Automatic Cashew Peeling Machine

The nut is heatedwhich makes the shell brittle and loosens the kernel from the inside of the shell The kernel is shelled from the roasted raw nut by
beating it with a short stick.The shells are then further treated to remove the Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL). CSNL is the thick
vesicant oil found in the leathery cover of the shell.Once the kernel is removed from the shell, it is dried in order to loosen the red
skin adhering to the kernel for easy peeling.A few processors adopt conventional tray drier commonly known as “Borma”. The
testa,which is a reddish skin covering the kernel, is peeled off using a small blunt knife.One person can peel about 17-22 kg of
kernels per hour.Processed nuts are then sorted out and graded into different sizeUnlike in other developing countries, only recently mechanized processing has been adopted to crack the roasted cashew nuts
in India. Mechanized processing, using automated cutting, shelling and peeling machines, has enhanced productivity and
resulted in higher percentage of white whole kernels.
The peeling springs,mounted in packs on an eccentric shaft,touch them gently while rotating. From the above action the kernels pass to a pneumatic chamber which is fed by compressed air.With a short blast of compressed air from this chamber,the testa is removed from the kernel.With this process, about 120-200kg of cashews are peeled per hour a day. This mechanized system has high efficiency and the amount of breakages is also low when
The peeling process requires compressed air at a pressure of 6 kgfcm2.The quality of compressedair used to remove the testa is key:as compressed air comes directly in contact with cashews.