Macadamia Opening Machines

Opening machines — also called crackers — score and split macadamia nut-in-shell to release the kernel. Two settings decide the outcome: the opening angle and the opening diameter. Nuts smaller than the set diameter pass through uncracked, and force applied at the wrong angle tears the kernel instead of releasing it.
Two models cover the range. The NS-X321 Compact is an arc-shaped saw-grooving unit for small-batch and laboratory work. The NS-X322 Industrial runs around 150 kg/h at 6 kW / 380 V, with a controllable opening angle and adjustable diameter so it can be set batch by batch.
The largest single lever on whole-kernel rate is not the machine, however — it is moisture. Nuts should be dried to roughly 1.5% nut-in-shell moisture before cracking. If breakage is high, check moisture and cracking force before considering new equipment. The full settings guide is in how to improve macadamia kernel recovery, or send us your batch data and we will tell you where the loss is coming from. Before you choose a model, read the seven specs that decide cracker performance and the 1.5% moisture target. To see how cracking sits alongside shelling in a full line, read macadamia shelling vs opening machines. Most broken kernels are decided before the nut reaches the cracker: 5 cracking mistakes that break kernels sets out the symptom, the cause and the fix for each.