Small namkeen shops and farsan units making nylon sev by hand—or with undersized presses—cap out at 10–15 kg per hour, produce inconsistent strand thickness from batch to batch, and keep operators physically fatigued by manual pressing for 6–8 hours daily. The real cost shows up on busy days: one operator making sev manually produces 50–60 kg per 8-hour shift; a correctly sized motorized machine processes that same volume in 60–90 minutes, freeing the same person to handle seasoning, frying, or packing.
A nylon sev machine extrudes besan dough through interchangeable jali discs at controlled pressure, delivering uniform 0.5–2 mm strands without breaks or thickness variation. The right motor power, disc set, dough pot size, and build material determine whether your machine handles festive-season surge loads, keeps food contact surfaces hygienic for daily use, and runs without motor failures inside 18 months.
This guide covers machine types, key specifications, capacity matching, build quality, power requirements, and the most common purchase mistakes. You’ll learn how to size a nylon sev machine for current volume and growth, evaluate screw-type versus hydraulic press designs, and select material grades that survive commercial kitchen conditions.
Types of Nylon Sev Machines
Manual and Tabletop Models
Hand-operated presses with screw mechanisms produce 5–15 kg per hour. One person feeds dough into the hopper, turns the handle, and guides extruded strands onto the collection tray. Best for home-based food businesses, sweet shops making small daily batches, and operators testing recipes before scaling up. No electrical dependency makes these units viable in locations with unreliable power supply.
Semi-Automatic Screw-Type Machines
Motor-driven machines (0.5–1.5 HP) with reduction gear drives produce 30–50 kg per hour on single-phase 220V. The operator loads dough into the hopper; the motor drives a screw that pushes dough through the jali disc at constant pressure. Most farsan shops, catering kitchens, and mid-size namkeen units run these models for their balance of output, cost, and ease of maintenance.
Hydraulic Press Machines
Hydraulic systems replace screw drives in high-capacity models (3 HP) designed for large-scale and continuous production. A powered oil tank and hydraulic press push dough with consistent, programmable force—eliminating pressure variation that causes strand thickness to fluctuate mid-batch. These machines handle dense doughs, extended production runs, and premium-grade sev products for regional distribution networks.
Key Specifications to Compare
Motor Power and Phase
- 0.5 HP, single-phase 220V: 30–50 kg/hour, suited for small to mid-size operations
- 1.5 HP, single-phase 220V: 60–80 kg/hour, for commercial namkeen units with daily runs
- 3 HP, single or three-phase: 100–150 kg/hour, for industrial-scale nylon sev lines
Underpowered motors stall on thick or dry dough, overheating windings within 6–12 months of daily use. Buy motor capacity at 120–130% of your peak production need.
Jali Disc Sets
Interchangeable stainless steel extruder discs control strand diameter:
- No. 0 jali: very fine sev (~0.5 mm), used for chaat and bhel mix
- No. 1 jali: standard nylon sev (~1 mm), the most popular size across namkeen markets
- No. 2 jali: thick sev (~2 mm), for gathiya, bhujia, and coarser namkeen blends
Machines with a complete set of 3–5 interchangeable discs give you product range without buying additional equipment.
Dough Pot and Body Material
Stainless steel dough pots (SS304) resist besan starch, survive daily hot-water washing, and meet food-safety norms. Machines with MS (mild steel) dough pots corrode within 12–18 months of daily use when exposed to moisture and gram flour acids. Cylinders and stands in MS with SS plating offer a cost-effective middle ground—structural strength with a hygienic contact surface.
Capacity and Throughput Matching
A single farsan unit selling 80–100 kg of nylon sev daily needs a 1.5 HP machine running two production batches. Running a 0.5 HP machine at 100% load for 8 hours to hit the same target stresses the motor, increases downtime risk, and wears out screw components 40–50% faster than running at 60–70% load.
Festival season demand in Gujarat and Maharashtra spikes 3–5x during Diwali and Navratri for namkeen producers. If your machine runs at 80–90% capacity year-round, one peak week will exhaust it and create order fulfilment gaps when retail buyers need stock most.
Machine Design and Build Quality
Screw Type vs Hydraulic Press
Screw-type machines use a reduction gear to convert motor rotation into linear push force. Consistent for most commercial namkeen applications, easy to maintain, and replacement screws cost ₹1,500–4,000. Hydraulic presses deliver higher and more even force at the die face, reducing disc clogging and strand breakage in stiff-dough recipes. Maintenance requires periodic oil checks and hydraulic seal inspection rather than mechanical screw servicing.
Stand Type and Footprint
Stand-type machines (floor-mounted) handle larger hoppers and higher motors; tabletop units fit compact kitchens and prep counters. A 1.5 HP stand machine measures approximately 50×40×90 cm and weighs 35–50 kg; tabletop 0.5 HP units measure ~30×20×40 cm and weigh 20–25 kg.
Maintenance and Durability
Daily cleaning involves disassembling the extruder disc, hopper, and screw; washing with warm water and mild detergent; and drying before reassembly to prevent rust on non-SS components. The full process takes 10–15 minutes on well-designed machines with tool-free disc removal; models requiring wrench disassembly add 20–30 minutes per shift.
Wear parts and replacement intervals:
- Jali discs: 6–12 months depending on throughput and dough abrasiveness
- Screw and barrel: 12–24 months with daily commercial use
- Motor brushes (if applicable): inspect every 6 months
- Hydraulic seals (hydraulic models): inspect quarterly, replace annually
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Buyers size down to save ₹10,000–15,000 upfront, then replace a burnt-out 0.5 HP motor within 8–10 months—spending ₹8,000–12,000 on repairs and losing 3–5 days of production during downtime. Motor replacement plus lost output costs more than the original price difference between models.
Ignoring material quality creates daily food-safety and maintenance pain. Machines with non-SS dough contact parts discolor besan batches and leach metal odors into product—an invisible problem that surfaces as customer complaints and unsold inventory. Skipping power supply verification before ordering three-phase models causes installation delays of 2–4 weeks while buyers arrange electrical upgrades.
Frequently Asked Questions
What dough consistency works best in a nylon sev machine?
Dough should be stiff enough to hold strand shape but pliable enough to extrude without crumbling. Too wet and strands spread and fuse after extrusion; too dry and the motor stalls or discs clog. A standard ratio of 1 kg besan to 200–250 ml water works for most machines; adjust per jali size.
Can one nylon sev machine produce other namkeen products?
Yes—by swapping extruder discs, the same machine produces bhujia, gathiya, and ratlami sev variants. Some machines include star and flat-shape discs for product diversification beyond nylon sev. Clean thoroughly between disc changes if using different dough blends.
How much electricity does a 1.5 HP nylon sev machine consume?
A 1.5 HP motor draws approximately 1.1 kW; running 4 hours daily consumes ~4.4 kWh. At ₹8–10 per kWh, daily electricity cost runs ₹35–45—negligible against labor savings of ₹200–400 per shift versus manual pressing.
What is the typical price range for commercial nylon sev machines?
Manual models: ₹8,000–15,000; semi-automatic 0.5–1.5 HP screw-type: ₹25,000–60,000; hydraulic 3 HP models: ₹80,000–1,20,000. Price variance reflects motor power, body material grade, and jali set inclusions.
Leenova Kitchen Equipment supplies nylon sev machines built for Indian farsan shops, namkeen factories, and commercial kitchens—stainless steel dough pots, interchangeable jali disc sets, semi-automatic and hydraulic models from 0.5 HP to 3 HP, and single-phase options for locations without industrial power supply.
Visit leenovakitchenequipments.com or contact us for capacity sizing, power supply guidance, and pricing tailored to your daily production volume and product range.