Vacuum Frying Technology

Vacuum Frying Machines

Vacuum frying is a refined method of conventional frying that operates under low pressure and low temperature, making it a superior and healthier alternative to open frying. The LOCUS LTVFM range fries at around 100°C under 720–760 mmHg vacuum — retaining up to 99.99% of nutrients, keeping natural colour and texture intact, and cutting oil absorption by up to 50% compared to atmospheric frying.

4 Models
15–75kg Batch Range
~100°C Frying Temp.
99.99% Nutrients Retained
LOCUS LTVFM vacuum frying machine skid unit
LOCUS LTVFM vacuum frying machine, single-tank skid-mounted unit with viewing window and pressure gauge
LTVFM skid-mounted unit with viewing window & pressure gauge
LOCUS LTVFM vacuum frying machine with oil filtration tank, vacuum pump and PLC touchscreen control panel
Full LTVFM skid with oil filtration, vacuum pump & touchscreen control panel
Why Vacuum Frying

Vacuum frying vs. open frying

Because vacuum frying avoids excessive darkening or scorching, it can fry high-sugar fruits and fresh vegetables — such as jackfruit, ripe banana, okra and bitter gourd — into crisp snacks that open frying cannot produce.

  • Frying temperature stays around 100°C (vs. 180–220°C in open frying), so essential ingredients don't burn
  • Nutrients and vitamins remain intact up to 99.99%, compared to 50%+ degradation in open frying
  • Natural fibres remain intact up to 100%, versus near-total fibre destruction in open frying
  • Oil absorption is reduced by up to 50% compared to normal frying
  • No oxygen in the chamber means no oxidation of oil or minerals, and up to 94% less acrylamide formation
  • Shape, colour and texture stay close to the original, with degradation occurring around 50% slower than open frying

Vacuum frying, by the numbers

100°C vs. 180–220°C open frying
99.99% Nutrients & vitamins retained
-50% Oil absorption vs. open frying
-94% Less acrylamide formation
Machine Architecture

What's inside a LOCUS LTVFM vacuum fryer?

Every LTVFM machine is built around the same core systems, sized differently across the range — from the pilot-scale LTVFM-15 to the production-scale LTVFM-75.

Pneumatic lifting cylinder

Baskets are held suspended above the heated oil and only lowered in once the required vacuum and temperature are reached — no manual dipping.

SS304 vacuum frying chamber

All sheet metal and piping is SS304 stainless steel, sized per model and rated to hold vacuum at 550–750 mmHg through the full frying cycle.

Oil strainer & buffer storage tank

Frying oil is continuously filtered and buffered, keeping oil quality consistent across batches and extending oil life.

Integrated de-oiling centrifuge

A dedicated centrifuge motor spins out residual surface oil immediately after frying, right on the same skid as the fryer.

PLC & touchscreen control

A live status screen shows chamber, oil-tank and centrifuge conditions in real time, with preset recipes for temperature, vacuum level and cycle time.

Heat exchanger & cooling tower

A closed-loop cooling tower and condensate tank support the vacuum pump and heat exchanger, keeping process water within working temperature.

Cashew & nut snacks

Each LTVFM model is rated for a specific nut input capacity per batch — from 15 kg on the LTVFM-15 up to 75 kg on the LTVFM-75 — for crisp, low-oil roasted cashew and nut snacks.

Fruit & vegetable chips

The same machine handles jackfruit, ripe banana, okra and bitter gourd, with input capacities defined per model — ideal for high-sugar fruits that scorch under open frying.

Process

How LTVFM vacuum frying works

  • 1

    Raw material is loaded into perforated baskets, each filled to about one-third or one-quarter of drum capacity, and placed on the platform inside the frying chamber.

  • 2

    Once the door is sealed, the machine runs automatically: baskets stay suspended above the heated oil until the chamber reaches its preset vacuum level (approximately 720–760 mmHg) and temperature.

  • 3

    The baskets are then lowered into the oil to fry. When the preset frying time ends, they're automatically lifted out, the vacuum is released, and the chamber door opens.

  • 4

    The operator transfers the baskets to the integrated centrifuge for de-oiling, after which the product moves on to flavouring and packaging.

LOCUS LTVFM vacuum frying machine labeled diagram showing pneumatic lifting cylinder, vacuum frying chamber, oil strainer, de-oiling centrifuge, cooling tower, heat exchanger and vacuum pump
LOCUS LTVFM Delta touchscreen PLC main screen showing live oil temperature, vacuum pump and centrifuge status

Live status on every batch

The Delta touchscreen main screen shows oil temperature, water cooling temperature, vacuum pump, water pump, deoiling motor and batch count in real time, with one-tap access to alarms and the live status screen.

Model Range

LTVFM model range & specifications

Four batch sizes, each with its own vacuum pump, oil capacity and basket configuration. All models share SS304 construction, a PLC touchscreen control panel, and a choice of gas-fired or electrical heating.

Specification LTVFM-15 LTVFM-25 LTVFM-50 LTVFM-75
Frying tank (D×H×T) 800 × 1,000 × 5 mm 900 × 850 × 5 mm 1,050 × 1,600 × 5 mm 1,450 × 1,800 × 5 mm
Vacuum pump 2 HP, 550 mmHg 5 HP, 750 mmHg 7.5 HP, 750 mmHg 10 HP, 750 mmHg
Frying oil capacity 150 litres 300 litres 400 litres 500 litres
Basket sets 600 × 400 mm (2 sets) 351 × 500 mm (8 sets) 451 × 550 mm (8 sets) 451 × 650 mm (12 sets)
De-oil centrifuge motor 1 HP 3 HP 3 HP 3 HP
Nuts / cashew per batch 15 kg 25 kg 50 kg 75 kg
Jackfruit / ripe banana per batch 10–12 kg 22–25 kg 45–50 kg 70–75 kg
Okra / bitter gourd per batch 5–7 kg 12–15 kg 25–28 kg 45–48 kg
Heating system Gas-fired / electrical Gas-fired / electrical Gas-fired / boiler steam Gas-fired / boiler steam
Control PLC with touchscreen control panel, SS304 sheet metal & piping, MS foundation stand

Complete vacuum frying lines can also include a hot water blanching tank, steamer chamber, ripe banana cutting machine, refrigerated water cooling tank, fruit & vegetable washer, flavouring drum, inspection conveyor and band sealing packaging machine — plus a cooling tower and boiler sized to run multiple LTVFM units.

Complete Line

Complete vacuum frying line equipment

Beyond the LTVFM fryer itself, LOCUS supplies the full set of upstream and downstream machines needed to run a complete vacuum-fried snack line.

Hot water blanching tank for vegetables and nuts

Hot Water Blanching Tank

Electric heating with coil & jacketing, SS304, 100 L capacity, wire mesh lifting baskets.

Steamer chamber for root vegetables

Steamer Chamber

10-tray electric steamer for root vegetables like beetroot, SS304, 50 kg/batch capacity.

Ripe banana cutting machine

Ripe Banana Cutting Machine

1,500 bananas/hour, vertical blade slicing, VFD-controlled food-grade belt.

Refrigerated water cooling tank for ripe banana

Refrigerated Cooling Tank

Maintains 5–10°C, 50 L water holding capacity, SS304, used for ripe banana prep.

SS304 fruit and vegetable washer

Fruit & Vegetable Washer

500 L soaking tank, cleaning water nozzles, modular belt elevator, SS304.

Blast freezer for vegetables and fruits

Blast Freezer

+65 to −18°C shock freezing in 250 min, 40 GN 1/1 tray capacity, R404a refrigerant.

Flavoring machine with rotating drum

Flavoring Drum

Unique rotating drum design minimises breakage, VFD-controlled rotary speed, SS304.

Food grade horizontal inspection conveyor

Inspection Conveyor

6 m food-grade belt with variable speed control for manual quality checks before packing.

Continuous band sealing packaging machine

Band Sealing Packer

Continuous band sealer with adjustable temperature control, table-top horizontal model.

FRP cooling tower for vacuum frying machine

FRP Cooling Tower

FRP basin with ABS fills, installed outdoors to keep vacuum pump cooling water temperature down.

Wood-fired horizontal steam boiler

Wood-Fired Steam Boiler

IBR-approved, 500 kg/hr at 7 kg/cm² working pressure — supports heating for up to 3 LTVFM-75 units.

LOCUS engineering and service team
Support

24/7 Service & Support

From installation and commissioning to spare parts and troubleshooting, our engineering team supports your LTVFM line throughout its working life — so your frying line keeps running at its rated capacity.

Talk To Our Engineers Download Vacuum Frying Brochure