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Rice and paddy processing
Head rice, broken, bran, husk, parboiled rice
Rice and paddy processing line by GEM Foodtech, Kolkata, India — capacity 2 to 30 tonnes of paddy per hour, final yield 55% of raw intake, delivered as a turnkey plant with installation and commissioning worldwide.
The commercial reality
Head rice yield is decided in the dryer, not the mill. Drying paddy too fast puts fissures in the grain that appear as breakage three machines later, and every point of breakage is a direct price loss. Controlled, staged drying is the highest-return equipment in the whole plant.
Process flow diagram
Generated for the standard configuration. Yours is redrawn to your product mix, capacity and site.
Process chart
Every stage with the equipment that performs it, the operating parameter and the control point that decides quality.
| # | Stage | Equipment | Parameter | Control point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Reception and pre-cleaning | Grader and size sorter | Destoner and aspirator | Straw, stone and light trash removed |
| 02 | Drying | Belt dryer and dehydration system | Staged drying, max 1%/h removal, 24 → 14% | Fissuring prevented, head rice protected |
| 03 | Parboiling, optional | Steam cooker and conditioner | Soak, steam, dry | Nutrient retention and hardness |
| 04 | Dehusking | Sheller and decorticator | Rubber roll sheller | Husk removed, brown rice out |
| 05 | Separation | Grader and size sorter | Paddy separator | Unhusked paddy returned |
| 06 | Whitening and polishing | Polisher and whitener | Abrasive then friction polisher | Degree of milling to specification |
| 07 | Grading | Grader and size sorter | Length grader and colour sorter | Head rice and broken separated |
| 08 | Packing | Filling, sealing and packing line | Weighing and bagging, 25 or 50 kg | Weight accuracy and moisture |
Mass balance
Basis of 1,000 kg of raw material. Change the tonnage below and the whole table rescales.
| Stage | Output, kg/h | Yield | Loss, kg/h | Where the loss goes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddy received | 1,000 | 100% | 0 | — |
| After cleaning and drying | 860 | 86% | 140 | Moisture and trash removed |
| Brown rice after dehusking | 690 | 69% | 170 | Husk, 20%, to boiler fuel |
| After polishing | 630 | 63% | 60 | Bran, 6%, to oil extraction |
| Head rice | 550 | 55% | 80 | Broken, 8%, sold separately |
By-products: Husk fires the plant's own boiler; bran goes to rice bran oil extraction — both are real revenue, not waste.
Equipment schedule
Core machines for this line. Conveying, tanks, CIP and utilities are added to suit the layout.
| Equipment | Capacity range | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Grader and size sorter | Separation | Separates by size or specific gravity before or after processing. |
| Belt dryer and dehydration system | Drying | Multi-zone drying with controlled curve — the GEM core competence. |
| Steam cooker and conditioner | Thermal | Steam conditioning ahead of shelling, flaking or drying. |
| Sheller and decorticator | Separation | Cracks and separates shell from kernel on cashew, peas and corn. |
| Polisher and whitener | Finishing | Surface finishing on rice, turmeric and similar dried commodities. |
| Filling, sealing and packing line | Packing | Weighing, filling, sealing, metal detection and case packing. |
Questions we get on this line
How much does drying rate affect yield?
Removing more than about one point of moisture per hour causes fissuring. The difference between a controlled dryer and an aggressive one is commonly five to eight points of head rice yield.
Is husk enough to run the boiler?
On most mills yes. Husk at roughly 3,000 kcal/kg, at 20% of paddy weight, typically covers the drying and parboiling load with a surplus.
What capacity range does the rice line cover?
Standard GEM Foodtech builds cover 2 to 30 tonnes of paddy per hour. Larger duties are engineered to order — the right size is set by the raw material supply through the season, not the nameplate figure.
Is this supplied as a complete turnkey plant?
Yes. The Rice and paddy processing line is delivered end to end — feasibility, pilot trial on your own material, engineering, manufacture in Kolkata, installation, commissioning and operator training — or as individual machines to fit an existing plant.
Want this line costed for your tonnage?
Send the raw material specification and the capacity you are targeting. You get a flow diagram, an equipment schedule and a budget number.