Cocoa bean cleaning plant

Cocoa bean cleaning is the first operation carried out by companies that process this raw material for the production of chocolate, powder and cocoa butter. The successful outcome of this operation is essential to guarantee the quality of the finished product and, not least, to preserve the correct functioning of the equipment and avoid any risky damages.

The TECNO 3 PFC-system is able to ensure the removal of impurities and the separation of clean beans for subsequent processing.

Cocoa comes from the countries of origin generally in 60/65 Kg. jute bags. These are emptied into a hopper connected to a vibrating channel equipped with a special wide-meshed grid to separate large impurities and multiple beans.  

Product passes through a magnetic iron remover roller which removes metal foreign bodies, then enters the de-stoning station combining the action of a vibrating plate to separate the parts with a higher specific weight, such as stones, with an air extractor connected to a cyclone separator to remove crumbs and dust. Cocoa then ends up into a vertical variable-section aspirator (air-classifier), where a fast upward air flow separates the remaining light impurities and feed them to the cyclone separator.

Clean beans coming out of the line are sent directly to the roasting system or stored for further processing in suitable containers.

Processing is fully automatic and the line is controlled by a PLC.