In the field of snack foods, natural potato chips have always held an important position and are deeply loved by consumers. The driving force behind the continuous development of the natural potato chip industry is the increasingly sophisticated production equipment. These equipments not only ensure the deliciousness and quality of potato chips but also play a key role in improving efficiency and practicing healthy concepts.
Ⅰ. Equipment Parameters in Raw Material Pretreatment
- Accuracy of Cleaning and Peeling Equipment ： Excessive cleaning force may damage the integrity of potato skin, causing edge fragmentation during slicing; uneven peeling depth will become inconsistent thickness of potato chips, resulting in uneven heating during frying.
- Thickness Control of Slicing Equipment ： When the slicing thickness deviation exceeds ±0.3mm, thin slices are prone to scorching, while thick slices will be soft inside but crisp outside.
Ⅱ. Process Design of Frying System
- Oil Temperature Control and Frying Method： Oil temperature fluctuation exceeding ±5℃ will cause uneven color of potato chips (high temperature easily leads to scorching, while low temperature increases oil absorption);
The difference between traditional atmospheric frying and vacuum frying: Vacuum frying (at 60-80℃) can reduce oil oxidation, retain more vitamins, and offer a lighter taste.
Ⅲ. Technical Details of Oil-removing and Seasoning Equipment
- Centrifugal Force Parameters of Oil Remover ：If the centrifugal speed is insufficient (below 1000 rpm), excessive oil residue on potato chips will make them greasy; too high speed may damage the chip structure.
Ⅳ. Environmental Control in Packaging
- Air-tightness of Nitrogen-filled Packaging ： When the oxygen residue in the package exceeds 1%, potato chips are prone to oxidation, producing a rancid taste and reducing crispness.
Ⅴ. Overall Collaboration of Automation Control System
- Data Linkage Among All Links ：If the slicing thickness data is not real-time synchronized to the frying system, the system cannot automatically adjust the oil temperature and time.
Ⅵ. Design of Equipment Cleaning and Maintenance
- Easy-to-clean Structural Design： Residual burnt debris on the inner wall of the frying tank will contaminate the oil quality of subsequent batches, causing potato chips to have a bitter taste.
At present, through equipment technology upgrading, starting from "precise control + intelligent linkage" can achieve dual improvement in potato chip taste (crispness, oiliness) and quality (color uniformity, safety), meeting consumers' demand for "natural and healthy" snacks.
