Why invest in small scale palm oil manufacturing mill? More and more small palm oil extraction factory are constructed in the local countryside to break transporting restrictions of palm fruits. Poor road networks in the rural areas affect transportation of FFBs from the palm plantations or farms to palm fruits processing plants. Placement of processing plants near the farms also reduces production cost and postharvest losses that may occur through fruit spoilage.
The prime electric power should be considered before building a small palm oil mill or starting your palm oil manufacturing business. Most villages rely on diesel-powered engines as the main source of power. The diesel-powered engines may be used to produce electricity to run different operation units in palm oil production plant. The number of operation units relies on the power needed to run them.
Process of Small Palm Oil Mill Plant
- Bunch Reception
Processing of palm oil fruits starts by bunch reception. Palm Fruit Bunches Reception involves receiving freshly cut fruits from the field. The fruits may be in form of bunches or at times loose fruits. At the bunch reception point the fruits are carefully emptied into wooden boxes which help in weighing on a weighing scale .The use of weighbridges make work easier and efficient especially if the fruits are carried in trucks and in large installations.
The fruit bunches received are then threshed manually by removing the spikelets which are fruit-laden from the bunch stem. The spikelets are cut from the bunch stem with a machete then the fruits are separated by hand.
- Sterilization
Sterilization of the threshed fruits is done by cooking the fruits in water. This is mostly done in small-scale processing mills which can not generate their own steam. During the cooking process most of the water is absorbed by the whole bunches .While heating the bunches, high-pressure steam heating is recommended because it is reduces water loss. Sterilization using high-pressure system usually thresh the bunches after fruits are cooked. On the other hand, operations that are small scale, the fruits are threshed prior being cooked.
- Digestion
Digestion of the palm fruit comes after sterilization. Digestion is a process involving rupture of cells that are responsible for bearing oil. The digester that is commonly used for this stage is coupled with a shaft enclosed in a cylindrical vessel that is steam heated. The shaft has stirring arms that ensure proper pounding of the fruit. Steam injections and heat insulations, which help in maintaining contents in the digesters during elevated temperatures are not fitted in small scale digesters due to maintenance and cost issues.
- Oil Extracion (Small Palm Oil Screw Press)
Extraction of the oil is then done after digestion of the fruits. Extraction can be done using two methods that are the ‘dry’ method and ‘wet’ method. The dry method involves the use of mechanical presses while the wet method uses hot water, which leaches oil out. Welcome contact us for cost of palm oil processing machine.
- Clarification
The process of palm oil clarification follows extraction. This process involves separation of the impurities from the pure oil. The extract is comprised of water, debris and other fibrous material. Wastewater is achieved from the clarifier as waste and is later led into a nearby sludge pit. In small mills the sludge that accumulates is not treated, it is collected in buckets and used as a herbicides to kill weeds around the area where processing takes place.
- Storage
Storage of the processed palm oil is the final step of the process. In this step, the small scale mills pack the oil that has dried in used plastic drums and stored in warm temperature.
The final quality of palm oil manufactured by small palm oil processing equipment is key especially when determining the price. The quality of palm oil extracted is influenced by different factors. Some of the factors affecting the composition and quality of palm oil may be genetic make up of the plant, environmental conditions, the technique of harvesting and transportation and fruit handling.
