1. Project Overview
In April 2024, LONKIA Machinery successfully delivered a fully automated 200kg/h French fries and potato chips production line. This project showcases LONKIA’s cutting-edge capabilities in designing and manufacturing complete potato processing solutions, integrating everything from raw material handling to final packaging.
The production line was engineered to meet strict food safety standards, energy efficiency goals, and long-term operational stability. It offers high automation, continuous processing, and precise control over each stage, helping clients achieve scalable, high-quality output with minimal labor involvement.
2. Complete Processing Workflow
Step 1: Potato Washing and Peeling
Raw potatoes are first fed into an elevator conveyor, which transfers them to the brush-type washing and peeling machine. This machine efficiently removes soil and skins with minimal product loss. Damaged or substandard potatoes are eliminated at this stage using a grading and sorting unit, ensuring consistency in downstream processing.
Step 2: Precision Cutting
Clean potatoes are then directed to the cutting machine. LONKIA’s cutter features adjustable blades and servo-motor control to produce uniform French fries or potato chips of various thicknesses and lengths, supporting both standard and customized output.
Step 3: Blanching and De-starching
The cut potato slices or sticks undergo blanching to remove surface starch and deactivate enzymes. The blanching system is temperature-controlled to preserve color, flavor, and texture. Following this, potatoes are cooled and dewatered using a high-speed air-drying tunnel, minimizing oil absorption in the frying stage.
Step 4: Continuous Frying and De-oiling
The frying system features an advanced temperature control module, ensuring the oil remains at the optimal frying temperature throughout the process. This results in fries and chips that are crispy, golden, and uniformly cooked. After frying, the product enters a centrifugal deoiling machine to reduce excess surface oil, improving taste and shelf life.
Step 5: Quick Freezing and Packaging
After deoiling, the snacks are conveyed into a quick-freeze tunnel, which rapidly brings the temperature down to preserve flavor and texture. Final products are automatically weighed, filled, and sealed using a multi-head weigher and vertical form-fill-seal packaging system.
3. Key Features and Advantages
• Fully Integrated PLC Control
The entire line is operated via a centralized PLC touchscreen interface, allowing real-time control over parameters like frying temperature, cutting speed, blanching duration, and more. Recipes can be preset and modified easily, reducing operator training time.
• High Level of Automation
From raw material input to finished product packaging, this system minimizes manual handling, which helps improve hygiene, reduce labor costs, and increase processing speed and consistency.
• Energy-Efficient and Eco-Friendly
The frying system includes oil filtration and recycling technology, which extends the oil’s service life and reduces waste. Water-saving designs are applied to the washing and blanching units, making this production line more environmentally friendly.
• Versatile Applications
This 200kg/h line can process multiple products, including:
Classic straight-cut French fries
Crinkle-cut fries
Thin potato chips
Flavored or seasoned snacks
By simply adjusting the cutting module and seasoning system, processors can switch between product types, making the line ideal for multi-product snack manufacturers.
4. Target Customers and Industrial Applications
This production line is widely suited for:
Frozen French fries manufacturers
Potato chips and snack food factories
Central kitchens and food processing plants
Startups entering the snack food industry
Thanks to its modular design and scalability, it fits both small-to-medium scale investors and those planning to expand over time.
5. Why Choose LONKIA?
LONKIA stands out as a professional food machinery manufacturer with over 15 years of experience in designing and supplying turnkey food processing lines. From layout planning and customization to installation, training, and after-sales service, we provide one-stop solutions tailored to your needs.
All equipment is CE-certified, and each component—from food-grade stainless steel to safety sensors—is built to last under continuous industrial operation.
