A mid-range workhorse for growing processing lines
Cashew processors who have outgrown a small manual line, but aren’t ready for a full automated cutting hall, tend to land on a 6-head machine. It sits at the midpoint of OUTTURN’s cutting range, sized for a crew of up to six operators working side by side, or fewer operators spread across the stations during quieter shifts. Rated at 120–150 kg/hr of raw cashew nut, it gives a processor a meaningful jump in daily throughput without the floor space, crew size, or capital outlay that an 8-head or larger installation calls for.
How the cutting cycle works
Every OUTTURN cutting machine, regardless of head count, uses the same rotary mechanism. Each of the six heads carries a cup sized to hold a single pre-treated raw cashew nut. As the head assembly turns, each cup passes in sequence through the blade plane, where a fixed, angled blade splits the shell along its natural seam as the cup rotates through it. The cup then continues rotating away from the blade, presenting the cut nut to the operator for kernel extraction, while the next loaded cup is already approaching the cutting position behind it. Because the six stations index continuously instead of stopping and starting, an operator working a station can settle into a steady load-cut-extract rhythm, with the mechanical rotation setting the pace rather than the operator racing a stationary blade.
Extracted kernels move on to peeling, drying, and grading; shell halves are collected separately, since cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) and shell material carry their own resale or fuel value in many processing operations.
Sizing 120–150 kg/hr against a real production plan
Six heads translate to noticeably higher throughput than OUTTURN’s 2- and 4-head machines, without the plant footprint and staffing structure that come with 8 heads or more. When sizing a line, it helps to think in terms of raw nut input per shift rather than the headline capacity figure alone: sustained at 120–150 kg/hr across a typical operating day, a fully staffed 6-head machine processes several hundred kilograms of raw cashew nut, scaling down cleanly if fewer stations are staffed on a given day.
More cutting stations, modest steps in motor size
OUTTURN’s cutting machines span 2 to 12 heads. This 6-head unit runs a 1 HP (0.75 kW) motor, the same one fitted to the 2-, 4- and 8-head machines; only the two largest models step up, to 1.5 HP (1.1 kW) on the 10-head and 2 HP (1.5 kW) on the 12-head. What mainly changes across the lineup is the number of cutting stations rather than the power behind them — the motor’s job is to drive the rotating head assembly, not to add cutting force per station.
That keeps electrical demand modest across the whole range, so a processor stepping up from a 4-head machine to this 6-head model, or later to an 8-head, isn’t rewiring their shed for a heavier power draw — those four models all share the same 1 HP supply requirement, and motors are interchangeable between them. Moving up to a 10- or 12-head machine does mean a larger motor, so it is worth confirming your supply can carry it at that point.
Outturn is a system result, not just a machine spec
The 74% average outturn figure for this model reflects normal operating conditions: properly steamed or roasted RCN, blades kept in good condition, and operators who’ve had time to build cutting rhythm. Outturn on any cutting machine is shaped by more than the equipment itself — moisture content, nut variety, roasting or steaming consistency, and operator technique all move the number up or down. Processors comparing this figure against other equipment should read it as a realistic operating average rather than a fixed guarantee on every batch.