30-Ton Per Day Continuous Hawthorn Dehydration Line – Qinhuangdao, China-Guoxin Machinery

Project Overview & Background

Qinhuangdao is a critical hub for hawthorn cultivation in Northern China. Local processors historically faced challenges with traditional drying methods, including uneven moisture content and browning caused by poor temperature regulation.

Client Requirements:

Capacity: High-volume processing to match peak harvest seasons.
Quality: Preservation of the characteristic red color and nutritional value (Vitamin C and flavonoids) of the hawthorn.
Automation: Integrated feeding system to reduce labor costs and ensure uniform material distribution on the drying belt.

Technical Solution & Equipment Configuration

Guoxin Group provided a customized Continuous Multi-Layer Mesh Belt Drying System integrated with a heavy-duty hopper and automated elevator system.

Core Equipment: Guoxin 5-Layer Mesh Belt Dryer ( $2.5\text{m}$ width).
Feeding System: Industrial-grade V-shaped hopper with a variable-speed lifting conveyor for uniform layering.
Heating Source: Clean-energy Natural Gas burner with a multi-stage heat exchanger to ensure zero contamination of the fruit.
Material Compatibility: Optimized for both whole hawthorns and hawthorn slices/rings.

Process Flowchart

Sequence: Fresh Hawthorn Intake → Automated Lifting → Variable Speed Feeding → Multi-layer Controlled Dehydration ( $45\text{°C} - 65\text{°C}$ ) → Cooling → Final Moisture Inspection.

Technical Specifications & Performance Data

Parameter	Value / Detail
Input Capacity	$30,000\text{ kg}$ (30 Tons) per 24-hour cycle
Belt Layers	5 Layers
Drying Time	$4$ – $8$ hours (Adjustable based on fruit density)
Automation Level	Semi-autonomous with centralized PLC control
Output Quality	Uniform moisture $<12\%$ ; Red color retention $>95\%$
Environmental Compliance	Zero-emission heat exchange system; VOCs compliant

Cost-Benefit Analysis & ROI

Economic Efficiency:

Compared to traditional batch ovens, the Guoxin continuous mesh belt dryer reduced energy consumption by $25\%$ per ton of finished product. The reduction in manual labor (from feeding to discharge) resulted in a $40\%$ decrease in operational labor costs.

Investment Recovery:

The project achieved a full Return on Investment (ROI) in approximately 12 months, driven by the premium price commanded by the “export-grade” color and texture of the dried hawthorns.

Policy Alignment:

This site adheres to the “Blue Sky” initiative in Northern China, utilizing clean gas heating to replace coal-fired boilers, making it eligible for local green-manufacturing subsidies.

Get a customized fruit drying ROI analysis

Customer Evaluation

“The automated feeding system from Guoxin changed our production efficiency. We no longer worry about uneven drying in the middle of the belt. The color of our hawthorns is consistently bright, which has opened up new markets for us in Japan and Southeast Asia.” — Plant Director, Qinhuangdao Site.