Lemon Slice Drying
Our company has successfully completed the installation and commissioning of a customized mesh belt dryer production line for a fruit and vegetable processing company in Sichuan. The line has been in stable operation for three months, achieving high-quality, large-scale drying of lemon slices. This solution addresses the industry pain points of low efficiency and product discoloration associated with traditional sun-drying methods, helping our client increase product added value.
The client primarily processes raw materials for fruit teas. Previously, they used natural sun-drying for lemon slices, which was heavily affected by weather conditions and resulted in significant color variations and vitamin C loss. To meet their daily processing needs of 10 tons of fresh lemons, we customized a 5-layer stainless steel mesh belt dryer, equipped with a PLC intelligent temperature control system and hot air circulation technology, and designed a specialized drying process tailored to the heat-sensitive characteristics of lemon slices.
In the production process, fresh lemons are washed, sliced (into uniform 4mm thin slices), and then spread evenly on the mesh belt, allowing for continuous feeding without stacking. The equipment uses a segmented temperature control process: the first stage uses low-temperature drying at 45℃ to remove moisture and preserve the natural color of the lemons; the second stage uses a constant temperature of 55℃ for rapid dehydration; and the third stage uses a constant temperature of 50℃ for shaping, ultimately controlling the moisture content of the lemon slices to within 8%. The entire process is automated, requiring only two operators, and can produce 1.2 tons of finished dried lemon slices per day.
Compared to traditional methods, this production line offers significant advantages: the closed-loop hot air circulation design reduces energy consumption by 30%, intelligent temperature control ensures the lemon slices maintain a bright lemon yellow color without discoloration or spoilage, and the vitamin C retention rate is increased to over 85%. The finished dried lemon slices are sold to tea beverage chain brands and export markets. Customer feedback indicates excellent rehydration properties and rich flavor, resulting in a 40% increase in orders compared to before the production line was implemented.
This mesh belt dryer can be flexibly customized according to customer capacity and site requirements. In addition to lemon slices, it is also suitable for drying other fruits and vegetables such as hawthorn and mango, making it a highly efficient production tool for fruit and vegetable processing enterprises.