Agro & Food Processing Projects

Fruit & Vegetable Dehydration Plant

A dehydration plant removes a controlled amount of moisture from fresh fruit or vegetables so the product stays stable, weighs less and can be sold as flakes, slices, granules or powder. Mechotech designs dehydration and food-processing systems around the raw material, fresh-input capacity, final product, moisture target, drying technology and utilities. A standalone raw-produce dehydration line is not a listed standard catalog product, so each project is scoped after engineering review.

A typical line moves produce through receiving, sorting and washing, peeling and size reduction, optional pretreatment such as blanching, drying, and cooling, grading and packing. Drying is the stage where the dryer type is chosen. Mechotech's listed drying equipment includes vacuum tray dryers, fluidised-bed dryers, vacuum paddle dryers, freeze dryers and spray dryers, each suited to a different feed form: pieces, granules, pastes or liquids. Final yield is far lower than fresh input because most incoming weight is water, so plant sizing starts from a mass balance. Final configuration depends on raw material, process requirements, capacity and engineering review.

Technical Specifications

Project type	Fruit and vegetable dehydration: engineered per project
Catalogue status	Listed drying equipment is available; a complete raw-produce dehydration line is scoped per project, not a listed standard product
Listed drying equipment	Vacuum tray dryer, fluidised-bed dryer, vacuum paddle dryer, freeze dryer, spray dryer
Produce discussed in our guide	Mango, banana, pineapple, apple, papaya, amla, berries, coconut, onion, garlic, tomato, carrot, beetroot, potato, chilli, ginger and leafy vegetables; suitability confirmed per project
Product forms	Flakes, slices, granules and powders, depending on crop and customer specification
Plant sizing basis	Mass balance from fresh input through preparation losses and water removal to finished yield
Product-contact material	SS 316L (or process-appropriate grade), electropolished, CIP-capable on the listed dryers
Capacity	Configured to requirement

Manufacturing Process

Receiving, Sorting & Washing

Incoming produce is inspected, damaged material is removed and the feed is washed to remove soil, dust and contaminants.

Peeling & Size Reduction

Where required, produce is peeled, then cut, sliced, shredded or diced to uniform dimensions so it dries consistently.

Pretreatment

Some products benefit from blanching or other steps to manage enzyme activity, colour, texture or microbial load. It is selected per product, not applied universally.

Drying

Moisture is removed under controlled temperature, airflow, humidity, bed thickness and residence time. Excess heat harms colour, flavour and nutrients; too little drying compromises stability.

Milling & Sieving (For Powders)

Where a powder is the product, dried material is milled to the target size after it reaches a suitable moisture and then sieved.

Cooling, Grading & Packing

Dried product is cooled, graded and packed under conditions that suit its stability and intended shelf life.

Major Plant Equipment

Receiving, sorting and washing equipment
Peeling, cutting and size-reduction equipment
Vacuum tray dryer
Fluidised-bed dryer
Vacuum paddle dryer
Freeze dryer (lyophilizer)
Spray dryer (liquid and puree feeds)
Milling and sieving equipment (powder routes)
CIP (clean-in-place) system
PLC-based control panel and instrumentation

Plant Output

Dehydrated flakes, slices and granulesFruit and vegetable powdersFreeze-dried product

Applications

Fruit and vegetable dehydration for food ingredient supply
Onion and garlic dehydration for seasoning and processed-food use
Dehydrated flakes, slices and granules
Fruit and vegetable powders
Multi-product facilities for seasonal crops
Export-oriented dehydrated ingredient production

Key Features

Mass-Balance Sizing
The plant is sized from fresh input through losses to finished yield, because comparing fresh capacity with finished output leads to over-sizing.
Dryer Chosen to the Product Form
Tray, fluidised-bed, paddle, freeze and spray dryers are each listed, so the dryer follows the product's form and heat sensitivity.
Hygienic Design
Suitable food-contact materials, accessible cleaning, drainage and raw and finished-zone separation are planned in, with CIP on the listed dryers.
Multi-Product Planning
For seasonal crops, a multi-product facility is possible where cleaning, product compatibility and scheduling are managed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Mechotech supply fruit and vegetable dehydration plants?

Mechotech designs and manufactures dehydration and food-processing systems according to project-specific requirements. A complete raw-produce dehydration line is not a listed standard product in our catalog, so we scope it after engineering review of your produce, final moisture, capacity and utilities. The listed drying equipment is available to build the drying stage.

Which dryers does Mechotech list?

The drying equipment range includes the vacuum tray dryer, fluidised-bed dryer, vacuum paddle dryer, freeze dryer and spray dryer. The right one depends on whether you dry pieces, granules, pastes or liquids.

What do I need to share for a dehydration plant enquiry?

Tell us the fruit or vegetable, the fresh-input capacity per day, the product form you want (flakes, slices, granules or powder), the target final moisture, the utilities available at site and where the plant will be built. Season length and whether the plant must handle several crops also affect the design.

Why is finished output so much lower than fresh input?

Most of the weight of fresh produce is water, which the dryer removes. Plant sizing therefore follows a mass balance from fresh raw material through preparation losses and water removal to finished yield, rather than comparing fresh capacity directly with finished output.

Can the same plant dry different fruits and vegetables?

A multi-product facility can be considered for seasonal crops, provided cleaning, product compatibility, scheduling and food-safety requirements are managed. Whether one line can serve your crops is confirmed in the scope review.

Can I make powder as well as dried pieces?

Yes. For a powder, dried produce is milled and sieved, or a liquid or puree is spray dried. See fruit and vegetable powder plants. For research, read our guide to fruit and vegetable dehydration plants.

Can I run a trial before buying a dryer?

Yes. A pilot trial to develop the drying curve before commercial sizing is recommended, and the Process Development Centre covers pilot trials and scale-up. See also pilot plants.

Project Enquiry Pages

Country pages that include this equipment among their project areas:

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Fruit & Vegetable Dehydration Plant