Dried fruit, spices and tea

Drying and refinement of fresh produce at Völpel GmbH

Völpel GmbH has been producing dried fruit, spices and tea for a variety of end customers since 1948. The company has been working with Hosokawa Alpine AG for almost just as long. The Augsburg-based machine and plant manufacturer has supplied numerous machines for grinding and classifying natural raw materials to the Königsmoos-based company in Upper Bavaria.

When deciding on a supplier, it was particularly important to us that the system fully met all of the requirements for the functional processing of herbs and teas. It also had to be durable, of course. This is exactly what Hosokawa Alpine offers us.
Klaus Kissel, Production Manager Völpel GmbH & Co. KG

The shared history of Völpel and Hosokawa Alpine began in 1964. It was at that time that the company acquired its first Alpine mill. The Rotoplex 32/40 cutting mill as well as another Rotoplex are still in operation today as independent grinding lines for herbs and vegetables. A UPZ fine impact mill and three Hosokawa Alpine classifiers make up part of the state-of-the-art, computer-controlled systems. Fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, teas and medicinal plants are gently processed into dry products and refined according to individual customer requirements. Well-known customers from across the entire food range rank among the key accounts. Völpel products can be found in foods such as soups, cereals, milk, meat products, fish products and tofu. The family business, which is managed by German Völpel of the family's third generation, is focused on sustainability: Between 70 and 80 per cent of the products processed at Völpel are organically grown, and the company also holds a number of organic certificates. Völpel employs approximately 80 people in total, 60 of whom work in Königsmoos and 20 at its second site in Zittau.

High-quality processing for first-class fresh produce

Völpel pays special attention to the quality of its products, which is ensured through strict quality management. This means that goods delivered can be traced back to the farmer's field, allowing only the highest quality fresh produce to be processed. The company supports its contract farmers during every phase of cultivation, from seed procurement and plant care to storage. Regionality of the products also plays a role, especially in the case of herbs and vegetables, which make up roughly 75 per cent of Völpel's product range. To maintain quality, the herbs are sourced from a radius of around 25 kilometres.

Another factor also comes into play to ensure that end products meet the high quality requirements: The system used to process the fresh produce has to be able to deliver products with the fineness and quality specified. This is exactly where Hosokawa Alpine steps in: "When deciding on a supplier, it was particularly important to us that the system fully met all of the requirements for the functional processing of herbs and teas. It also had to be durable, of course. This is exactly what Hosokawa Alpine offers us," explains Klaus Kissel, Production Manager at Völpel GmbH & Co. KG.

Klaus Kissel, Procution Manager at Völpel — Based in Königsmoos, Bavaria, Völpel produces dried fruit, spices and tea, with Production Manager Klaus Kissel.

Products according to individual customer requirements

Production system at Völpel — Völpel's state-of-the-art facilities include several mills and classifiers from Hosokawa Alpine.

A wide variety of fresh produce passes through Völpel's facilities: Chamomile and chervil, garlic and ginger, raspberry leaves and rosemary, and much more. The base product is first dried, next comes the cutting and grinding, followed by compacting/granulation and mixing. Finally, the product is further processed by hand or by mechanical colour selection. The customer requirements with regard to the fineness and shape of the end products are just as varied as the base products. Among other aspects, customers can select the desired cut size and receive their product in a variety of shapes: coarse or fine cuts, granules, powders, flakes, cubes or strips.

Zigzag classifier for clean products

The zigzag classifier from Hosokawa Alpine ensures that the fruit, herbs and tea achieve the desired level of purity in the end. The MZM Multi-Plex zigzag classifier removes lightweight impurities such as threads, plastic or paper as well as heavy impurities such as stones, sticks or metal parts from the product in two passes. Other examples include separating petals from marigolds and separating husks from onions. Lightweight parts are carried upwards by the airflow and heavy parts fall downwards. This produces a fraction that can either be used as an end product directly, or processed further. The zigzag classifiers from Hosokawa Alpine are customised as either a single-tube or multi-tube design. Gravity and flow velocity are used for the classifying process – classification takes place at every bend in the classifying tube. "For us, there's no better zigzag classifier on the market – an extremely simple, maintenance-free and reliable system," concludes Klaus Kissel.

The MZM Multi-Plex zigzag classifier from Hosokawa Alpine removes lightweight impurities from the product. Classification takes place through gravity and flow rate, and at every bend of the classifying tube.

A long-standing partnership

The quality and durability of the machines are not the only advantages of working with Hosokawa Alpine: Völpel also appreciates the excellent personal contact and outstanding support from the Augsburg-based machine and plant manufacturer. "I've been working at Völpel for around 35 years, now and have been working with Hosokawa Alpine for just as long. I've often visited their factory in Augsburg. It has always been a positive experience. The tests at the Alpine test centre have always been very well prepared and effective. And the quality of the machines is outstanding," says Klaus Kissel, summarising the long-standing partnership. Both sides hope that this will continue for a long time to come.

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