English 
Zhengfeng Road, Licheng District, Jinan City, Shandong Province,China
Author: Alex Song Publish Time: 2026-08-13 Origin: Site
A fully automatic gas-heated sunflower seed roasting line — rated at 800 kg/h with a 10-meter roasting tunnel — has been shipped to a sunflower seed processor in Kazakhstan. The custom line, configured for natural gas heating with a consumption range of 10-25 m³/h, will process both plain and flavored sunflower seeds for the Central Asian snack market.
Kazakhstan is one of the world's top sunflower seed producers — the country's northern regions grow roughly 1.5-2 million tons of sunflower annually, with processing capacity expanding rapidly as the government pushes value-added food production over raw commodity export.
The client operates a sunflower seed processing facility serving both the domestic snack market and export routes into neighboring Central Asian countries. Their existing batch roaster (500 kg/batch, 6-8 cycles per day) had reached its throughput ceiling — roughly 3-4 tons per day. Retail demand, driven by growing packaged-snack consumption in Almaty and Astana, required at least 6-8 tons per day to justify new shelf space commitments.
The decision: replace the batch system with a continuous roasting line capable of 800 kg/h — 2.5× the daily output in the same factory footprint.
Module | Function |
|---|---|
Infeed Elevator | Lifts raw sunflower seeds to the roaster feed hopper |
Gas-Heated Roasting Tunnel (10 m) | Continuous roasting at precisely controlled temperature |
Cooling Conveyor | Rapid air-cooling to stop carry-over roasting |
Seasoning Module (optional) | Applies salt or flavoring for flavored sunflower seed lines |
Control System | PLC with temperature and belt-speed control |
The 10-meter roasting tunnel is the core of the line. Sunflower seeds travel through the heated tunnel on a mesh conveyor, with gas burners distributed along the length for uniform heat distribution. Roasting time is controlled by belt speed — faster for lightly roasted seeds, slower for the deeper roast preferred in certain regional markets.
Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
Line Capacity | 800 kg/h |
Roasting Tunnel Length | 10 m |
Heating Method | Natural gas |
Gas Consumption | 10-25 m³/h |
Temperature Control | Digital, continuously adjustable |
Material | Full SUS304 stainless steel |
Automation | PLC-controlled belt speed and temperature |
Continuous roasting lines are defined by tunnel length — longer tunnel = more dwell time = higher throughput at gentle temperatures.
Tunnel Length | Typical Capacity | Roasting Style |
|---|---|---|
4-6 m | 200-400 kg/h | Light roast, uniform seeds |
6-8 m | 400-600 kg/h | Standard roast |
10 m | 600-900 kg/h | Deep roast, flavored seeds, high volume |
The 10-meter tunnel for this Kazakhstan client delivers 800 kg/h while keeping roasting temperature moderate — important because sunflower seeds have a high oil content (45-55%) that can smoke and burn if exposed to excessive surface temperature. The longer tunnel spreads heat input over a longer travel path, achieving the deep roast without scorching the shell.
Factor | Gas (This Line) | Electric |
|---|---|---|
Fuel availability | Natural gas pipeline + LPG widespread in Kazakhstan | Grid-dependent |
Operating cost (per ton) | Lower — gas is the cheapest industrial fuel in Kazakhstan | Higher |
Heating speed | Faster ramp to operating temperature | Slower |
Temperature precision | ±2-3°C with burner control | ±1°C (finer, but at higher cost) |
Infrastructure | Gas supply line required | High-voltage 3-phase required |
Natural gas is the dominant industrial fuel in Kazakhstan — the country's major pipeline network and comparatively low gas prices (state-regulated) make gas the default choice for thermal food processing. The client's existing factory already had a gas connection rated for the required 10-25 m³/h flow, so the line integrated without new utility work.
Product | Roasting Profile | Typical Output |
|---|---|---|
Plain sunflower seeds (white/black) | 170-200°C, 10-15 min | 800 kg/h |
Salted sunflower seeds | Roast then salt/season | 700-800 kg/h |
Flavored sunflower seeds (pepper, garlic) | Roast + seasoning module | 650-800 kg/h |
Pumpkin seeds | 150-180°C | 600-800 kg/h |
Melon seeds | 160-190°C | 600-800 kg/h |
Mixed nut seeds | Custom per variety | 400-600 kg/h |
The client evaluated equipment suppliers from China and Turkey (the two dominant sources for Central Asian seed processing equipment). TINDO's decisive advantages:
Full-line integration — one supplier for elevator, roaster, cooler, and seasoning modules, with synchronized PLC control
SUS304 standard construction — Turkish suppliers commonly quote SUS201 or mixed steel; TINDO quoted full SUS304 as standard
10-meter tunnel at 800 kg/h — verified capacity matching the client's 6-8 ton/day target with one shift
Factory visit + FAT — client engineers visited TINDO's Jinan factory, ran a live roast test with their own sunflower seed samples, and verified output moisture, color uniformity, and flavor profile before signing
Looking for a continuous roasting line configured for your product and fuel type? Contact our engineering team for a specification and factory-direct quote.
info@tindotech.com | WhatsApp: +86 185 6009 1508 | www.tindotech.com
