From cleaning and sorting to dehulling and milling, Bratney brings proven specialty grain processing expertise to every step.
Demand for plant-based proteins continues to create opportunities for processors looking to add value to peas, chickpeas and other pulses. But producing a high-quality ingredient requires more than putting the crop through a mill.
Successful pea protein processing begins with understanding the raw material, the desired finished product and how every processing step affects what comes next.
For decades, Bratney has helped agricultural and food processors turn commodities into higher-value products through innovative processing technology, engineering expertise and complete system integration. That experience matters when entering a specialized market where product purity, consistency and processing efficiency can directly affect profitability.
Whether you're developing a new pea processing operation, expanding an existing facility or evaluating opportunities in specialty grain processing, Bratney has the equipment, technical expertise and industry relationships to help you build the right process.
Step 1: Cleaning and Sorting Peas
Quality processing starts with quality raw material.
Before peas can be dehulled or milled, unwanted material must be identified and removed. A properly designed pea cleaning and sorting system can remove foreign material and impurities while helping create a more uniform product stream for downstream processing.
Depending on the incoming crop and finished-product requirements, the process may incorporate multiple cleaning, sizing and sorting technologies.
The objective isn't simply cleaner peas. Consistent incoming material helps downstream equipment operate more effectively and establishes the foundation for a higher-quality finished ingredient.
Bratney can evaluate the application and help integrate the appropriate cleaning and sorting technologies into a complete pulse processing system.
Step 2: Dehulling for Improved Protein Purity
For pea protein applications, removing the outer hull is a critical processing step. Pea hulls contain a significant portion of the crop's fiber. Effective pea dehulling reduces that fiber before milling, helping processors produce material better suited for downstream protein separation and concentration.
But dehulling performance isn't just about removing the hull.
The system must balance effective separation with product recovery and consistent throughput. Equipment selection, preparation and integration all influence performance.
Bratney's specialty processing experience helps customers evaluate these variables as part of the entire process rather than treating dehulling as an isolated operation.
Step 3: Milling Peas for Efficient Extraction
Once cleaned and dehulled, peas can be milled into a fine flour for further processing.
Particle size and consistency matter. Effective pea milling creates a fine, uniform pea flour that can improve the efficiency of subsequent separation and extraction processes.
The milling system must therefore be designed around more than capacity alone. Finished particle characteristics, upstream preparation, material handling and downstream requirements all need to work together.
That's where a systems approach becomes particularly valuable.
Rather than selecting individual pieces of pea processing equipment independently, Bratney can help processors consider the complete flow: from receiving raw peas through cleaning, sorting, dehulling and milling.
Beyond Peas: Processing Chickpeas and Other Specialty Crops
Many of the same principles extend beyond peas.
Chickpea processing, pulse processing and other specialty grain applications require careful consideration of incoming product characteristics, desired finished specifications and downstream markets.
As consumer demand creates opportunities for new ingredients and value-added products, processors need systems capable of producing consistent quality while maintaining operational efficiency.
Bratney combines specialized equipment with process engineering and integration expertise, including design and construction, to help customers evaluate those opportunities and develop solutions around their specific products and goals with a one-stop shop resource they can trust.
Experience Matters in Specialty Grain Processing
Entering a new processing market can represent a significant investment. Equipment performance matters, but so do system design, integration, construction, commissioning and long-term support.
That's where Bratney's approach is different.
Customers have trusted Bratney for generations because we don't simply sell equipment. We work to understand the process, identify the right technologies and bring the pieces together into a solution designed to perform.
From a single processing step to a complete turnkey facility, Bratney provides the equipment, engineering expertise, construction capabilities and after-sales support necessary to take projects from concept through production.
If you're exploring, expanding or refining pea protein processing, chickpea processing or another specialty grain opportunity, let’s talk about what's possible.
Bring us the opportunity. We'll help you engineer the process.
