Rosenqvists Updates Star Wheel Fryer for Pellet Snacks

Swedish food processing equipment company Rosenqvists has recently announced an update to its Star Wheel Fryer for pellet snacks.

The firm has had 25 years of experience with the Star Wheel Fryer and the latest improvements focus on superior oil control. For starters, Rosenqvists has introduced an automatic oil level control system, so the machine can now ensure that the adequate amount of oil is used. The aim is to save the consumption of this resource and reach the best possible turnover rate.

Talking to Potato Business, the company’s Sales Manager, Göran Wadsten said that due to seeing rising demand for improved temperature control options, the company has added an ultra-sonic type level control to the Star Wheel Fryer, so that customers can set the amount of oil inside the fryer pan. It’s possible to set in in milliliters, as the end goal is to have the lowest amount of oil in the fryer, but also have enough oil so that the product can expand.

According to the company official, Rosenqvists’ pellet fryer is slightly different than others on the market: “Other companies have belt fryers that use a stainless steel belt inside the fryer pan, whereas we have a star wheel inside the fryer that rotates,” he said.

Since belt fryers have an opening in the belt, very small pallets can stick or get stuck. But the Start Wheel Fryer has a solid V-form plate paddle inside, which means the pellets cannot stick to the paddle itself.

Moreover, the Star Wheel Fryer has now been fitted with an improved pellet outlet, that has a new design with a screen which allows most of the oil to separate from the pellets before the drip-off belt.

“When the products are sliding out, they can drain the oil more efficiently before they come on the drip-off belt. This oil is then collected into a container outside the fryer. We have a level switch and immediately this oil is pumped back into fryer. So, we don’t waste that oil, we collect it and pump it back as quickly as possible,” Wadsten explained. This results in never having oil in the machine that is older than 5 hours.

The new technology can be retrofitted to existing lines. The patented Star Wheel Fryer is available in three sizes, with outputs from 100-750 kg/h.