WHAT IS A FINISHER?
There are many different ways of naming this group of machines: finisher, extractor, pulper, presser, refiner, separator…
The choice of one term or the other will depend on the area, on the application the machine is having in a certain moment or on the product.
Being aware of their differences and diverse applications, in this post we will treat them as a group and tackle general ideas about this family of machines. Their functioning is always the same.
Let’s start with the definition of finisher.
DEFINITION OF FINISHER
A finisher (turboextractor, turbopulper, presser, refiner, separator…) is a machine that consists of a cylindrical screen used for obtaining pulps, juices or extracts.
This machines eliminates all traces of fruit stones, peels, seeds, foreign particles, etc.
The mechanism inside the cylinder is what defines the two subtypes of finishers. Firstly we have screw finishers and secondly paddle finishers. Both the screw and the paddles push the product towards the perforated surface of the screen.
When talking about double pulpers, the term finisher usually refers to the second body, the one that determines the texture of the product. In contrast, the first body is generally called pulper.
OPERATING PRINCIPLE OF A FINISHER
This machine is continuously fed with milled or crushed product. Some finishers include a mill in the entry of product.
The product is pumped and arrives at the inside of the screen.
As we have mentioned regarding the subtypes, by the action of either a screw or paddles on a rotary shaft, the product spins and moves towards the screen. Every finisher is designed to reduce the waste of usable product as much as possible.
The product pressure on the screen makes certain parts of the product stay inside the screen and some others cross the perforations.
The screen perforations diameter will determine the texture of the resulting product. We can get liquid and semi-liquid products.
The screened product goes then to a hopper and is pumped to the following phases of production. The waste in the inside of the screen is also emptied.
FINISHERS DESIGN
As we can see, these are machines with very simple operation and easy cleaning. With this aim, they usually have a modular design that allows the removal of their parts without any problem.
These are also very efficient machines suitable for the extraction of pulps of different textures just by changing a screen. Maquinaria Conservera Tomás Guillén has in stock machines and screens of different perforations from the main manufacturers (Manzini, JBT, Bertocchi, Rossi&Catelli…).
COLD EXTRACTION AND HOT EXTRACTION
Extraction is possible at both cold and hot temperatures. In Maquinaria Conservera Tomás Guillén, we have machines for the two applications.
From manufacturer Bertocchi, for example, we currently have a CX20 simple turbopulper (20 tons per hour), where letter “C” stands for “cold”. This machine is directly fed with whole or destoned fruit at ambient temperature. The patented device called Rotopulse makes possible the extraction of puree with no need of preheating.
On the contrary, also with manufacturer Bertocchi, we can offer a HX100 simple turbopulper (100 tons per hour). Here, letter “H” indicates this is a model for hot extraction. With it, the product needs to have undergone a previous process of heat enzymatic treatment.
The choice of one method or the other will always depend on the product we work with and on the specific application.
In general, cold extraction better respects the organoleptic properties of products, whereas hot extraction increases production as we have seen in previous examples (20 tons per hour versus 100 tons per hour).
Continuing with manufacturer Bertocchi, its range VFX has been developed for the production of purees from IQF or milled blocks of frozen fruits and vegetables. This puree is ideal for smoothies, baby food and jams.
In this video, you will find additional information about our Bertocchi pulpers:
IN WHICH FOOD INDUSTRY ARE FINISHERS USED?
Why do we use a finisher for? Finishers and pulpers have different applications within the food industry (including also canned-food industry) and within the beverage industry.
They are used for the extraction of pulps and concentrates from tomatoes, all types of fruits (peach, apple, grape, tropical fruits…) and vegetables. Among their applications, we would also like to mention baby food, jams, jellies, flavorings, etc.
Logically, this type of machine also has a crucial role in the fruit and vegetable juices industry.
Some models like our Fratelli Indelicato finisher, screw type, are even suitable in other industries such as the essential oils. This machine is able to obtain juice from citrus peels, producing from 8 to 10 tons per hour.
THE LARGEST STOCK OF FINISHERS AND PULPERS
Maquinaria Conservera Tomás Guillén has the largest stock of finishers and pulpers for the food and beverage industries.
We only work with the best manufacturers of turboextractors at an international level, with exceptional efficiency: FMC, BERTOCCHI, MANZINI, ZACMI, FBR, ROSSI & CATELLI, EZMA…
We offer a wide range of original screens for pulpers to our customers. We have screens for pulpers of all sizes to give an answer to every possible need.
