Research and development of chinquapin exuviating technology and equipment

Chinquapin is largely yielded in Jian'ou county in Fujian Province of south China. It has a good flavour. Chinquapin has a firm shell that is very difficult to exuviate. New technology was introduced, and exuviating equipment was developed after analyzing several kinds of chestnut exuviaters. A series of test were conducted. First, chinquapins were dried and then separated. After that, the outer shell was exuviated by a high speed rotating shaft with many special knives. At last, shell and chinquapin were separated. A few unexuviated chinquapin were picked out by hand and fed back to exuviator. This technology ensures high exuviating efficiency and high integrity of the unshelled chinquapin kernels. It is very suitable for Chinese farming conditions. It has been approved by concerned departments of the government of Fujian Province.