Supplying the fynbos industry with drying equipment has been one of the sources of CFW Projects’ extensive experience in providing drying solutions. A variety of solutions, including forced-air drying rooms, heating equipment, dehumidifiers, and other equipment, can be provided. CFW’s solutions are usually tailor-made, as customer requirements and the ambient temperature and humidity at the location determine which technologies are the most appropriate.

We focus on larger-scale projects, for which we seek to provide reliable equipment with the lowest lifetime costs. A range of components, fans, spare parts and ancillary equipment is available. Smaller-scale producers may wish to use dehumidifiers.

About Fynbos Drying

Many popular decorative fynbos plants, such as Leucadendron cones and proteas, can be dried so that they last longer. Given this advantage, and since the dried plants keep their shape fairly well, much of the fynbos that is produced is assigned to be dried for export as dried cut flowers. Despite large changes demand across the seasons, and changes in fashion leading to different choices of particular plants, peak demand is fairly reliable.

Faster drying, which helps to reduce the rate of spoilage and enables the producer to get the product onto the market sooner, is accomplished by using fans and dehumidifiers. Producing the flowers on a small scale typically involves putting the product in darkened drying rooms with circulating fans that move air over the flowers. The reduced light prevents the plants from losing too much of their colour. Colour is also better preserved when the drying process is faster.

Large flower producers use equipment similar to that used for grain to remove the water of both glycerine-preserved and ordinary dried flowers. The plants may also be put through two drying processes if they are artificially coloured. The industrial dryers are designed to reliably achieve temperatures within a range of approximately 15-24 ˚C. Circulating fans are used to ensure that the same temperature is maintained throughout the entire space, so that product losses and deformation are minimised.