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Small Scale Honey Processing Plant Installation In Nepal

Small Scale Honey Processing Plant Installation In Nepal

Honey Processing Plant for women entrepreneur in Shivasatakashi Municipality Office, Jhapa

Women in the village wanted to do something other than working on their farms to earn a living. They wanted do something that would help them earn, and that is where they thought about beekeeping. They decided to do beekeeping that would make them become economically independent. There is always less production, so farmers do not face any hassle to find market for their production. Mantra incorporation was associated itself with women entrepreneur of Shivasatakashi Municipality and installed Honey Processing Plant.

The Honey Processing Plant(HPP) is designed to improve honey quality and processing efficiency. It starts by pre-heating tank to liquefy raw honey at 50 degree centigrade for 20 Minutes. Filter chambers consists of filters that removes all the foreign particles. In the main processing tank honey was heated at 65 degree centigrade for 15 Minutes to kill yeast cell and then pass through moisture reduction unit (MRU) at 60 degree Celsius for 15 minutes which reduces honey moisture by 10 percentage. The condensate were collected using chilling machine. Honey got settle in settling tank (300 Kg Capacity) and bottling directly using filling machine. All parts coming in contact honey are stainless steel (SS304). Its Capacity is 100000Kg/Annum (600-1000kg/Day). Cost of honey processing is Rs.8/kg with the handling loss of up to 3 percentage with no adverse affect on honey quality.

Introduction

Bee keeping has become increasingly popular in recent decade. Many stores and supermarkets now have large section devoted to honey and its related products. Honey is the natural sweet substance produced by honeybees from the nectar of flowers which honeybees collect, transform and combine with specific substances of their own, store and leave the honey comb to ripen and mature. The composition of honey varies with geographic location, nearby flowers garden/crop field and species of honeybee producing it. Honeys main Component are sugar and generally honey comprises approximately mixer of monosaccharide’s fructose and glucose as well as other substance such as organic acid, enzymes and solid particle derived from honey collection. The color of honey differ from nearly colorless to dark brown. Honey could be in viscous fluid or crystallize state. The flavors and aroma varies, but are derived from the plant origins.

Equipment and Process Details

Machine operates after MCB is on .During the start of the operation outer jacket of heating tank should be filled with water. After filling the jacket with the water, temperature in the control panel needs to be set to 50 degree Celsius before. Water pump needs to be on regularly so that the circulation of water is maintained to maintain the temperature. There are 3 auto filters in the processing unit. First filter is called pre filter. Processing unit consists of moisture reduction unit. The unit is used to reduce the moisture of the honey. The system consists of hot air blower. The pipe line used in thye processing unit used to recirculate the honey from heating tank to moisture reduction unit through the pre filter which is used to separate wax, wing, particulate matter and other thing mixed in the honey. Flexible PU pipe is connected between the storage tank and one of the filter. Before the operation is started all the valves are in closed position.

Now the honey is added in pre heating tank. Stirrer is on. Water pump is on to recirculate the water. Recirculation of water need to maintain in intervals as per the requirement based on the judgement of operator. Honey should be mixed on the regular interval of time. By doing so uniform honey temperature. The process is carried out until the honey is liquefy. When the temperature of honey is 50-60 degree Celsius sensor cutoff the heating. The moisture contain of the honey is checked before passing the honey in to moisture reduction unit. If moisture reduction is not required the honey is directly passed through the filter to storage tank. In case if moisture content is high then the honey is passed to moisture reduction unit. Pre-filter valve and moisture reduction valve is opened for the flow of honey . After opening the valve moisture reduction unit is on as well as pre filter pump is o on the control panel. When the moisture reduction unit is on heater in the moisture reduction is on which will provide hot air. Honey is circulated from pre heating tank to moisture reduction unit through the first filter i.e pre filter until and unless the moisture content in the honey is maintained. Honey sample is taken and tested for moisture. After the moisture is maintained. The moisture reduction unit is off and the valves use in the circulation is also off. Honey in the pre heating tank is passed from pre heating tank stroage tank passing from pre- filter and one of the filter from other 2 filters. Only one connection is set to stop the overhaul of one of the filter. If one of the filter is chocked other filter is used. Mixing fan is on on the regular interval. As well as filterration pump is on. The honey is passed from pre-filter and other filter through PU pipe to storage tank. If one of the filter need to be bypassed in case of chocking, PU pipe needs to be connected with other filter in conjunction. Only one out of the two filter needs to be operated to pass the honey in storage tank.

Honey Processing Unit

Nepal has a great potential on producing high quality natural honey due to its diverse natural resources and floral condition. The Honey production is increasing in Nepal every year as the number of people in bee keeping sector is increasing every year through out the country. But Nepali honey is not being able to penetrate the international market due to lack of quality certification. Lack of updated scientific information regarding the quality, freshness, physicochemical properties and bioactive components of Nepali honey is a major constraint for hindering the attraction of Nepali honey.

Once the first batch is processed and passed in to storage tank. The honey processing unit is cleaned with the hot water of the outer jacket of pre- heating tank. Firstly water pump is on and the water in the outer jacket of preheating tank is filled inside the pre heating tank. Honey in the inside wall of the pre-heating tank is cleaned by the hot water. After cleaning the pre heating tank. Hot water is passed through the pipe line of moisture reduction unit through the pre filter. After cleaning the system water can be removed from the two pipe line. One connected below the tank and other through one of the filter pipe line. The unit is ready to process another batch of honey

Automatic Filling Machine

The automatic filling unit consists of feeding hopper. The machine is completely made up of SS304 material. The feeding hopper is double jacketed. Heating arrangement is provided with the system. The system has two feature to fill the jar of honey. One is manual in which filling is carried out as per the requirement of the operator. Other is automatic process in which system runs periodically i.e in certain interval of time for jar filling. Water needs to be filled in the outer jacket of the Filling unit through the outer pipe line in the machinery. Water label is provided with the system which indicate the water label in the system and to maintain water in the system if require. The pneumatic system as well as automatic system is provided to maintain the consistency in the volume filling of the system. Control Panel is provided with the system with which the quantity is conformed.

To operate the machine firstly MCB of the control panel is set on on position. Temperature of the water in the water jacket of the hopper is shown on one of the display provided inside the control panel. The temperature needs to be maintained at 40 Degree Celsius for the filling of the honey in the jar. The honey is poured in the hopper of the filling unit. Before starting to fill the jar with honey temperature of the honey needs to be 40 degree Celsius. The machine works on the milliliter basis for example in order to fill the jar of 1000 gram, 714 ml of honey is filled in the jar. Number 0.714 need to be entered in the panel to set the system to fill the 1 kg of honey on the regular basis.

Operation of the machine requires compressed air so before operation compressed air pipeline is connected with the system. The valve of the compressed air pipeline is opened. There are two switch to operate the machine. The machine can be operated from main control panel as well as from switch provided in the machine itself. We can fill different grams of honey in the jar providing different input in the control panel dashboard. The machine is used to fill the jar of 250 grams, 500 grams and 1000 gram.

Capping and Induction sealing

Induction sealing creates a hermetic seal by passing a capped bottle under the induction sealer in a non-contact process. The system’s sealing head produces an electromagnetic field that heats up the foil liner inside the cap. The hot foil in turn melts the polymer coating on the inner-seal. The heat, coupled with the pressure of the cap, causes the inner-seal to bond to the lip of the container resulting in a hermetic seal.

Wax Sheet Machine

In beekeepers, in addition to tools used to for beekeeping, some machines are also needed. One of these machines is honey wax machines.

The beeswax foundation machine is designed to make beeswax foundation sheets used in beekeeping.

Beeswax machine brings honey bee wax into a sheet. Then these sheets are present in the hive. Bees with these sheets use it as their base and begin to weave wax.

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