Grinding with a difference

10 Jul, 2019

Klingspor grinding products are also used where they are least expected. The company Börde Vita in Saxony-Anhalt uses them to peel potatoes – in a carborundum process.

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Klingspor grinding products are also used where they are least expected.
The company Börde Vita in Saxony-Anhalt uses them to peel potatoes – in a carborundum process.

 

Various metals, plastic and wood – anything can be ground, but that even potatoes are ground, that was something new to me until recently“, admits Micha Weidenfelder. The Klingspor external sales representative has been responsible for Börde Vita among others since the autumn of 2017. This is where he saw the carborundum peeling process live for the first time. “It is really exciting to watch how the potatoes gradually lose their peel as they travel over the abrasive that is secured to the machine’s rollers,” he reports. For Dirk Jäger, Production Manager at Börde Vita, however, this has been part of his daily routine for years. Börde Vita GmbH in Wanzleben in the heart of the Magdeburg Börde is a young potato peeling plant with 30 employees. “Carborundum peeling is the fastest, most practical method that produces the least amount of waste. It is used by the overwhelming majority of potato peeling plants in Germany,” says the 46 year old. The advantages of working with the sandpaper are obvious: less of the actual product is lost in comparison to other forms of potato peeling, and no way near as much energy is used as with steam pressure peeling. Before Dirk Jäger joined Börde Vita in 2015, he spent 15 years employed at another potato peeling company. “I worked with Klingspor abrasives there and had very good experience with them. That is why I also argued for abrasive paper to be used at Börde Vita, too. For me, making the switch to Klingspor was a decision in favour of quality,” emphasises Jäger.

Cleanly peeled

Börde Vita processes around 60 tonnes of potatoes from its own agricultural operation – daily. Before the potatoes are allowed in the peeling plant, they pass through quality control, are washed and dirt is removed. This is then followed by many stages of peeling. Six rollers per peeling stage are arranged in a semi-circle in the machine. Each roller is covered with 25 metres of abrasive paper – all approved for use with foodstuffs – and rubs off the potato peel by rotating. “The coated abrasives that we supply to Börde Vita are produced to special belt dimensions,” says Micha Weidenfelder. Börde Vita uses abrasive papers with different grit sizes – from 16 to 36.Dirk Jäger explains: “The higher the number, the finer the grain. And the wear varies accordingly. With a grit size of 16, we have to replace the belts after ten to fifteen days; sandpaper with a finer grit size of 36 can last perfectly for half a year.”
Once the potatoes have been ground clean, they are diced into the various commercial shapes – from quarters to cubes and slices. From here, the peeled and diced potatoes go to the wholesalers and later into school canteens, nursing homes, hospitals and restaurants. “Our company has only existed since 2012, and so we hope to be able to win over more customers and increase our production volumes. And we will continue to rely on the Klingspor products in future,” says the Production Manager at Börde Vita.

 

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“Making the switch to Klingspor was a decision in favour of quality." Dirk Jäger, Production Manager at Börde Vita GmbH

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First the potatoes are sorted and the dirt removed.

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After their bath, the peel is removed.

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Ground clean, the tubers are sent for dicing.

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Well packed, the goods are ready for delivery.