Integrated Onion Processing Unit



PARTNERED WITH M/S. VD ENGINEERS CHENNAI for commercialization of Machinery (designed by IIFPT) for Socio- economic benefits

An Integrated unit for shallot consists of two unit operation such as destalking and deskinning. The destalking unit consists of a pair of MS grooved Rollers, Teflon strips inserted in the groove on the rollers, copper bushes for supporting rollers, Spur Gear assembly, AC Induction motor, belt & pulley assembly for driving the rollers and hoppers. The main component is the MS grooved rollers, which is supported by bushes in one end and another end is supported by the spur gear assembly. The spur gear assembly consists of two spur gears meshed with each other, bearings fitted to the MS Plates which supports the roller to rotate in its axis. The deskinning unit consists of deskinning chamber, pair of nozzle, pneumatic cylinder, Hopper and slider. The deskinning chamber is main component of this unit, made out of food grade since it has the direct contact with the shallot. The entire assembly of both the units is supported in MS Frame.

Unique Features

  • The main object of this invention is to develop machinery for the destalking as well as deskinning of shallots; which overcomes the drudgery of the farmers and labourers in the minimal processing of shallot at field levels.
  • To develop simple low cost low maintenance integrated machinery.
  • This invention is to destalk the bulb, irrespective of the diameter of the bulbs and quantity of bulbs in a bunch with minimization of loss.
  • To deskin the shallot using compressed air to obtain damage free shallots.


The deskinning unit for deskinning of small onion(shallot) and similar agriculture produce is developed by considering the following conditions

  1. Minimal processed or dressed shallot/similar agriculture produce before loading to the chamber of the deskinning unit for better efficiency
  2. The material of construction is food grade stainless steel
  3. Sufficient air inlet points to achieveminimum air pressure of 10 bar and for the movement of the deskinning inside the chamber.
  4. The air fed should be dry air to avoid condensation and absorption of the moisture by the soft/ light skin, which may result in chilling effect and reduction in efficiency
  5. Cyclone separator for the removal of soft/light skin from the chamber.