Introduction
In the process of processing paddy into rice, there will be losses due to various reasons, and this will affect the output of the rice processing plant. As a rice processing plant operator, do you know how to reduce these losses to increase the output? Don’t worry, this article will help you understand the reasons and solutions that affect rice processing yield. Please continue reading!
What affects the output of rice milling plant
When paddy is processed into rice, broken rice and rice bran are produced. Even if the broken rice and rice bran can be used, they will reduce the overall profit of your rice processing. There are two main reasons for rice loss. One is the factors of the processed paddy itself, and the other is due to the rice processing machinery.
Raw paddy preparation
Selection of Paddy
The first step is the selection of rice. Different types of rice have varying lengths, widths, strengths, and pressure resistance, which can lead to different milling effects. Additionally, the taste of different types of rice also varies, directly affecting the quality of the rice. Therefore, the selection of rice is a very important step.
The moisture content of raw rice
Next is the moisture content of rice. When milling rice, we need to ensure that the rice is within a safe moisture content range. This way, rice with a high moisture content has a good milling effect and is not easily broken. If the moisture content of the rice is too high, it will reduce the strength of the rice grains and make them fragile during milling. Rice with a low moisture content will also increase its brittleness and lead to excessive broken rice.
Cleaning of raw paddy
Finally, before rice milling, it is necessary to clean the raw grains. The raw grains recovered from farmland contain a large amount of dust, mud, straw, and other large impurities, as well as some pests. They must be removed before storage or further processing. Only in this way can the cleanliness and quality of the final rice be maximally ensured during the rice milling process.
Rice Milling equipment
The quality of rice milling machines
Rice processing machinery is essential equipment for producing rice, which directly affects the subsequent storage, nutritional value, and commercial value of rice. So the choice of rice processing machinery is very important.
The adjustment of machines
In the process of rice processing, we need to adjust the machine according to different situations.
Firstly, regardless of the type of processing machine, it is necessary to control the flow rate of the feed material. If the feeding amount is too small, your device will not be able to perform at its full potential, resulting in energy waste. If the feeding amount is too large, your processing equipment will operate at overload, causing a decrease in processing accuracy and producing more broken rice. So when processing rice, it is necessary to pay attention to the effect of the processed rice, adjust the feeding amount in a timely manner, reduce the loss of rice, and thus increase the yield.
Secondly, it is necessary to make individual adjustments to each processing machine. During the rice processing process, operators should adjust the machines in a timely manner to ensure optimal performance. I will explain the specific adjustments to each machine later.
Finally, if there are any abnormal phenomena during the processing, such as abnormal machine vibrations, blockages, excessive broken rice, etc., corresponding adjustments should be made in a timely manner, and each machine should be checked for problems and repaired accordingly to ensure smooth processing and avoid losses.
The maintenance of rice milling equipment
In addition to daily cleaning of the machine, regular inspections are also necessary. Daily inspection of rice processing equipment can help you detect problems in a timely manner. Timely maintenance can not only extend the life of the machine but also reduce losses during rice processing, such as the rollers in rice mills and polishing machines. If there is wear, it will increase the rate of broken rice. Therefore, the inspection and maintenance of rice processing equipment are essential.
Tips on improving the output of the rice milling plant
Choose proper paddy
The quality of paddy needs to be evaluated comprehensively from many aspects. If you have just entered the rice processing industry or want to invest in rice processing, and cannot use experience to judge the quality of rice, then you can make a judgment based on the following indicators.
The first is the more intuitive appearance and smell, such as the length-to-width ratio, grain length, and color of the rice. You need to select rice with relatively neat grains, a small length-to-width ratio, and no abnormal smell because the whole polished rice rate of longer grains is relatively low; the second is the brown rice rate, polished rice rate, whole rice rate and processing accuracy of the rice, which are related to rice milling quality. You can use a laboratory rice huller for testing.
Finally, pay attention to the maturity of the rice. If the paddy you buy is not fully mature, the nutritional content, taste, and nutrition of the processed rice will be lacking.
Control the Moisture Content of Rice
The moisture content of paddy not only has an important impact on storage and transportation but also affects the efficiency and quality of rice processing. Before you process rice, you need to control the moisture content of rice to 13% to 15%. Too high a moisture content in rice will cause the rice to germinate and mold, while too low a moisture content will cause the rice to become hard, resulting in more broken rice during processing.
The moisture content of early rice and late rice is different, but both are above 15%, so you need to reduce the moisture content of the rice. The usual method is to dry it in the sun, but I suggest you use drying equipment for drying, which is not only efficient but also more reliable. Our ANON drying tower is equipped with a crushing moisture detector, which can accurately detect the moisture content of the dried rice for you to make timely adjustments.
Clean the paddy before milling
To ensure that the rice is cleaned thoroughly before shelling, we only need to use our rice cleaning machines, such as cylindrical initial cleaning screens, vibrating cleaning screens, stone removal machines, etc. They can help you remove impurities such as stones, weeds, soil, etc., from the raw grains. Cleaning the raw grains not only ensures the quality of the final product but also protects the subsequent processing machines, ensures the performance of the equipment, and extends the service life of the machines.
Choose high-quality rice milling machines
There are many manufacturers on the market that produce rice mills, and the machines are also very similar. When choosing, we first need to consider whether the manufacturer has an ISO certificate or a CE certificate. Manufacturers with certificates undoubtedly have better quality assurance. In addition, we need to compare the prices and specific parameters of the same machine from different manufacturers to make a choice in order to purchase the machine with the highest cost-effectiveness within the budget range.
Adjustment to the Rice Milling Machine
According to adjust the rice processing equipment. I will explain the specific adjustment methods according to the type of machine.
Rice Husker
If you know the working principle of the rice husker, you will know that the rice husker uses a pair of relatively moving rubber rollers inside the machine to husk the rice. Therefore, the linear speed difference and linear speed of the rubber rollers determine the effect of rice husking. Under different linear speeds, the husking rate, roughness rate, and roughness rate of rice will be different.
Therefore, you need to set the linear speed according to the length and bulk density of the rice. For rice with a smaller bulk density, set a larger linear speed difference to increase the roughness rate; for rice varieties with a longer length and a more slender grain shape, you need to set a smaller linear speed difference.
Paddy Separator
Successfully hulled brown rice mixes with unhulled rice. If they are not separated accurately, it will make further processing harder and increase finished product losses. This happens because brown rice may get husked again with the unhulled rice, causing more broken rice.
Before using the paddy separator to separate the brown rice from the rice, ensure the gravity screen is full and the surface is flat. This helps the rice spread evenly across the screen.
Rice Whitener
Whitening is an important step in rice processing. If not paid attention to, there may be too much broken rice and rice bran in the finished rice.
In addition to the moisture content of the rice I mentioned earlier, excessive pressure in the rice milling chamber and excessive roller speed of the rice whitener produce more broken rice and cause the loss of nutrients in the rice.
When the pressure in the rice milling chamber is too high, the rice grains will be subject to excessive friction, resulting in rice grain breakage; when the roller speed in the rice milling machine is too high, the friction of the brown rice will increase, and the frequency of collisions between rice grains and between rice grains and the machine will also increase, thereby increasing the probability of rice grain breakage.
When the pressure in the rice milling chamber is too high, you can lower it by reducing the feed and increasing the discharge using the outlet pressure door. Adjust the roller speed based on the specific machine model.
Generally speaking, the speed of the roller with a diameter of 120 to 135 mm should be set to 700 rpm, while the roller with a diameter of 70 to 90 mm should be set to 800 rpm.
Rice Polisher
The roller in the rice polishing machine will also affect the loss of rice. During the polishing process, the linear speed of the polishing roller should not be too low or too high.
If the linear speed is too low, the rice grains won’t roll completely, leading to over-polishing in some areas, even though there will be fewer collisions and less broken rice. On the other hand, if the linear speed is too high, it will cause excessive collisions and a higher rate of broken rice.
Generally speaking, it is most appropriate to set the linear speed of the polishing roller to 6 to 7 meters per second.
Color Sorter
Rice color sorters can improve quality and greatly help you improve your brand reputation, but they can also cause rice loss due to errors in the color sorter, so it is necessary to choose a high-quality color sorter. For example, our ANON color sorter can screen the rejected rice again to reduce misjudgment caused by rice contaminated with bran.
Another one is about the color sorting threshold, which determines the sensitivity of the color sorter to color. You can observe the materials rejected by the color sorter during color sorting. If there are too many qualified products mixed in, you need to gradually increase the threshold slightly, otherwise, you need to lower the threshold.
Keep Regular Maintenance Of Rice Milling Plant
The daily maintenance of the rice mill includes the daily cleaning of the machine and the inspection and lubrication of various components.
Firstly, the cleaning work. Rice mills inevitably leave some dust and bran residue during daily rice processing. If not cleaned in time, it may cause blockages and affect the cleanliness of subsequent rice processing. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the rice mill after a period of operation.
Next is the regular inspection and lubrication of each component. In rice processing machinery, the screens of various machines, the husking rollers of the hulling machine, the rolling rollers of the rice mill, and the polishing rollers of the polishing machine are prone to wear and tear. These components directly affect the effectiveness of rice processing and should be replaced in a timely manner once wear is detected. Finally, the lubrication work of each bearing should be carried out regularly to prevent jamming faults during operation.
Conclusion
After reading this article, have you discovered some points that you didn’t notice before? I believe that adjusting these measures I mentioned will make your rice processing business go further. If you are thinking of investing in rice processing or want to replace equipment, welcome to contact us at ANON. We will provide you with perfect service and machines!
FAQ
What is the profit margin of a rice mill?
The profit margin for a rice mill will vary depending on many factors, including the cost of paddy rice, the price of white rice, and the efficiency of the milling process. However, a well-managed rice mill can generate a profit margin of 20% to 30%.
