Machine 1
Even-feeding hopper & belt conveyor
Takes potatoes from the truck, bin or bulk store and meters them onto a rubber belt, so every machine downstream sees a steady flow instead of surges.
French fry line
Frozen French Fry Production Line, Machine by Machine
What each machine in a Bigtem French fry line does, what a complete scope includes, and what makes up a small starter line. Lines are built from small to very large, sized to your plant.
Process flow
From raw potatoes to packed frozen fries in one continuous line. Select a step to see the equipment.
The machines, in order
Each machine has one job, and every module is sized to the same output so no step starves or floods the next.
Receiving, destoning & washing
Machine 2
Drum washer with cyclone destoner
Tumbles off soil, separates stones and heavy debris, and delivers clean tubers to the peeler. An optical sorter for raw potatoes, integrated from a partner manufacturer, can be added here.
Steam peeling, brushing & inspection
Machine 3
DORUK steam peeler
A pressurized batch of steam loosens the skin evenly. The peeler module includes the feed hopper, service platform and steam exhaust.
Machine 4
Brush finisher
A multi-drive brush machine removes the loosened skin with water spray and discharges peeled potatoes.
Machine 5
Washer & inspection conveyor
A flotation washer rinses peeled potatoes, then a driven roller conveyor turns them in front of operators who trim remaining defects.
Water-knife cutting, sliver removal & grading
Machine 6
Hydrocutter (water-knife cutting)
Potatoes are pumped in water through a fixed knife head and come out as strips or wedges. A dual head can switch automatically when a knife is dull or blocked.
Machine 7
Sliver remover
A bed of spaced rollers lets slivers and very short pieces drop out, so only full strips go on to blanching.
Machine 8
Vibrating grader
A vibrating screen grades the strips and removes small pieces and fines.
Blanching, drying & frying
Machine 9
Screw blancher
A screw moves strips through hot water at a controlled time and temperature. Two stages are typical: one for starch removal and color, one for cooking.
Machine 10
Vibrating feeder with air knife
Spreads blanched strips in an even layer and blows off surface water before the dryer.
Machine 11
Continuous belt dryer
A modular, multi-zone belt dryer removes surface moisture before frying. Modules can be added later.
Machine 12
Continuous belt fryer
Temperature-controlled frying with staged oil filtration, oil level control and fire detection and suppression.
Machine 13
Oil storage tank
Holds fresh and returned frying oil, with heating and transfer piping to the fryer.
Cooling, freezing & packing
Machine 14
Ambient cooling tunnel
Fans pull ambient air through the product belt to drop surface temperature and drain oil before the freezer.
Machine 15
IQF freezer (partner-supplied)
An IQF freezer integrated from a partner manufacturer, selected to fit your line. Bigtem does not build freezers; it engineers the cooling, infeed and discharge conveyors around the freezer and integrates it into the line controls.
Machine 16
Elevators & conveyors
Modular belt gooseneck elevators, turn tables and roller conveyors link freezing to weighing and packing.
Machine 17
Packing & end of line
Box erecting, filling, weight check, carton sealing, metal detection with automatic reject, coding and palletizing, from manual stations up to robot palletizing.
Images: Bigtem equipment renders and drawings.
What a typical line scope includes
- Process engineering, plant layout and a utilities outline (steam, water, compressed air, power and fryer heating)
- Every process machine from receiving to packing, matched to one output target
- Interconnecting elevators, conveyors, turn tables and stainless steel service platforms
- Electrical control panels with PLC and HMI per module, wired for the voltage you specify
- Pressure vessels with US and Canadian certificates
- Factory testing before shipment
- Shipping coordination to your plant
- Installation supervision, commissioning, recipe setup and operator and maintenance training
- Spare parts and remote support after start-up
Options
- Optical sorting of raw potatoes or finished strips, with an optical sorter integrated from a partner manufacturer
- Starch recovery from cutting and blanching water
- Dual-head, auto-switching water-knife cutting
- Additional dryer modules for later expansion
- Line SCADA with recipe control and line synchronization
- Multihead weighing and automatic bagging
- Robot palletizing
- Sweet potato and wedge or specialty cut formats
Small and starter French fry lines
A starter line uses the same process steps as a large plant, with fewer modules, a single lane and more manual work at the end of the line. It is laid out so that capacity and automation can be added without rebuilding the core.
Feed & wash
An even-feeding hopper and a combined drum washer and destoner.Peel
One of the smaller DORUK steam peeler models with a brush finisher and a short inspection conveyor.Cut
A water-knife cutting system with a sliver remover. Single-head to start; a dual head can be added.Blanch & dry
A screw blancher, an air-knife feeder and a belt dryer with fewer modules.Fry & cool
A continuous belt fryer with oil tank and filtration, followed by an ambient cooling section.Freeze & pack
An IQF freezer integrated from a partner manufacturer, selected to fit your line, then manual box filling on a turn table with weight check, carton sealing and metal detection. Automated weighing, bagging and palletizing can be added later.
Lines are built from small to very large, sized to your plant. Tell us your target output, cut sizes and operating hours and we size each module to the same throughput.
See a fry line run
Build your equipment ROI case with the free ProcessorROI calculator. A free online tool for rough labor, yield, energy and payback estimates you can bring to a capex meeting. Enter your own plant numbers.
Open the ProcessorROI calculator (external site, opens in a new tab) ↗
Controls
Each module runs on PLC and HMI control built for frozen fry production, with intuitive screens for operators, maintenance and QC staff. Line-level SCADA adds centralized data, remote access, recipe control and line synchronization for faster changeovers.
Back to Potato & French Fry Lines · DORUK steam peeler · Hydrocutter · Blanchers
French fry line questions
What machines make up a frozen French fry line?
In sequence: feeding hopper, drum washer and destoner, steam peeler with brush finisher, inspection, water-knife cutting, sliver removal and grading, two-stage blanching, air-knife dewatering, belt drying, continuous frying, ambient cooling, IQF freezing, then weighing, packing and palletizing.
What does a small or starter line include?
The same core steps with fewer modules: a single feed lane, a smaller steam peeler, a water-knife cutter with sliver removal, a screw blancher, a shorter belt dryer, a continuous fryer, cooling, freezing and largely manual packing that can be automated later.
What capacity can you build?
Lines are built from small to very large, sized to your plant. We size every module to one output target based on your finished product, cut sizes and operating hours.
Is installation included?
Installation supervision, commissioning and training are part of a typical line scope and are quoted with the line.
Can you supply only part of a line?
Yes. Steam peelers, hydrocutters, blanchers, dryers, fryers, washers and packing equipment can be supplied on their own and matched to the machines you keep.
Which voltage and certificates?
Machines are wired for any voltage you specify, for example 480V/60Hz or 575V/60Hz. Pressure vessels carry US and Canadian certificates. Control panels are built to the European equivalent standard, with UL on request.
Request a French fry line proposal
Share your target output, cut sizes, operating hours and site utilities. We send a layout, a utilities outline and a formal quotation.