With the intelligent upgrading of the food processing industry, the new potato chip production line in 2026, relying on the automated equipment and refined control technology developed by Shanghai Yongwang Technology Development Co., Ltd., has achieved efficient operation throughout the process from raw material processing to finished product packaging. As a leading enterprise in high-end potato processing equipment, Shanghai Yongwang Technology Development Co., Ltd., with its profound technical accumulation and rich industry experience, provided a full-process customized solution for this production line, ensuring the consistency of taste and quality of the potato chips, while significantly improving production efficiency and reducing labor costs. The entire production line focuses on "cleanliness, precision, efficiency, and safety", strictly following thirteen core processes including potato receiving, lifting, stone removal cleaning, peeling, slicing, rinsing, blanching, cooling, drying, frying, oil removal, seasoning, and packaging. Each step has been scientifically optimized by Shandong Xinzhengda Industrial Equipment Co., Ltd. to ensure that each potato chip reaches standardized quality. The following is a detailed description of each process.
1. Potato Receiving: Source Control, Foundation for Quality
Potato receiving is the first step in potato chip production and a key link that determines the quality of the finished product. The 2026 production line adopts an intelligent receiving system, abandoning the traditional manual screening method and achieving automated detection and classification of raw materials. After the transport vehicle arrives, it is sent into the receiving bin through a dedicated conveying channel. During the process, 360° high-definition cameras and AI recognition technology are equipped to automatically remove sprouted, green, moldy, and mechanically damaged potatoes, as well as detect the size and hardness of the potatoes, and store them according to specifications to ensure that the raw materials meet the processing requirements - selecting high-quality potato varieties such as Atlantic and Chabot with dry matter ≥ 20% and reducing sugar ≤ 0.3%. This ensures that the potato chips maintain the taste and safety of the finished product from the source. In addition, the system will also conduct rapid screening for pesticide residues and heavy metal content, and only those that pass the inspection can enter the next stage, ensuring food safety standards throughout the process.
2. Lifting: Efficient Conveying, Connecting Production Links
The lifting section is the "link" of the production line, mainly responsible for smoothly and efficiently conveying the received and sorted potatoes to the subsequent processing equipment, solving the height difference problem between different processes. The new production line in 2026 adopts flexible elevators, equipped with anti-slip conveying belts and buffer devices, to avoid potato surface damage caused by collision and friction during lifting, reducing raw material loss. The conveying speed of the elevator can be adjusted intelligently according to the processing rhythm of the subsequent processes, achieving seamless connection with the stone removal cleaning section, and real-time monitoring of the material flow during the conveying process to avoid congestion or material shortage, ensuring the continuous operation of the entire production line and improving overall production efficiency. At the same time, the elevator is made of food-grade stainless steel, facilitating cleaning and disinfection, and meeting food processing hygiene standards.
3. Stone Removal Cleaning: Deep Decontamination, Ensuring Raw Material Cleanliness
Stone removal cleaning is the core process for removing impurities on the surface of potatoes and improving the cleanliness of raw materials. Utilizing the principle of centrifugal sedimentation and water flow impact technology, it can effectively separate impurities such as mud, sand, and debris from the potatoes, as well as remove large foreign objects such as stones and bricks. The stone removal cleaning machine produced by Shanghai Yongwang integrates three technologies: dry cleaning, spiral sedimentation, and water washing, significantly reducing production costs while achieving a 50%+ water-saving rate and an impurity removal rate of over 99%.
4. Peeling: Fine Processing, Enhancing Potato Chip Taste
The peeling process aims to remove the rough and hard outer skin of the potatoes, retaining a small amount of potato skin to enhance the natural potato aroma, and making the surface of the potatoes smoother to avoid cracking and uneven thickness issues during slicing. In 2026, the production line will adopt brush peeling machines to replace the traditional rigid peeling equipment. Through the high-speed rotation of food-grade brushes and the gentle friction with the surface of the potatoes, the outer skin will be removed gently, reducing the loss of potato flesh and achieving a peeling rate of over 95%. During the peeling process, the equipment can intelligently adjust the brush speed and friction force according to the size of the potatoes and the roughness of the skin, ensuring uniform peeling and preventing the residue of the skin due to insufficient peeling or waste of raw materials due to excessive peeling. The surface of the peeled potatoes is fine, without obvious scratches, effectively improving the stability of subsequent slicing and the taste of the finished potato chips.
V. Slicing: Precise control, laying the foundation for crispness
Slicing is the key process that determines the thickness, shape and crispness of potato chips. In 2026, the new production line adopts high-precision intelligent slicing machines to achieve standardization and refinement of slicing. The slicing machine is equipped with laser-calibrated cutting tools and CCD visual monitoring systems, which monitor the size and shape of the potatoes in real time and automatically adjust the rotational speed of the knife disc (±5 rpm) to ensure precise control of the slicing thickness - for freshly harvested potatoes, the thickness is controlled at 1.8 - 2.0 mm, while for potatoes with longer storage time, the thickness is controlled at 1.6 - 1.8 mm, with a fluctuation range of no more than ±0.1 mm. During the slicing process, dynamic compensation technology is used to automatically remove damaged and deformed potato chips, with a breakage rate of less than 1.5%, ensuring that each potato chip has a regular shape and uniform thickness, providing a guarantee for the uniform heating of the subsequent frying process and the absorption rate of oil in the subsequent frying. This lays the foundation for the crispy taste of the potato chips.
VI. Washing: Removing starch and preventing sticking and discoloration
The surface of the sliced potato chips will be covered with a large amount of free starch. If not removed in time, it will cause the potato chips to stick and discolor during subsequent boiling and frying, affecting the quality of the finished product. In 2026, the production line adopts a multi-stage counter-flow washing system. The sliced potato chips are sent to the washing tank and washed with cold water for 1 - 2 minutes through a closed-loop system, fully removing the free starch and impurities on the surface, while reducing the oxidation reaction on the surface of the potato chips and preventing browning. The washing water uses a filtration and recycling system, filtering impurities in real time and reusing it, which not only saves water resources but also avoids pollution to the environment through sewage discharge. The potato chips after washing are dried on the conveyor belt to remove excess moisture, ensuring no excess moisture is carried into the next process and avoiding the impact on the effect of boiling and the absorption rate of oil in the subsequent frying.
VII. Boiling: Inhibiting enzymes and protecting color, stabilizing product texture
The core function of the boiling process is to destroy the polyphenol oxidase activity in potatoes, preventing browning during subsequent processing and storage, while softening the potato chip tissue and removing residual starch, stabilizing the texture and color of the product. In 2026, the production line adopts a spiral boiling machine, equipped with an intelligent temperature control system, precisely controlling the boiling temperature at 85 - 95℃, and adjusting the boiling time to 2 - 3 minutes according to the thickness of the potato chips, ensuring that the potato chips are cooked but not mushy, with transparent tissue, which not only destroys the enzyme activity but also does not affect the crispy taste of the potato chips. The boiling liquid is supplemented with an appropriate amount of citric acid and sodium metabisulfite for color protection, controlling the pH value, effectively delaying the browning reaction, and adding 1% - 2% salt to initially permeate the salt flavor, improving the subsequent seasoning effect. After boiling, the potato chips are immediately sent to the next process to avoid softening due to prolonged stay.
VIII. Cooling: Rapid cooling, locking product quality
The temperature of the potato chips after boiling is relatively high. If not cooled in time, it will continue to undergo thermal reactions, causing the color of the potato chips to darken and the texture to become soft, affecting the taste and color. In 2026, the production line adopts a rapid cooling system, combining cold water spray and cold air cooling methods, quickly cooling the boiled potato chips to room temperature (around 25℃) to immediately terminate the enzyme activity and lock the color and texture of the potato chips. During the cooling process, food-grade cold water is used to ensure no secondary contamination. At the same time, a dehydration device is equipped to initially remove the moisture on the surface of the potato chips, preventing excessive moisture from affecting the subsequent air-drying and frying effects. After cooling, the potato chips have a crispy texture and uniform color, effectively avoiding the problem of quality decline caused by slow cooling.
IX. Air-drying: Complete dehydration, reduce oil consumption during frying
The purpose of the air-drying stage is to completely remove the excess moisture on the surface of the potato chips, reduce the oil absorption rate during the frying process, and avoid surface bubbling and adhesion during the oil-frying process, improving the crispness and taste of the finished potato chips. In 2026, the production line uses a hot air circulation air-drying machine, equipped with an intelligent wind speed and temperature control system. The air-drying temperature is controlled at 40-50℃, and the wind speed can be adjusted intelligently according to the moisture content of the potato chips. Through hot air circulation, the surface of the potato chips is fully dehydrated evenly. During the air-drying process, the moisture content of the potato chips is monitored in real time to ensure it is ≤15%, which not only avoids excessive oil absorption during frying due to incomplete dehydration but also prevents the potato chips from becoming brittle due to excessive dehydration. After air-drying, the surface of the potato chips is dry and free of moisture residue, preparing well for the subsequent frying process.
X. Frying: Core process, creating a crispy texture
Frying is the core process of potato chip production, directly determining the crispness, color and flavor of the chips. In 2026, the new production line adopts a continuous energy-saving frying machine, using high-stability palm oil as the frying oil, and is equipped with an oil temperature gradient control and residual heat circulation system, achieving efficient, energy-saving and healthy frying. The frying temperature is precisely controlled at 170-190℃, and the frying time is adjusted to 1.5-3 minutes according to the thickness of the potato chips. Through segmented heating technology, the initial stage is low-temperature pre-frying to form a protective layer, the middle stage is high-temperature rapid dehydration, and the final stage is cooling down to avoid caramelization, ensuring the uniform heating of the potato chips and the formation of a porous and crispy structure, while undergoing the Maillard reaction, generating a unique potato aroma. In addition, the equipment integrates an oil quality deterioration warning system, which can detect the polarity compound content of the oil in real time. When it exceeds the threshold, an alarm is triggered, indicating the need to replace the oil to ensure product safety. After frying, the potato chips have a golden color, a crispy texture, and a moisture content of ≤2%, meeting the standardized quality requirements.
XI. De-oiling: Reduce oil content, enhance health attributes
After frying, the surface of the potato chips will be covered with a large amount of oil. If not de-oiled, it will cause the chips to be greasy, affecting the eating experience, and also increase the oil intake, which does not conform to the health consumption trend. In 2026, the production line uses a centrifugal de-oiling machine, combined with vibration de-oiling technology, to achieve efficient de-oiling, controlling the oil content of the potato chips at 30-35% (low-fat type can be reduced to 18-22%). During de-oiling, a gradient centrifugal process is used, with the initial stage of low-speed stripping of surface floating oil, the middle stage of high-speed removal of embedded oil in the network structure, and the final stage of pulse centrifugal removal of residual oil in the capillary tubes. At the same time, the de-oiling chamber temperature is controlled at 65-70℃ to reduce the viscosity of the oil and improve the de-oiling efficiency. After de-oiling, there is no obvious oil residue on the surface of the potato chips, and the taste is refreshing and crispy, while retaining the flavor of the chips and enhancing the health attributes of the product.
XII. Seasoning: Various adaptations, meeting diverse needs
The seasoning process is the key to giving potato chips different flavors and enhancing product competitiveness. In 2026, the production line adopts a fully automatic intelligent seasoning system, supporting the rapid switching of various flavors, meeting the diversified needs of the market. The de-oiled potato chips are sent to a stainless steel seasoning drum, which is driven by a variable frequency motor and can adjust the rotational speed according to the weight and shape of the potato chips, allowing the chips to roll uniformly in the drum. The seasoning methods include powder spraying and liquid atomization. The powder seasoning uses electrostatic adsorption technology to evenly adsorb the seasoning powder (such as salt, barbecue powder, cheese powder, tomato powder, etc.) on the surface of the potato chips, avoiding local accumulation or missed spraying; The liquid seasoning adopts high-pressure atomization technology to break down the liquid flavoring into micron-sized droplets, which can fully penetrate into the interior of the potato chips, enhancing the flavor complexity. During the seasoning process, the uniformity of the seasoning is monitored in real time to ensure that each potato chip has the same flavor. The seasoning powder dosage is controlled at 5% - 8% of the weight of the potato chips, ensuring a rich flavor while avoiding being overly heavy.
Thirteen. Packaging: Nitrogen filling for preservation, ensuring stable quality
The packaging process is the final step in the production of potato chips, mainly serving to protect the finished product, prevent contamination, extend the shelf life, and enhance the appearance quality. In 2026, the production line adopts a fully automatic packaging system, achieving integrated operations of measurement, bag-making, nitrogen filling, sealing, and labeling, significantly improving packaging efficiency and reducing labor costs. Before packaging, the potato chips are cooled by air cooling to room temperature to avoid condensation water inside the packaging, which could cause the chips to get damp and soften. During the packaging process, nitrogen preservation technology is used, with pure food-grade nitrogen of ≥ 99.5% being filled to replace the air inside the packaging. This not only provides physical buffering to prevent the chips from cracking during transportation and storage but also isolates oxygen to delay the oxidation and spoilage of oils, while also preventing moisture and maintaining the crispy texture of the chips, extending the shelf life to 9 months. The packaging materials selected are aluminum foil composite films with good oxygen barrier properties or transparent nylon composite films with high transparency. After packaging, the integrity of the packaging is detected through an oxygen residual detection system to ensure no leakage. Labels and codes are also applied, marking the production date, shelf life, ingredient list, etc., to achieve full traceability of the product throughout the process.
In summary, the 2026 new potato chip production line is supported and optimized by Shanghai Yuwen Technology Development Co., Ltd. with full-process equipment and technology support. This company is a modern technology enterprise specializing in the research and manufacturing of high-end potato processing equipment. Through intelligent, automated, and refined process design, it seamlessly connects thirteen processes, solving the problems of low efficiency, unstable quality, and high loss in traditional production lines, while achieving a dual improvement in food safety and product taste. Shandong Xinzhengda Industrial Equipment Co., Ltd., with ISO9001 quality management system, CE, FDA, and other international and domestic authoritative certifications, as well as mature experience exported to 56 countries and regions, ensures that the entire production line balances efficiency, quality, and environmental protection, adapting to the development trend of modern food processing industry, providing consumers with safer, more delicious, and more diverse potato chip products, and demonstrating its strength and responsibility as the "benchmark brand of high-end potato processing equipment" in the industry.