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Mobile Hemp Breaker - MHB 02

Figure 1. Mobile Hemp Breaker on a one-axle-trailer.

        This apparatus represents a mobile system to separate field-retted hemp stalks into fiber and hurds, in order to get basic raw materials for further industrial uses. The fibers can be used in construction, insulation and other materials, but not for yarns to produce fabric. Flax straw will be tested soon.

Working steps:
         Round bales of pressed hemp straw are picked up by a tractor and put onto a continuous variable-speed tracking system. The net around the bale is to removed and the bale is unrolled forwards. A resulting 10-30 cm thick mat is forwarded to the first rotating pre-breaking cylinder for stone separation and the first extraction of hurds. A container box on top of the machine, stabilizes the pre-separated material from the first cylinder to prepare the material for the second step.
         The second cylinder works similarly to a rotating scutching turbine, performing the final separation. Black polypropylene tubes blow air into all sections to remove hurds from all critical points. Hurds from the two working cylinders are sucked up by a central vacuum system and are transported within tubes to storage or transportation devices.
         Close behind the scutching turbine, an automatic press produces square bales of fiber.

• length: 9.40 m
• width: 2.50 m
• center height: 2.88 m
• weight: 5,880 kg
• power source: electric (20 kW required) for hydraulic or mechanical breaking
• volume per hour: app. 0.8 tons hemp straw per hour
• speed: depends on power source, humidity and retting status of straw
• % of hurds in fibers: approx. 15 % at lowest braking speed approx. 35 % at highest breaking speed.
• price: approx. US$70,000
• terms: 30 % down payment with order 70 % 14 days after delivery (bank guarantee compulsory)
• production time: approx. 6 weeks safety certification: CE (international recognition)

Miscellaneous:
         Upon the client’s order, it is possible to forgo installation of the final square baler, in order to allow for the material to continue with additional required processing steps, such as cleaning, refining or cutting the fibers.

Karl Ströml
Rohemp-Austria, Wall Str. 36, A-8280
Fürstenfeld, Austria
http://www.hanfnet.de/rohemp/mhbo2