Tea Rolling Machine Electric Motors

A tea rolling machine motor drives the eccentric mechanism that turns a bowl of withered green leaf over a ribbed table under pressure; the leaf cells break, the juice comes out and the leaf twists into shape. In the same factory the withering trough fans, the cutting rollers of the CTC machine, the dryer fans and the sorting screens also run on electric motors. Maker catalogues give 0.37–5.5 kW for rolling tables, 20–40 HP per CTC cutting unit and 3–7.5 HP for withering fans.

DRG Motor is a manufacturer, supplier and seller of electric motors. We do not sell rolling tables, CTC machines, rollers, fan impellers, gearboxes or inverters. Our contribution to a tea factory is the three-phase induction motor fitted to these machines; models are listed on Buy Electric Motors Online.

From green leaf to made tea: where are the motors?

As in the tea factories around Rize, black tea production follows withering → rolling (or CTC) → oxidation (fermentation) → drying → sorting and grading. Leaf cannot wait in the plucking season, so a motor failure means lost product; that makes a spare motor plan important.

Withering: trough fans

Leaf is spread in long troughs and air is blown up through it by axial fans until it loses moisture and softens. One maker’s trough fans carry one-piece aluminium impellers mounted straight on the motor shaft and use 3, 5 and 7.5 HP motors at 1000 rpm. The more air a fan must move, the bigger its motor; trough length, leaf depth and factory altitude change fan choice.

Rolling table: eccentric, crank and belt

In an orthodox roller the leaf-filled bowl moves in a circle over a table fitted with battens, and a pressure cap above sets rolling intensity. The motor turns the crank through a belt and a worm gearbox; one catalogue gives a bowl speed of 45–55 rpm, another a 1400 rpm motor and a 44 rpm bowl. Black tea rolling can last 30–90 minutes, so the motor stays under load for long periods.

CTC machine: cutting rollers

In the CTC (crush-tear-curl) method the leaf passes between two toothed rollers turning against each other at different speeds. One maker gives a fast roller speed of 720 rpm and a 10:1 ratio to the slow roller. Machines are built from several cutting units in a row, each with its own motor.

Oxidation, drying and sorting

Oxidation and dryer fans

Rolled leaf oxidises in humid air and is then dried with hot air. In a fluid bed dryer a vibrating perforated grid and hot air blown from below fluidise the tea; the grid is shaken by a crank driven by a motor. On one maker’s dryer the drying section has 21.6–43.6 kW installed and the dust collection section 11.6–24.2 kW; these are totals of several fans and drives. For hot-air fan selection see our drying oven fan motor article.

Sorting, grading and stalk removal

Made tea is graded by size and stalk and fibre are taken out. Power here is small; one maker states under 2 HP at full load for its green leaf sifter. A tea sifter shaken by vibration motors falls outside the shop; we quote it directly, and our vibration motors page describes that family.

Motor power in tea machinery: catalogue values

A) Motor ratings published by makers of rolling, CTC, withering and drying machines:

In this group a rolling table takes roughly 0.37–5.5 kW, a CTC cutting unit 20–40 HP (about 15–30 kW) and a withering fan 3–7.5 HP. Dryer figures are section totals, not single motors. Rolling motors grow with batch size and bowl diameter.

B) Where DRG fits: 0.37–5.5 kW rolling motors, 2.2–5.5 kW withering fans and 15–30 kW CTC motors are all within our range. For 1000 rpm fan motors our 6-pole models suit, and for CTC and rolling our 4-pole models.

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Worked example: HP to kW and pulley ratio

Tea machinery catalogues mostly give power in horsepower (HP). Let us convert to kW and match the nearest model in our range:

Choosing the next size up is the safer match, but for the 3 HP fan 2.2 kW is close. In that case measure the fan’s real current and compare it with the plate current (5.09 A at 400 V for DRG-112M-6). Try pulley sizes with our pulley and belt tool.

Starting a rolling table

With the bowl full of leaf and the pressure cap down, the start is heavy. Lifting the cap, running empty and then raising pressure slowly protects the motor. On CTC units star-delta starting is common for the larger motors; see the current difference in our star-delta tool.

Moisture, leaf juice and motor position

Motor outside the product-contact area

The juice released in rolling is sticky and drips under the table. The motor belongs outside the product-contact area, on the roller frame and behind the belt guard. Withering and oxidation rooms are humid; our IP55 motors suit that climate, though they are never hosed directly during washing. A stainless washdown frame for wet tea rooms is something we do not make; ask us for options.

Motors outside our range

Small bench-type rollers often use single-phase motors; one catalogue lists a 30 cm bowl model with a 0.55 kW, 220 V motor. That single-phase type is outside our range, and so are the brake motor, the servo and the pole-changing two-speed motor. Trough fan speed can be trimmed by feeding a standard motor from an inverter bought elsewhere.

DRG motors for tea machinery

Models matching rolling, CTC and withering ratings (current at 400 V):

On a rolling table the motor is usually foot-mounted (B3) and belts the gearbox; fan motors carry the impeller on their own shaft and bolt to the trough by flange or feet. Tell us the old motor’s plate power, speed, shaft diameter and key and its mounting; we weigh them against the roller’s documentation and confirm suitability, with no fit guarantee before dimensions.

Live price table

Prices of models close to rolling, fan and CTC ratings in a tea factory:

DRG MOTOR motors are guaranteed against material and manufacturing defects for 2 years from the delivery date (warranty certificate).

Motors in this power range

• DRG-100L1-4 – 2.2 kW – 1450 rpm – 100L cast iron
• DRG-112M-4 – 4 kW – 1450 rpm – 112M cast iron
• DRG-132M1-6 – 4 kW – 968 rpm – 132M cast iron
• DRG-132M2-6 – 5.5 kW – 968 rpm – 132M cast iron
• DRG-180M-4 – 18.5 kW – 1470 rpm – 180M cast iron

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Browse the motors, ask for a quote: for tea rolling, withering and CTC motors see Buy Electric Motors Online. Send your pre-season spare motor needs with plate photos via WhatsApp or call +90 (542) 666 11 11.

Frequently asked questions

How many kW is a tea rolling machine motor?

It depends on bowl size: catalogues show 0.37 kW for a 25 cm bowl, 2.2 kW for 55 cm and 5.5 kW for 75 cm.

What speed should a withering fan motor have?

In the catalogues we checked the impeller sits on the motor shaft and the motor runs at 1000 rpm, which means a 6-pole motor. Changing speed changes the fan’s air and power.

What determines the price of a tea machine motor?

Motor rating, pole count and frame material; the table is refreshed live from the shop.

For questions: +90 (542) 666 11 11 · info@drgmotor.com · contact.