Development of a propolis collecting device

Propolis is a sticky resinous substance collected from buds, leaves, stems of wild plants and processed by bees, which has bactericidal properties and which they use to seal openings in the hive, polish the walls of wax cells, embalm the corpses of enemies. The analysis of research and publications gives grounds to conclude that Ukraine has not yet paid sufficient attention to the conditions of propolis production. There are no devices and equipment to improve the process of production of safe and high-quality propolis, which will meet the high requirements of regulatory acts on the quality and safety of food products and raw materials. Currently, apiaries use methods of collecting propolis, which require considerable human labor, are not economically efficient, and the resulting product does not meet the quality requirements of market operators. Therefore, there is a need to improve existing technologies for obtaining propolis, to improve sanitary-hygienic conditions of production, to increase productivity and economic efficiency, mechanization, and automation of the production process. The goal of our work was to develop a new propolis collecting device. The work was carried out as a part of the dissertation research at the Department of Standardization and Certification of Agricultural Products of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine during 2020–2021. A new propolis collecting device has been designed and manufactured. The design of the device shafts and the principle of mechanical cleaning of the grids from the propolis, laid down during its development, can be used to develop highly automated lines for cleaning the grids. The use of the device in industrial apiaries in countries with tropical and subtropical climates is possible by placing the device in honeycomb storage, if available, or in a manufacturing area equipped with air conditioning. For a good cleaning of the grids with propolis using the device, it is sufficient to cool the grids at a temperature of +5 °C for 60–90 minutes, depending on the type of propolis. The device can be used at apiaries in Ukraine and other countries where the production of propolis from bee colonies is carried out using elastic grids. The use of the device ensures the production of pure propolis without mechanical impurities, which meets the requirements of current legislation. The developed device is patented, a patent № 139736 “Propolis collecting device”.
#propolis #прополис #ukraine