Customized fuel powered mesh belt dryer helps upgrade Zambia’s coffee industry

On March 21, 2025, Jinlu Machinery announced the delivery of a 12 meter long, 2.3 meter wide, 5-story fuel powered mesh belt dryer to a Zambian customer, specially customized for coffee bean drying scenarios. This device combines the localization needs of Africa with the characteristics of coffee processing to achieve “zero defect” delivery and efficient production, helping the local coffee industry improve quality and production capacity.

1、 Customized core solution

① Precise temperature control and air volume adjustment

In response to the strict control of temperature (± 2 ℃ error) and humidity (staged loading of medium filling rate) required for coffee bean drying, the equipment adopts a ventilation device to ensure uniform distribution of hot air and avoid local overheating leading to flavor loss.

The fuel heat source system supports multi-stage power regulation, which can match fluctuations in the Zambian power grid and fuel supply conditions, ensuring continuous production stability.

② Mesh belt and structural customization

Using 304 stainless steel mesh surface to reduce debris generated by friction between coffee beans and mesh belt, while enhancing breathability to accelerate water evaporation. The drying room and hot air room adopt a modular splicing design, which facilitates the adjustment of processing capacity according to coffee bean varieties in the later stage (such as changing from single-layer to double-layer).

③ Intelligent pre debugging

90% of the installation process has been completed in the factory, including pre tensioning and debugging of the transmission chain and mesh belt (with an error of less than 0.1mm)

④ Integration testing of control system and remote monitoring module

Provide a specialized drying parameter package for coffee beans (including temperature rise curve, moisture removal threshold, etc.), and customers only need to complete positioning and pipeline connection to start production.

2、 Service Upgrade and Customer Value

① Save 70% of on-site debugging time: Through empty machine testing and disassembly video guidance (covering hydraulic platform operation, shock-absorbing frame installation, etc.), customers do not need professional technical personnel stationed on site.

② Reduce operating costs: Optimize fuel consumption rate to ≤ 180kg/h · ton, which is 25% lower than traditional equipment and suitable for energy cost sensitive areas such as Zambia.

③ Quality assurance: The load test mode of loading materials in stages ensures that the moisture content of coffee beans meets the standard under all operating conditions (usually 12% -14%), avoiding mold growth or excessive roasting.

3、 Market significance and industry impact

Zambia, as an emerging coffee producing region, has an urgent need for efficient and durable drying equipment. This cooperation marks the deepening application of Jinlu Machinery’s “technology pre research+scene customization” model in the field of food processing, which is applicable to various agricultural and sideline products.