The Bigtem industrial abrasive peeler — supplied in North America by VegTech Systems — handles root vegetables, onions, and citrus with capacities scaling up to 8 tons per hour, depending on incoming product condition. Eight individually-driven abrasive rollers, frequency-inverter controlled, deliver consistent peel removal in a continuous-flow configuration. AISI 304 stainless steel construction throughout, U.S. installation and parts support.
The industrial abrasive peeler removes skin through controlled friction. Raw produce is fed through a horizontal cabinet where eight abrasive-coated rollers — each 170 mm in diameter and 2,500 mm long — rotate beneath the product. A screw conveyor moves the product across the roller bed at a controlled rate, while the rollers spin against the produce surface, abrading the skin without damaging the flesh underneath.
A frequency inverter controls both the conveyor speed and the roller RPM, giving operators precise control over peeling intensity and dwell time. Different products — and different conditions of the same product — call for different settings. Older potatoes with tougher skin run slower; tender carrots run faster. The inverters make these adjustments routine.
A solenoid-controlled spray system inside the cabinet continuously washes peel residue off the rollers during operation, preventing buildup that would otherwise reduce peeling efficiency. The result is steady, continuous output without the cleaning interruptions associated with simpler abrasive designs.
Real-world capacity depends on what’s coming in. Firmer, smaller, and cleaner produce moves through faster; older or oversized stock takes longer. Typical operating ranges:
Configuration is determined during line engineering, based on your produce type, your incoming quality, and your downstream equipment. We don’t quote a single number — we size the machine to your actual operation.
1. Loading & Feed Control. Raw produce is loaded into the infeed hopper. Operators set the recipe — conveyor speed, roller RPM, dwell time — based on produce type and incoming condition.
2. Conveyance Across the Roller Bed. The screw conveyor advances product through the abrasion cabinet at the rate set by the frequency inverter. Product tumbles slightly as it moves, ensuring full surface contact with the rollers.
3. Frictional Peel Removal. The eight rollers rotate against the product. Abrasion lifts and removes skin progressively as the produce travels the length of the cabinet. Spray nozzles continuously wash removed peel off the rollers.
4. Discharge & Transfer. Peeled product exits the discharge end ready for the next stage — washing, sorting, slicing, blanching, or packaging.
Different produce types call for different roller configurations and dwell times. We work with you during line design to set defaults for your most common SKUs.
Abrasive peeling makes sense when:
Steam peeling becomes the better choice at higher throughputs, with delicate fruits like peaches, or where peel-loss percentage is the dominant economic factor. See our Steam vs. Abrasive Peeler comparison for a side-by-side breakdown.
VegTech Systems is the exclusive North American representative for Bigtem Makine — a Turkish food processing equipment manufacturer building equipment for processors in over 60 countries since 1973.
Individual roller drives, central lubrication, and stainless construction reduce wear and downtime. These machines are designed for plant-floor reliability, not laboratory throughput.
Roller speed, conveyor pacing, and dwell time are tuned to your produce and your line. We don’t sell a single SKU — we engineer the install.
The abrasive peeler typically sits between washing equipment upstream and cutting and blanching or packaging equipment downstream. We design the full line, not just the peeler.
Local installation, operator training, and ongoing technical support — without waiting on overseas response cycles. Spare parts sourced through our Alpharetta operations.
Tell us your produce mix, target capacity, and the incoming condition of your stock. Our team will recommend a configuration and outline utility requirements for your facility.
Email: sales@vegtechsystems.com
