PROTEIN‑RICH FLOUR CLASSIFICATION

Protein‑rich flours derived from beans, peas and other legumes, as well as from chickpeas, lentils, faba beans and similar vegetable ingredients, often contain residual coarse particles and unwanted fines after grinding. Classification is required to remove these extremes of the particle size distribution, delivering a controlled fraction that behaves predictably in hydration, mixing and texturisation processes. At the same time, the classification step helps protect conveyors, feeders and dosing systems from overload or irregular flow.

Vibrating sieving is well suited to this duty because it combines defined mesh cut points with adjustable vibration parameters and deck configurations. By installing the sieve downstream of milling or intermediate storage, process engineers can stabilise the flour before it enters blending, extrusion or packaging, ensuring that the oversize fraction and fines are extracted as required. Careful selection of mesh range and installation point allows the classification step to match both throughput targets and product behaviour.

For this segment, MLT Cuccolini recommends the VPB/M or VPM_S vibrating sieve range, which offers optimised throughputs compared with many conventional vibrating sieves available on the market. The vertical‑motor drive generates a three‑dimensional motion that uses the full sieving surface efficiently, maintaining good separation performance even with cohesive or slightly oily protein‑rich flours. This efficiency enables producers to reach the desired capacity with relatively compact machines, bringing advantages in both capital and operating expenditure.

To keep the sieving area active over time and limit blinding, VPB/M configurations for protein‑rich flour classification are complemented with dedicated mesh cleaning accessories. These systems work in contact with the tensioned mesh to dislodge particles that tend to block the apertures, helping to preserve open area and stable throughput during long production campaigns. As a result, manual mesh cleaning interventions can be reduced and classification performance remains consistent from batch to batch.

Hygienic stainless-steel construction, smooth internal geometries and easy access to the mesh area support regular cleaning and inspection, which is particularly important in allergen‑sensitive and high‑protein environments. This allows plant designers and end users to integrate VPB/M units into existing lines for pulse flours and other plant‑based ingredients with confidence, while maintaining the flexibility to adapt mesh sizes and settings as new product formulations are introduced.

Choosing MLT Cuccolini VPB/M vibrating sieves for protein‑rich flour classification enables producers to combine precise particle size control with optimised throughput and compact equipment. This leads to more consistent functional behaviour of flours in downstream processes, better protection of conveying and dosing systems, reduced waste and easier management of cleaning and product changeover.

By matching sieve size, configuration, mesh range and cleaning accessories to each specific protein‑rich flour application, MLT Cuccolini supports food manufacturers and plant designers in building reliable, efficient and scalable solutions for the growing plant‑based and high‑protein food market.

Are you looking to improve classification of bean, pea or other protein‑rich flours in your process line? Contact our team to review your current setup and identify the VPB/M vibrating sieve configuration best suited to your products, throughput targets and installation constraints.