mm / 0.5 mm
v
[ 3. Aspirator — 4–6 m/s air ] ← Light fines / hulls
|
v
[ 4. Destoner — Fluidized bed ] ← Stones / heavy contaminants
|
v
[ 5. Color Sorter — NIR+VIS, 128 ch. ] ← Discolored / defective seeds (CCP-1)
|
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[ Clean flaxseed to tempering silo ]
3. Equipment Table
| Unit |
Type |
Model (Example) |
Capacity (MT/hr) |
Power (kW) |
Material (food-contact) |
Manufacturer (suggested) |
| Permanent Magnet |
Drawer / Cartridge, 10,000 Gauss |
Eriez SE-7830 |
8–10 |
— |
SS304 housing, magnets Ni-plated NdFeB |
Eriez / Bunting |
| Vibrating Screen |
Gyratory / Linear, 4-deck |
Sweco 84" X-Screen |
8–10 |
2 × 2.2 (vibrators) |
SS304 / 316L screen frames, food-grade silicone balls |
Sweco / Kason |
| Aspirator |
Vertical air column + cyclone |
Forsberg 2S-48 |
8–12 |
7.5 (fan) + 0.75 (feeder) |
SS304 contact surfaces |
Forsberg / Oliver |
| Destoner |
Fluidized-bed / air-table |
Oliver MCS-48 |
8–10 |
5.5 (fan) + 0.75 (drive) |
SS304 deck, polycarbonate cover |
Oliver / Sortex |
| Color Sorter |
NIR + VIS belt-type, 128 ch. |
Satake SC-2000Z |
6–10 |
2.5 + 1.5 (compressor) |
Food-grade conveyor, SS304 frame |
Satake / Bühler / Tomra |
4. Detailed Technical Parameters — Set Points & Tolerances
4.1 Magnet (10,000 Gauss)
| Parameter |
Set Point |
Tolerance |
Notes |
| Magnetic field strength |
10,000 G |
±500 G |
At pole face |
| Material temperature |
25 °C |
−10 / +40 °C |
Above 60 °C demagnetises |
| Drawer pull-out force |
> 15 kgf |
— |
Manual cleaning threshold |
4.2 Vibrating Screen (4-deck)
| Parameter |
Set Point |
Tolerance |
Notes |
| Deck 1 (overs) |
4.0 mm |
±0.1 mm |
Round / square perforation |
| Deck 2 (middlings) |
2.0 mm |
±0.1 mm |
— |
| Deck 3 (fines) |
1.0 mm |
±0.05 mm |
— |
| Deck 4 (ultra-fines) |
0.5 mm |
±0.05 mm |
— |
| Vibration frequency |
960–1,440 rpm |
±20 rpm |
Adjustable eccentric |
| Stroke (throw) |
6–12 mm |
±1 mm |
— |
| Deck incline |
5°–8° |
±0.5° |
— |
| Feed rate |
8 MT/hr |
±0.5 MT/hr |
— |
4.3 Aspirator (4–6 m/s)
| Parameter |
Set Point |
Tolerance |
Notes |
| Air velocity in column |
5.0 m/s |
±0.5 m/s |
Adjustable damper |
| Air volume |
60–80 m³/min |
±5 m³/min |
— |
| Feed gate opening |
70 % |
±5 % |
— |
| Cyclone pressure drop |
800–1,200 Pa |
±100 Pa |
— |
| Light fraction removal |
≥ 98 % |
— |
Verify by sieve analysis |
4.4 Destoner (Fluidized Bed)
| Parameter |
Set Point |
Tolerance |
Notes |
| Deck air velocity |
3.5–5.0 m/s |
±0.3 m/s |
Adjustable plenum |
| Deck vibration |
500–700 rpm |
±10 rpm |
— |
| Deck incline (long.) |
4°–8° |
±0.5° |
— |
| Deck incline (trans.) |
2°–5° |
±0.5° |
— |
| Plenum pressure |
600–900 Pa |
±50 Pa |
— |
| Stone removal efficiency |
≥ 99.5 % |
— |
— |
4.5 Color Sorter (NIR+VIS, 128 ch.) — CCP-1
| Parameter |
Set Point |
Tolerance |
Notes |
| Number of channels |
128 |
— |
64 NIR + 64 VIS |
| NIR wavelength range |
950–1,700 nm |
±10 nm |
Indium Gallium Arsenide |
| VIS wavelength range |
400–1,050 nm |
±10 nm |
Silicon CCD |
| Reject sensitivity |
User-adjustable |
0–999 |
Digital threshold |
| Ejector air pressure |
0.5–0.7 MPa |
±0.05 MPa |
Compressed air |
| Ejector firing duration |
5–15 ms |
±1 ms |
Per channel |
| Feed rate (per chute) |
60–80 kg/hr |
±10 kg/hr |
— |
| Belts speed |
2.0–4.0 m/s |
±0.2 m/s |
— |
| Reject ratio (target) |
≤ 3 % |
— |
Of total good product |
| Parameter |
Target |
Verification Method |
Frequency |
| Ferrous removal |
≥ 99.9 % |
Magnet check / ferrous test piece |
Daily |
| Overs separation |
≤ 0.5 % fines in overs |
Sieve analysis (Ro-Tap) |
Weekly |
| Aspirator light fraction removal |
≥ 98 % |
Sieve + weight check |
Weekly |
| Destoner stone removal |
≥ 99.5 % |
Stone spiking test |
Monthly |
| Color sorter reject accuracy |
≥ 99.5 % defect removal |
Calibrated plastic seeds / sample |
Daily shift start |
| Total throughput |
8 MT/hr ± 0.5 |
Belt scale / weigh hopper |
Continuous |
| Power consumption |
≤ 22 kW (all units) |
Energy meter logging |
Monthly |
6. HACCP Integration — CCP-1 (Color Sorter)
| Element |
Specification |
| CCP ID |
CCP-1 |
| Hazard |
Physical (foreign material) + Organoleptic (discoloured/mouldy seeds → mycotoxin risk) |
| Critical Limit |
≤ 0.02 % discoloured/foreign seeds in outgoing product (by weight) |
| Monitoring Device |
NIR+VIS camera array + pneumatic ejectors; PLC logs reject count per minute |
| Monitoring Frequency |
Continuous during production; manual check with sample tray every 30 min |
| Monitoring Personnel |
Line operator |
| Corrective Action |
1. Pause production at CCP-1. 2. Divert in-process material. 3. Re-calibrate sensitivity. 4. Log incident. |
| Verification |
Lab colour-sort audit every 4 hr; third-party check weekly |
| Record Keeping |
CCP log sheet (hourly); digital PLC archive (30-day retention) |
Supporting HACCP for Pre-Cleaning Stages
| Equipment |
Hazard Controlled |
Monitoring |
Frequency |
| Magnet (10k Gauss) |
Ferrous metal |
Visual check + ferrous test piece |
Every shift |
| Vibrating screen |
Oversize debris / lumps |
Screen deck integrity inspection |
Daily |
| Aspirator |
Dust / light chaff |
Air velocity manometer check |
Daily |
| Destoner |
Stones / heavy metals |
Stone collection tray inspection |
Daily |
7. Maintenance Schedule
7.1 Daily (shift-end, ~30 min total)
| Task |
Time (min) |
Performed By |
| Magnet — remove & clean accumulated ferrous material |
5 |
Operator |
| Vibrating screen — visual check for torn/blocked screens |
5 |
Operator |
| Aspirator — empty cyclone collection bag; check air velocity |
5 |
Operator |
| Destoner — empty stone collection tray; check fluidisation |
5 |
Operator |
| Color sorter — clean camera lenses & windows (lint-free cloth) |
5 |
Operator |
| All — log readings in CMMS |
5 |
Operator |
7.2 Weekly (~2 hr)
| Task |
Time (min) |
Performed By |
| Screen deck change-out inspection (swap with spare if > 5 % blinding) |
30 |
Maintenance tech |
| Magnet Gauss measurement (handheld Gaussmeter) — re-charge if < 9,500 G |
15 |
QC / Tech |
| Aspirator fan belt tension & pulley alignment check |
15 |
Maintenance tech |
| Destoner air plenum filter cleaning |
15 |
Operator |
| Color sorter nozzle bank check — fire test pattern |
30 |
Maintenance tech |
| All threaded fasteners torque check |
15 |
Maintenance tech |
7.3 Monthly (~4 hr)
| Task |
Time (min) |
Performed By |
| Complete magnet assembly removal & degaussing check |
30 |
Maintenance tech |
| Vibrating screen — replace worn screen cloth as needed |
60 |
Maintenance tech |
| Aspirator — cyclone & ducting inspection for wear |
30 |
Maintenance tech |
| Destoner — deck surface wear measurement; replace if < 3 mm |
30 |
Maintenance tech |
| Color sorter — full calibration with reference sample set |
60 |
QC + Tech |
| Lubricate all bearings (food-grade grease) |
30 |
Maintenance tech |
| Update maintenance log & spare parts inventory |
30 |
Maintenance lead |
7.4 Annual (during shutdown, ~16 hr)
| Task |
Time (min) |
Performed By |
| Magnet — factory recertification of Gauss rating |
— |
OEM / external lab |
| Vibrating screen — full frame re-level; replace all springs & balls |
240 |
Maintenance team |
| Aspirator — fan impeller balancing & bearing replacement |
120 |
Maintenance tech |
| Destoner — complete deck removal, re-surfacing or replacement |
180 |
Maintenance team |
| Color sorter — full optical bench alignment + lamp replacement |
180 |
OEM service engineer |
| All motors — insulation resistance test (Megger) & re-grease |
120 |
Electrical tech |
| All — structural integrity check, weld inspection, electric panel clean |
120 |
Maintenance team |
8. Safety Interlocks & Emergency Stops
| Interlock / E-Stop |
Trigger |
Action |
Location |
| Emergency stop (red pushbutton) |
Manual press |
Isolates all motors & air; brake on belt conveyors |
Each equipment panel + central |
| Magnet door interlock |
Access door opened |
Cuts feed conveyor upstream |
Magnet housing |
| Screen access door |
Vibration sensor on guard |
Stops vibrator motors if guard lifted |
Screen frame |
| Aspirator fan overtemp |
Thermal overload relay (set 140 °C) |
Trips fan motor |
Fan motor starter |
| Destoner air pressure low |
Pressure switch < 300 Pa |
Stops feed roller |
Destoner plenum |
| Color sorter enclosure |
Interlock on camera housing |
Disables ejector air; keeps belts running |
Camera enclosure |
| Overall line E-Stop pull-cord |
Pulled at any point |
Full line stop in < 2 s |
Along conveyor length |
9. Utility Requirements
| Utility |
Specification |
Connection |
Consumption (per line) |
| Electrical power |
380–480 V, 3-phase, 50/60 Hz |
Hardwired to MCC |
22 kW (peak) |
| Compressed air |
0.6–0.8 MPa, oil-free, dry (dew point −20 °C) |
1″ NPT quick-connect |
2.5 m³/min (color sorter) |
| Lighting (inspection) |
1,000 lux at camera plane |
Dedicated LED |
0.5 kW |
| Exhaust / dust collection |
80 m³/min at −2 kPa |
200 mm duct flange |
7.5 kW fan |
10. Common Spare Parts List
| Part |
Part Number (Example) |
Qty in Stock |
Lead Time |
Criticality |
| Magnet cartridge assembly (10k G) |
Eriez P-TRAP-7830 |
1 |
4 weeks |
High |
| Screen cloth — 4 mm SS |
Sweco 84‑4.0‑304 |
2 rolls |
2 weeks |
Medium |
| Screen cloth — 2 mm SS |
Sweco 84‑2.0‑304 |
2 rolls |
2 weeks |
Medium |
| Screen cloth — 1 mm SS |
Sweco 84‑1.0‑304 |
2 rolls |
2 weeks |
Medium |
| Screen cloth — 0.5 mm SS |
Sweco 84‑0.5‑304 |
2 rolls |
2 weeks |
Medium |
| Silicone ball deck cleaners |
Sweco 38 mm silicone |
500 |
1 week |
Medium |
| Aspirator fan belt — SPZ-1900 |
Gates / Optibelt |
4 |
1 week |
Low |
| Destoner deck fabric |
Oliver MCS-48 deck |
1 |
6 weeks |
High |
| Color sorter LED lamp (VIS) |
Satake HL‑VIS‑128 |
2 |
8 weeks |
High |
| Color sorter NIR lamp |
Satake HL‑NIR‑128 |
1 |
8 weeks |
High |
| Ejector valve (solenoid + nozzle) |
Satake EV‑128‑12 |
4 |
4 weeks |
High |
| Air filter regulator (FRL) |
SMC AW40‑F04 |
2 |
1 week |
Low |
| Food-grade grease |
Klüber Lubricant 4‑302 |
5 kg |
2 weeks |
Low |
11. Calibration Requirements
| Instrument / Device |
Range |
Standard |
Tolerance |
Calibration Frequency |
Responsibility |
| Handheld Gaussmeter |
0–20,000 G |
NIST-traceable reference magnet |
±100 G |
6 months |
QC / external lab |
| Digital tachometer (screen rpm) |
0–9,999 rpm |
Stroboscope |
±5 rpm |
12 months |
Maintenance |
| Anemometer / hot-wire (aspirator) |
0–20 m/s |
NIST-traceable Pitot tube |
±0.1 m/s |
12 months |
Maintenance |
| Pressure manometer (destoner) |
0–2,000 Pa |
Water-column manometer |
±10 Pa |
6 months |
QC |
| Color sorter reference sample set |
Colour tiles (white, black, red, green) |
Spectrophotometer (Lab values) |
ΔE < 0.5 |
1 month (new set every 6 months) |
QC lab |
| Belt scale (throughput) |
0–15 MT/hr |
Test weights (50 kg certified) |
±0.5 % |
6 months |
Maintenance |
| PLC process timer |
0–10 s |
Oscilloscope / stopwatch |
±10 ms |
12 months |
Electrical tech |
Document version: 1.0 — Author: Process Engineering — Approved: QA Manager