The modern oil and fat industry is characterized by the transition to full automation and maximum energy efficiency. The use of integrated lines from world leaders such as CPM, Rotex and HF allows for a consistently high oil yield with minimal energy consumption. The basis of success is the synergy of specialized equipment at each stage: from primary seed cleaning to granulation of production waste.
The process of cleaning and separating raw materials is one of the first and most important stages in the production of vegetable oil. Cleaning seeds from various impurities – dust, plant residues, stones, skins, sand particles – is critically important for subsequent successful pressing or oil extraction.
Rotex technologies have gained recognition due to their efficiency and reliability in cleaning grain raw materials. In this context, the most common models are MEGATEX Grain Cleaner, Apex and Rotex, which are used to process various types of seeds.
Rotex Industrial Separator is an industrial separator that has become the industry standard in the oil and fat industry due to its reliability, accuracy and versatility. Equipped with an automatic screen tensioning system and effective screen cleaning with balls, this separator ensures consistent oil quality, minimizes raw material losses and reduces rejects of suitable material. Rotex is used in the most difficult conditions and is a reliable choice for seed cleaning in vegetable oil production processes.
Apex Industrial Screener is a new generation of gyroscopic screeners that is characterized by high separation accuracy, efficiency and an intuitive design for easy maintenance. With improved access to the screens and trays, allowing one-man maintenance of the equipment, downtime is reduced and production safety is increased. The Apex is ideal for separating impurities from seeds before further processing in oil extraction or pressing processes.
MEGATEX Grain Cleaner uses multi-layer screening technology, which ensures the effective separation of light impurities, dust and other unwanted particles from seeds entering the oil and fat production. This device is ideal for quickly sorting and cleaning raw materials according to various parameters, such as size, weight or density of particles. MEGATEX has a high throughput and ensures consistent product quality, minimizes raw material losses and increases the efficiency of the production process in the oil and fat industry.
The stage of preparation and conditioning of oilseeds is decisive for the efficiency of pressing and extraction of vegetable oil. Properly selected equipment allows you to optimize the structure of the material, improve oil yield and reduce fat losses. Solutions from CPM (California Pellet Mill) and HF Group are widely used in the oil and fat industry due to their reliability, high productivity and stable processing quality.
Raw material preparation begins with raw material grinding. Cracking Mills are designed for grinding oilseeds (sunflower, soybean, rapeseed) before flattening and heat treatment. The equipment provides controlled destruction of the shell with minimal damage to the kernel, which creates optimal conditions for further oil extraction. Uniformity of splitting increases the efficiency of conditioning and stability of the operation of presses and extraction systems. The use of cooled cast iron rollers and self-aligning bearings ensures a long service life and minimal maintenance costs.
In order for the solvent or press to easily “get” the oil, the raw material needs to be turned into a thin film, so CPM Flaking Mills are used in the future. This is a high-performance equipment specially designed for pressing/flattening oilseeds (and other grain materials), which guarantees uniform thickness and quality of flakes. Equipped with centrifugally cast iron rollers, a solid base to reduce vibrations, double spherical bearings and a roller feeder with a separate drive.
The final stage is the “softening” of the raw material. This is where HF Conditioners come into play, which are an integral part of technological lines for preparing oilseeds for pressing or extraction. Their main task is to ensure the optimal combination of humidity and temperature, which helps to increase the efficiency of further oil extraction and improve the quality of the final product. Thanks to sophisticated heating and mixing systems, the equipment guarantees uniform heat treatment of even large volumes of raw material. The use of rotary and drum conditioners allows you to increase oil yield, reduce the load on the presses, and ensure the stability of the entire production process.
The extraction and pressing stage is key in the production of vegetable oil, as it is at this stage that the fat is directly extracted from the prepared raw material. Depending on the chosen technological scheme, mechanical pressing, solvent extraction or a combination of both are used. Modern solutions from HF and Lurgi ensure high efficiency, stable product quality and economic feasibility of production.
The first stage of pressing oil from already prepared raw materials is mechanical pressing using screw presses from HF. The principle of their operation is based on the gradual compaction of the material along the screw, which creates high pressure and ensures the separation of the oil from the solid phase. Such presses are widely used for the production of crude oil and pre-pressing before extraction.
For Kyiv-Atlantic Ukraine LLC, in order to increase the productivity and stability of the sunflower and rapeseed processing line, a project was implemented to implement a high-quality and reliable HF Press + LipidTech screw oil press in combination with an Ilchmann dosing feeder. The implemented solution ensured a uniform supply of raw materials, optimal pressing modes and increased oil yield, which positively affected the overall efficiency of production.
After pressing, the cake needs to stabilize its physical and chemical parameters before further extraction. For this purpose, dryer-coolers are used, which are designed for effective thermal treatment of flattened raw materials. Due to the design with increased strength, the equipment ensures reliable and stable operation even in the most difficult production conditions. The modular system allows you to use the machine not only as a dryer or cooler, but also flexibly adapt it to the specific needs of the enterprise due to various loading options, heat exchangers and air exhaust.
To obtain maximum production, the cake (or specially prepared flakes) after the press and dryer is sent for extraction. Lurgi extraction technologies are the world standard in industrial extraction of vegetable oil using solvents (hexane). The extraction process allows you to extract the most oil from the cake remaining after mechanical pressing or directly after flattening the raw materials. The technology includes raw material preparation, continuous extraction in the Lurgi Sliding Cell Extractor (SC Extractor 3.0), distillation of mistel, and complete recovery of the solvent. Due to optimal contact between the flakes and the solvent, high efficiency of oil extraction is achieved with minimal losses.
JJ-Lurgi solutions are complemented by highly efficient DTDC (solvent separation, evaporation, drying and cooling) systems that ensure low residual hexane content, energy efficiency of the process and compliance with modern safety and environmental requirements.
The efficient operation of an oil and fat plant is impossible without reliable transport systems that ensure continuous and gentle movement of raw materials and processed products between technological stages. Ilchmann equipment is widely used in the oil and fat industry due to its high reliability, flexibility of configurations and careful transportation of seeds and meal.
The processing process often begins with lifting the seeds to the upper tiers for cleaning or loading into bunkers. In such cases, bucket elevators are used, which are designed for vertical transportation of oilseeds, meal and other bulk materials. The design of Ilchmann elevators ensures a stable product supply with minimal particle damage and low dust generation. This is especially important for fast and safe product movement to a considerable height while preserving the structure of the raw material.
Chain and screw conveyors are used for horizontal or inclined movement of raw materials and processed products. They ensure uniform material movement, gentle handling of meal and seeds and minimal losses during transportation. Ilchmann conveyors are easily integrated into process lines and can operate continuously even in difficult production conditions.
For LLC “LAN-OIL” in accordance with the individual technical specifications and developed drawings, an inclined chain conveyor was manufactured and delivered. According to the approved application of the Customer, the specialists of the company Quiplines installed an inclined conveyor of the ILCHMANN Fördertechnik GmbH i-TKF type. The product lifting height is 12 m, which ensured efficient transportation of raw materials within the production line and optimization of the company’s logistics.
The pelleting process is the final stage of processing by-products (meal, cake and husk), which converts loose raw materials into dense pellets. This significantly improves the logistical properties of the product, reduces dust formation and increases its market value.
CPM pellet mills are high-performance equipment for converting by-products of oil and fat production (for example, meal, cake or other crushed raw materials) into compact granules. Such a pellet mill provides stable compaction of fibrous raw materials, the formation of homogeneous pellets and high process productivity. The pelleting process increases the density of the material, facilitates its storage, transportation and further use as feed additives, biofuel or raw materials for other technological processes.
Our service team, Quiplines, as the official representative of the CPM brand, participated in the implementation of a project to introduce equipment for pelleting meal at the enterprise LLC “Elevator Bud Invest” (Adampol town).
The pelletizing process takes place at high temperatures due to friction and steam. In order for the pellets to gain the necessary strength and be able to be stored for a long time without mold, they must be cooled to a temperature that is only 5 °C above ambient temperature.
Geelen Counterflow systems are considered the most effective in the oilseed industry for stabilizing pelletized products after the pressing process. They provide effective cooling by passing cold air in a countercurrent to the downward moving product, thanks to which the pellets retain their shape, strength and nutritional properties.
After the cooling process is complete, the pellets undergo a critical final screening stage using Rotex screeners. This stage effectively separates the fine fraction – ungranulated dust and small particles (“fines”) – from the finished pellets. Rotex screeners ensure consistent product quality and high efficiency of the cleaning process.
Modern vegetable oil production is a high-tech process where every node affects the final profitability. The use of advanced equipment from market leaders such as CPM, Rotex, HF, Ilchmann, JJ-Lurgi and Geelen Counterflow allows not only to minimize oil losses, but also to significantly extend the service life of the entire line due to the reliability of each part. Investments in original spare parts such as precision bearings and high-quality planetary gears are a reliable foundation for a stable business.
Do you want to modernize your production?
If you are striving to increase the yield of finished products, reduce energy costs and ensure the smooth operation of your equipment 24/7, we are ready to become your reliable partner in the world of engineering solutions.
We offer:
– Professional equipment selection: analysis of your needs and selection of optimal models – from powerful HF presses and JJ-Lurgi extractors to high-precision Rotex sieves.
– Integration into existing lines: expert advice on implementing new Ilchmann transport systems and CPM pellet mills into your current technological process.
– Comprehensive support: full management of the ordering process and supply of equipment and spare parts directly from manufacturers.
– Start-up and service: carrying out commissioning work, professional commissioning and training of your personnel (Quiplines LLC provides a full cycle of service support).
– Original spare parts: selection and supply of certified parts – matrices, rollers, cylinders, bearing units and gears, which guarantee maximum machine resource.
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