Published: October 19, 2026
A pulper separates the pulp from seeds, skin and fibre: a paddle rotor pushes the fruit against a perforated screen, the pulp passes through and the waste leaves at the other end. A refiner is a second stage with a finer screen.
1. The screen
Screens are interchangeable, typically from 0.4 to 1.0 mm. The finer the screen, the finer and smoother the pulp. A set of screens lets you change fruit or product without changing machine.
2. One or two stages
For fibrous fruit such as mango, a two-stage pulper is the right choice: the first stage separates the pulp and the second refines it into a fine, fibre-free pulp.
3. What happens before pulping
A pulper only performs well if the fruit arrives prepared. Each fruit needs its own upstream machine:
- Mango: a destoner that separates the stone with a paddle rotor.
- Avocado: a peeling and pitting machine with minimal air contact, followed by a colour protection tank with an ascorbic or citric acid solution.
- Passion fruit: a cutter that halves the fruit, a pulp extractor with a low-speed rotor, and a separator that removes the seeds and skin without breaking the seeds.
- Banana: a peeler, also suitable for green plantain.
4. The material
All parts in contact with the product should be food-grade stainless steel: SUS304 for most fruits and 316L for high-acidity products.
5. Capacity and the rest of the line
The pulper should be sized together with the rest of the line, which is usually configured at 1, 3 or 5 t/h. After pulping come, depending on the product, the homogeniser (20–40 MPa), heat treatment (tubular pasteuriser at 85–95 °C or UHT at 110–137 °C) and packaging.
Checklist before you ask for a quotation
- Which fruits will you process, and in which season?
- What texture do you want? For example, passion fruit pulp with or without seeds.
- What capacity do you need, in t/h?
- Are there high-acidity products that call for 316L steel?
- Which language do you need on the control panel: Spanish, English or Chinese?
- Which spare parts do you want on site besides the initial kit, for example screens in other sizes?
See the complete mango, passion fruit, avocado and banana lines.