Uncapping machine FRAGUS Delta type

01 · FROM 400 TO 1,300 FRAMES AN HOUR

The variator decides, and the bottleneck is downstream

The three-groove cone-and-pulley variator lets you work between 400 frames/hour at the low end and 1,300 at the top, with around 820 as a realistic working speed.

Worth putting in context: at 820 frames/hour the uncapper is not the bottleneck of any honey house that is not industrial. The limit is set by the extractor and by how fast you change loads, not by the cutting machine.

02 · 2.4 KW IN THE BLADES ALONE

And that has to be checked before installing it

The blade heaters are 1,200 W each: two blades, 2,400 W. The 0.50 hp motor adds a little over 370 W, so the whole thing asks for around 2.8 kW.

On 220 V single phase that is about 13 A, which eats most of a 16 A domestic circuit. If the honey house is a unit with a generous installation, no concern; if it is a small premises, check the board before the machine arrives. There is a 380 V version.

03 · THE BLADE MELTS WAX, NOT HONEY

That is what the adjustable thermostat is for

The blade has to sit above the melting point of wax — 62 to 65 °C — to cut cleanly instead of dragging. But only above it: going further darkens the cappings, which are first-quality wax, and heats the honey right at the cut surface.

Hence a thermostat that adjusts rather than a fixed setting. The house reference is simple: honey should not go past 40 °C if you want to keep the enzyme profile and not drive up HMF, and contact with the blade is brief precisely so that does not happen.

04 · AISI 316, NOT 304

The marine grade, a step above the usual

The machine is built in AISI 316 stainless, the molybdenum grade: it stands up to chloride corrosion better than the 304 usual in beekeeping machinery. In an environment of honey, steam and repeated washing, it shows in service life.

Blade edges and gears are hardened steel, and the reducer is worm-and-wheel with ground teeth. It has a dry multi-disc safety clutch — the mechanical fuse if a frame jams — and a control switch with reverse, so you can clear a jam without dismantling.

05 · SWAPPABLE DRIVE BARS

Without taking the chain off the machine

The bars are bolted to the chain with steel fasteners, so they go on and off without removing the chain. It is the detail that separates a machine you service in season from one that goes to the workshop each time.

The chain is 5/8 × 3/8 stainless roller. It takes Langstroth, Dadant and half-super frames.

06 · BEFORE YOU BUY

Honey-house machinery with its own installation.