How to design a high-yield palm oil extraction line: from FFB sterilization to crude oil?

Palm oil is one of the most important vegetable oils in the world and is widely used in the food, cosmetics and biofuel industries. High-yield palm oil extraction line design is crucial to improve oil yield and reduce production costs. This article will introduce in detail the complete palm oil extraction line design from from FFB sterilization to crude oil, covering key equipment, process flow and optimization strategies.

1. Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) Receiving and Sorting

Fresh fruit bunches should be processed within 24 hours after picking to ensure the quality of oil content. The receiving area should be equipped with a weighing system to record the weight of FFB for easy production management. Remove rotten, immature or over-ripe fruit bunches to ensure the quality of raw materials. Use vibrating screen or manual sorting to improve the efficiency of subsequent processing.

2. Sterilization

Sterilization is a key step in palm oil extraction line from FFB sterilization to crude oil. Its main purpose is to soften the fruit bunches to facilitate fruit removal; inactivate lipolytic enzymes (to prevent the increase of free fatty acids FFA); kill microorganisms and extend the life of equipment. Sterilization process equipment is divided into horizontal or vertical sterilization tanks (usually 3-4 tanks are connected in series). For example, our advanced vertical sterilizers use high-pressure steam to ensure even heat distribution and save space. The sterilized bunches are then passed to the Threshing Unit, where rotating drums efficiently separate palm fruits from the stalks with minimal damage.

Palm fruit sterilizer

3. Threshing

Palm fruit thresher is used for separate empty fruit bunch and palm fruit. According to the different production scale of palm oil mill plant, we can provide different types of palm fruit thresher machine to meet the production needs, like: simply type palm fruit thresher mahcine and drum type palm fruit thresher machine. In the actual production process of palm oil,Usually we have a spare one, in case one of them not work. When the sterilization process is over, sterilized palm fruit will be convey to next station. The empty fruit bunch came from palm fruit thresher will be conveyed to outside, which can be used as fuel for palm oil mill.

Palm fruit thresher

4. Digestion and Pressing

The penultimate step in designing a high-yield palm oil extraction line is digestion and pressing. The purpose of digestion is to destroy the cell structure of the pulp and release the oil. This step requires a digester. Pressing is generally done with a screw press. Process optimization can adjust the pressing pressure to balance the oil yield and residual oil rate. Presser in palm oil extraction equipment often use double-screw press equipment. In terms of material, our screw press adopts 2Cr13, wear-resistant alloy steel, integrated casting process, and has a service life of 1000 hours. The pressure of the oil press comes from the simultaneous action of the front screw and the rear reducer, and is equipped with a hydraulic pump station and a hydraulic cylinder. The spring pressure can be adjusted, and the pressure in the cavity can be detected in real time and adjusted in time, so as to achieve optimum pressing effect. The final output is crude palm oil (CPO) and press cake (containing fiber and nuts).

5. Clarification

After pressing, the oil is passed through the Crude Oil Clarification System, where impurities like water, solids, and sludge are removed using sedimentation tanks and vibrating screens. For optimal purity, our lines incorporate centrifugal clarifiers and oil purifiers.

Designing a high-yield palm oil extraction line from FFB sterilization to crude oil requires comprehensive consideration of the process optimization of key links such as sterilization, dehydration, pressing, and clarification. Through automated control, energy recovery, and environmental protection measures, the oil yield can be significantly improved and production costs can be reduced. Henan Glory's palm oil extraction lines are engineered for high throughput, energy efficiency, and low operating costs, making them ideal for both small-scale and industrial operations.