Decorticators are heavy machines used to remove the outer layers of material from plants and seeds. They use rollers, grinders, and blades to separate the outer hull from the plant material. Decorticators can be stationary or portable and are used to process materials for rope making and other purposes. They were first developed in the 1800s and have revolutionized the production of fibers and seeds. Mobile decorticators can be useful for farmers who cannot afford their own equipment, while stationary decorticators are located at processing plants or central plants. Both types of machines can be dangerous and require proper training to operate safely.
A decorticator is a heavy piece of machinery designed to remove the outer layers of material from seeds, plants and small shrubs and trees. These devices are used all over the world for everything from polishing sunflower materials to preparing the fibers used in rope making. Decorticator companies often build a line of products to meet different needs. They can be stationary or portable, depending on how a business plans to use their machine.
The decorticator uses rollers, grinders, blades, and other tools to separate the outer hull, or bark, from the plant materials. This can be useful for stripping useful fibers from flax, hemp and sisal as well as processing nuts and seeds. The device will lift the bark and outer hulls off a variety of plants and can be adjustable so it can handle different types of materials, rather than just one.
The first designs appear to date back to the 1800s, when a number of inventors began work on equipment to industrialize the production of fibers and seeds. Prior to the development of the decorticator, processes such as making hemp rope required careful manual preparation of raw materials, which involved beating them to separate the fibers, cleaning them to extract usable components, and then turning them into rope. With a decorticator, companies could radically increase production volumes and skip several steps, as the device would easily separate the usable parts and leave the rest behind.
Mobile decorticators can be useful in environments where many farmers need access to a decorticator, but cannot afford it themselves. Instead of hauling raw materials to a processing plant, farmers can use mobile equipment to disassemble usable parts for sale. Waste left in place can be useful to be plowed into the ground to increase yield and nutritional value. Processing materials on a farm eliminates the need to pay for transportation of waste materials, allowing farmers to save money by shipping only the useful produce of their crops.
A stationary decorticator can be located at a processing plant on an agricultural enterprise where large volumes of material are grown, or it can be located at a central plant to process materials imported from outlying areas. It tends to be larger, with a larger capacity. Both devices can be dangerous to circumvent, and it’s important to ensure staff are properly trained to avoid problems such as catching limbs in the decorticator; a device designed to strip the outer casings of seeds, nuts, stems, and similar materials can pulp a worker’s arm in seconds.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN