Hemp micro-decorticator unveiled by Latvian entrepreneur

Source: hemptoday.net



The HurdMaster Micro Decorticator, a small-scale fiber processing unit designed by Latvian entrepreneur Kristaps Eglitas, was unveiled today at HempToday’s Hemp Machines & Technology Summit.

The machine is designed for flower and seed growers who want to monetize leftover fiber from their harvests, Eglitis said. It is intended for farms of 2-5 hectares (about 6-10 acres).

Hemp stakeholders from 12 countries attended the Summit at HempToday Center in Poland.
“We’re getting excellent hurds for hempcrete,” Eglitis told attendees at the Summit before demonstrating the sleek, boxy, stainlesss-steel unit, which is small enough to fit in a car. “We processed some fiber to insulate my own house which we’re now working on, and the hurds’ performance in the mix was excellent,” Eglitis said.

Orders begin in July

Orders for the purchase of the HurdMaster will begin in late July, Eglitis said, with delivery two months from the order date. He expects to ship the first machines in September.

The HurdMaster was inspired in part by Eglitis’ research of a decorticator project started by Australian-Latvian Voldemars Cirulis, who built a much bigger machine while living in Australia in the early 2000s.

Eglitis designed the HurdMaster with help from a student at Latvian Technical University after intense research on decortiation technology.

He eventually bought the machine from Cirulis and studied its components and how it functions – research he said was critical in the design process.

Engineering collaboration

Eglitis, who designs and builds metal interior features such as staircases, has worked in metal constrution for more than 20 years.

He is collaborating with Peruza (peruza.com/products) a leading manufacturer of machinery for fish processing, developing engineering enhancements that will reduce the HurdMaster’s weight while boosting efficiency. While Eglitis is satisfied with hurd quality turned out by the machine, planned adjustments to improve the quality of technical fiber output are still being worked out, he said. Plans are in the works to build a bigger model decorticator as well, Eglitis said.

Just last month, Eglitis secured an EU grant he’ll use to build an engineering building, he said.
While Eglitis has now lost contact with Cirulis, 96, who is blind and infirm, he knows the old inventor would be proud. “Voldemars would be happy to see that his work has inspired me to move forward,” Eglitis said.