Tea processing
Sunyoung EF-40 / EF-40G Tea Air Sorters
Sunyoung's EF-40 and EF-40G air sorters split tea into lighter and heavier fractions, for primary or refined processing. Both rows list 250–400 kg/h. The 40 has a 1.5 kW motor and measures 3630 × 565 × 1685 mm; the 40G has 0.8 kW and measures 4348 × 560 × 2688 mm. The brochure prints the same figures as 6CEF-40 and 6CEF-40G. Sunyoung says the machines remove more than 90% of yellow leaves and fines. Confirm the model name with Sunyoung, then judge the machine on a weighed trial with your own tea that measures both removal and good-leaf recovery.
Zhejiang Sunyoung Machinery Co., Ltd. ↗
Build my procurement briefEF-40 or 6CEF-40: one name for the order
The website table names the machines EF-40 and EF-40G. Printed page 32 of the brochure names them 6CEF-40 and 6CEF-40G. Power, rate and dimensions are the same in both, and neither document explains the prefix.
Ask Sunyoung for the current nameplate model, its specification sheet and the configuration supplied. Also ask what the G suffix stands for, whether a higher grade, more output, optical sorting or automatic adjustment. Treat the four names as two machines until Sunyoung says otherwise.
Same rate, different motor and footprint
Both rows give 250–400 kg/h. The 40G has the smaller motor and the bigger body, so compare separation quality, energy per kilogram and installed space on the actual builds.
| Row | Check for your site |
|---|---|
| 40: 1.5 kW; 3630 × 565 × 1685 mm | Feed and discharge heights, controls and service access on the build quoted. |
| 40G: 0.8 kW; 4348 × 560 × 2688 mm | Ceiling height and loading access for the taller machine, and whether an elevator or special controls come with it. |
| Size difference, calculated | The 40G is 718 mm longer and 1003 mm taller, and 5 mm narrower. Simple subtraction from the listed sizes. |
| Shared 250–400 kg/h range | Ask for the leaf condition, setting and separation result that go with the rate. |
Removal, recovery and what is left in the good tea
Sunyoung states that the sorter removes more than 90% of yellow leaves and fines. The page gives no definition of those categories, no weighing method, no split between yellow leaf and fines, and no figure for good tea lost to the reject outlet. You cannot read the quality of the accepted tea from it.
Define the unwanted categories and the sampling plan before any trial. Weigh the feed and every outlet, then sort each stream into unwanted and usable material. Report three numbers: share of unwanted material removed, share of good tea recovered, and unwanted material left in the accepted stream. A heavy reject pile can simply mean good tea is being thrown out. The withering-to-drying steps that produce the leaf you feed in are set out in our tea processing machinery by stage guide.
Worked example: reading a sorter trial
These figures are invented to show the arithmetic. They are neither Sunyoung test data nor a suggested acceptance target. Take 100 kg of feed holding 20 kg of defined unwanted material and 80 kg of good tea. The reject outlet collects 18 kg, made up of 16 kg unwanted material and 2 kg good tea.
| Measure | Calculation and meaning |
|---|---|
| Unwanted-material removal | 16 ÷ 20 = 80%, the share of the original unwanted material taken out. |
| Good-tea recovery | 78 ÷ 80 = 97.5%. The 2 kg of good tea in the rejects is a loss counted on its own. |
| Unwanted material left in accepted tea | 4 ÷ 82 ≈ 4.88% by mass, since the accepted stream holds 78 kg good tea and 4 kg unwanted. |
| Reject share of the feed | 18 ÷ 100 = 18%, a different number from both removal and recovery. |
Sources [1]
Published specifications
Read each value with its stated conditions, and ask the manufacturer for any limit not listed here.
| Specification | Published value | Meaning / limit |
|---|---|---|
| Names on web and brochure | EF-40 / EF-40G versus 6CEF-40 / 6CEF-40G [2] [3] | Figures match across both. Ask which name appears on the nameplate and current specification. |
| Motor power, 40 / 40G | 1.5 / 0.8 kW [2] [3] | Drive ratings from the catalogue. Energy per kilogram comes from a measured run. |
| Processing rate | 250–400 kg/h for each row [2] [3] | Ask for the leaf condition, feed setting and accepted-product result behind the range. |
| EF-40 size | 3630 × 565 × 1685 mm [2] [3] | Whole-machine size. Hopper, outlet and working clearances come on the drawing. |
| EF-40G size | 4348 × 560 × 2688 mm [2] [3] | Longer and taller than the 40 for the same rate range. |
| How it separates | Tea separated by lightness/heaviness [1] [3] | Air separation by weight for primary and refined tea. Sunyoung lists no optical or camera system. |
| Yellow-leaf and fines removal | Sunyoung figure: more than 90% [1] [3] | Published without sampling method, starting mix or good-leaf recovery. Set your own figure for acceptance. |
Trial with the tea you will actually sort
Sunyoung names primary and refined processing as uses but gives no limits for moisture, leaf shape, fines content or feed evenness. A clean, easy sample will tell you little, so test your real material. For cooling and wind selection straight after fixation, Sunyoung's brochure shows a separate machine, the 6CEF-40H module.
Describe the feed
Tea type, processing stage, condition, the mix of whole leaf and fragments, and how lots vary. Ask Sunyoung which conditions the chosen build handles.
Name the outlets
Get the real outlet layout and mark where accepted, rejected and any rework material goes.
Measure rate and separation together
Log the feed setting and running time, then collect and weigh every stream with the agreed method, checking recovery as well as removal.
Repeat on the harder lots
Run the agreed range of material, including difficult lots, and record the model name, build and settings with each result.
Buyer questions
Does more than 90% removal mean the sorted tea is 90% pure?
Removal, purity of the accepted tea and good-tea recovery are three separate numbers. Sunyoung's figure comes without the test data needed to work out the other two, so measure them in a trial. [1] [3]
Is the EF-40G an optical colour sorter?
Sunyoung describes separation by lightness and heaviness and names no camera or optical system. Ask directly if you need colour sorting. [1] [2] [3] [4]
Air, cleaning, dust and site details to request
Sunyoung's photo shows a sorter with a feed area, a control box and separate discharge points. The model cannot be read from it and the internal air path is hidden, so work from the drawing and manual for the quoted machine. If sorted tea moves on by belt or lift, the 6CS conveyors and elevators belong to the same Sunyoung tea processing range.
| Detail | Ask Sunyoung for |
|---|---|
| Air and adjustment | Airflow layout, setting range and operating instructions, plus fan speed, pressure and air volume. |
| Leaf path and outlets | Leaf-contact materials, outlet drawings and how rework is handled, including any stainless grade or screen size. |
| Cleaning and dust | Cleaning access and method, any dust extraction or air connection needed, and related certificates if held. |
| Power and placement | Voltage and frequency, controls and protection, delivered weight, fixing method and clearances around the body. |
| Service and acceptance | The manual for your model, wear-part numbers and a written trial record tied to the delivered build. |
Prepare a model-specific brief
Write your actual conditions below. This local worksheet is not sent, uploaded or saved after reload. Copy or print it before leaving.
Sources
Specifications come from the manufacturer's publications listed below, with the date each was checked.
- Official Sunyoung tea-air-sorter entry
manufacturer · Checked 2026-10-11
What the sorter is for, where it is used, and the more-than-90% removal figure.
- Complete official EF-40 / EF-40G parameter image
manufacturer · Checked 2026-10-11
Motor power, hourly rate range and overall dimensions for both rows.
- Official Sunyoung brochure, printed page 32
manufacturer · Checked 2026-10-11
The same figures listed under the names 6CEF-40 and 6CEF-40G.
- Official tea-air-sorter family photograph
manufacturer · Checked 2026-10-11
Photo of the sorter showing feed area, control box and discharge points; model not legible.
Report a correction through our contact form, quoting EF-40 / EF-40G (6CEF-40 / 6CEF-40G) and the relevant specification.