Course Teacher: Dr.V.

V Colour Sorter- Indented Cylinder Separator- Spiral Separator- Magnetic Separator- Needle
Separator

24. Principles and Mechanism of Upgrading Equipments - Colour Sorter - Indented

Cylinder Separator - Spiral Separator - Magnetic Separator - Needle Separator

Upgrading

Seed lots require further cleaning treatment to remove adulterants that are similar to
pure seed in size and shape, to be separated by air screen cleaner. Removal of seeds larger or
smaller than required size (sizing) and removal of cracked, damaged or otherwise defective
seeds (grading) is accomplished in this final stage of processing. The equipment used for
upgrading

Specific gravity separation

Seeds of the same size and general shape can often be separated because they differ in
specific gravity or relative weight. Specific gravity separator employs the principle of floatation
where it takes advantage of the difference in size and density / weight.

The actual separation takes place in two steps. The first is in the vertical direction by
stratification of the seeds and the second is in the horizontal direction by the table motion and
gravity. Both of these actions take place at the same time all across the deck of the separator to
give a continuous grading of material till it leaves the table.

In the first step, The stratification of material is accomplished by air being blown thru the
porous deck and in effect floating the light material away from the heavies. The second step ,
the separation in the horizontal direction, is accomplished by gravity and by the deck motion.
The oscillating movement of the table walks the heavy seeds in contact with the deck uphill,
while the air floats the light seeds downhill. The seeds travelling to the edge of the table range
from light, at the lower end, to heavy at the upper end. The discharge can be divided in to any
number of density fractions.

Adjustments: Feed rate, Air flow rate, End and side slope of the deck, Deck oscillation speed.

Uses:

 Removal of badly damaged, deteriorated, diseased seed and insect damaged crop seed.
 Removal of empty, blind or sterile seed.
 Removal of abode balls, soil particles and gravel and sand mixed with certain kind of
seeds
 Removal of contaminating crop or heavy seed.
 Removal of heavy inert material from a larger volume of seed.
Course Teacher: Dr.V.V Colour Sorter- Indented Cylinder Separator- Spiral Separator- Magnetic Separator- Needle
Separator

Working principle of the specific gravity separator

Course Teacher: Dr.V.V Colour Sorter- Indented Cylinder Separator- Spiral Separator- Magnetic Separator- Needle
Separator

Specific gravity separator with triangular deck showing the different fractions: one light,
two intermediate and one heavy fraction. The fifth side outer is used when soil clods are
present

Indented cylinder

The instrument operates on a centrifugal force principle and helps to separate based
on the length of the seeds. The equipment consists of a slightly inclined horizontal rotating
cylinder and a movable separating trough. The inside surface has small closely spaced
hemispherical indentations. Small seeds are pressed into the indents by centrifugal force
created by the speed of the cyclinder and lift them out of the mass until the indents are inverted
to the point where gravity causes the particles to fall. The larger seeds flow in the centre of the
cylinder and are discharged by gravity. Shape and size of the indents and seed, seed coat
texture, moisture content and weight of seed all combine to affect seed separation.
Course Teacher: Dr.V.V Colour Sorter- Indented Cylinder Separator- Spiral Separator- Magnetic Separator- Needle
Separator

Spiral separator

The spiral separator, which classifies seed according to its shape and rolling ability,
consists of sheet metal strips fitted around a central axis in the form of a spiral. The unit
resembles an open screw conveyor standing in a vertical position. The seed is introduced at the
top of the inner spiral. Round seeds roll faster down the incline than flat or irregularly- shaped
seeds. Which tend to slide or tumble. The orbit of round seed increases with speed on its flight
around the axis, until it rolls over the edge of the inner flight into the outer flight where it is
collected separately. The slower- moving seed does not build up enough speed to escape form
the inner flight. Most spirals have multiple inner flights arranged one above the other to increase
the capacity.

Uses:

 Separation of rape, vetch and soybean seeds from wheat, oat and rye grass.
 Whole vetch from broken vetch, crimson clover from rape and mustard seeds.
 Separation of damaged flat and wrinkled seeds from smooth seeds in soybean.

Fig 14 .The flow of seeds over the standard arrangement of one round-
grain and two long- grain cylinders ( From Ref 55)
Course Teacher: Dr.V.V Colour Sorter- Indented Cylinder Separator- Spiral Separator- Magnetic Separator- Needle
Separator

Colour sorter

The colour sorter is used to separate discoloured seed, generally of lower quality.
Separation based on colour is necessary because the density and dimensions of discoloured
seed are the same as those of sound seed, so other machines are not effective for separation.
Electronic colour separation uses photo cells to compare the seed colour with “background
plates”’ which are selected to reflect the same light as the good seed. Seed that differs in colour
is detected by the photo cells , which generate an electric impulse. The impulse activates an air
jet to blow away the discoloured seed.
Course Teacher: Dr.V.V Colour Sorter- Indented Cylinder Separator- Spiral Separator- Magnetic Separator- Needle
Separator

Uses: Separation of off-coloured seeds.

Needle sorter
Course Teacher: Dr.V.V Colour Sorter- Indented Cylinder Separator- Spiral Separator- Magnetic Separator- Needle
Separator

The ‘Cylindrical Needle Sorting’ machine used to separate seeds with insect holes or
damaged seeds from good seeds. Most types of peas, beans and other pulses can be sorted
by the Cylindrical Needle sorting
machine. The machine consists of a
revolving cylinder inclined slightly so that
the feed end is higher than the delivery
end. When the product is fed into the
cylinder it moves slowly by gravity along
the base towards the delivery end. The
inside of the cylinder is lined with fine
needles. As the cylinder turns, the
needles sweep through the seeds. Any
seeds with weevil holes or cracks are
caught by the needles and taken to the
top of the cylinder where they are
brushed off into a separate collecting
trough. It also eliminates a high proportion of windowed seeds by piercing the thin week skin,
yet leaving sound pulses completely whole and undamaged.
Course Teacher: Dr.V.V Colour Sorter- Indented Cylinder Separator- Spiral Separator- Magnetic Separator- Needle
Separator

Working principle and inner view of cylindrical needle sorter

Magnetic separator

Magnetic separators take advantage of the surface texture and stickiness of seed to
make separation. A seed mixture and proportioned amount of water and finely ground iron
powder are mixed in a screw conveyor, or other mixing device. In the presence of moisture, the
powder will adhere to rough, cracked and sticky seeds. When this mixture is fed to the top of a
horizontal revolving magnetic drum, smooth or sticky seeds that are relatively free of powder,
fall from the drum in a normal manner. Rough texture, or sticky seeds coated with iron powder,
are attracted by the magnetic drum and stick to it until they are removed by a rotary brush or a
break in the magnetic field.
Course Teacher: Dr.V.V Colour Sorter- Indented Cylinder Separator- Spiral Separator- Magnetic Separator- Needle
Separator

Inclined draper separator

The air-screen combinations cannot remove debris that has a size and density similar to
the seeds. However, if the debris has a different surface texture, it may be possible to remove
by friction cleaning. Any object rolling or sliding over a sloping surface encounters a certain
friction depending on the texture of itself and that of the sloping surface. Separation is made on
a velvet cloth or rubber belt with variable inclination, which ensures that the slope necessary for
the run-off of the seed is different from the slope, necessary for run -off of the debris. The belt
Course Teacher: Dr.V.V Colour Sorter- Indented Cylinder Separator- Spiral Separator- Magnetic Separator- Needle
Separator

continuously moves upwards and removes the debris while the seeds roll down the slope.