Proquip Solutions is the authorised New Zealand distributor for KRONEN vegetable cutting machines and processing equipment, backed by over 45 years of food industry expertise. KRONEN covers every stage of fresh-cut production, including coring, peeling, cutting, shredding, dicing, washing, drying and packaging, for salad, coleslaw, vegetables, herbs and fruit. The range also extends to meat, fish, vegan products, bakery and pet food. KRONEN machines are trusted by NZ growers, packhouses and food manufacturers for hygienic, efficient processing, and are installed, serviced and supported by our team in Wiri, Auckland.
A commercial salad dryer is a centrifuge: washed salad or vegetables go into a drum, which accelerates to a set speed and spins the surface water off through the drum wall. The spin speed and time are set for each product, so delicate leaves are dried gently while firmer vegetables can be spun harder. Proquip Solutions is the authorised New Zealand distributor for KRONEN salad dryers and drying systems.
For smaller batches, the KS-7 PLUS spin dryer offers seven adjustable speed and time settings, while the KS-100 PLUS stores up to 99 programs and reverses direction mid-cycle to loosen the product. For continuous, medium-capacity lines, the new K1040H horizontal drying system uses a buffer belt so the line keeps running. For high volumes, the K650 dries up to 2,800 kg per hour and the K850 up to 5,000 kg per hour.
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No. A salad dryer, or spin dryer, removes surface water from fresh produce after washing, so it stays fresh and crisp in the pack. A dehydrator removes the moisture inside the food using heat and airflow, to make dried products such as dried fruit, vegetable chips or powders. Fresh-cut salad and vegetable processors need a spin dryer, not a dehydrator.
As dry as possible without damaging the leaves. Water left on fresh-cut salad speeds up spoilage and makes packs soggy, while spinning too hard or too long bruises delicate leaves. The right speed and time depend on the product. Depending on the product and settings, the KRONEN K1040H can bring residual moisture down to 2–4%.
Ask about drying your product: sales@proquipx.com
Use gentle acceleration, lower spin speeds and shorter spin times, and avoid overloading the drum so leaves aren't crushed. Dryers with programmable settings let you save the right program for each product, and a counter-rotating cycle, like the KRONEN KS-100 PLUS uses, loosens the product partway through so it dries evenly without needing a harder spin.
Ask about delicate products: sales@proquipx.com
Yes. Drying systems such as the KRONEN K1040H, K650 and K850 spin in batches but use a buffer belt on the infeed, which collects product while the drum is spinning. The machines before and after the dryer can therefore run continuously. This lets processors add high-quality centrifugal drying to an automated line without creating a bottleneck.