Industry: Agriculture and Food
Material Handled: Palm Oil Fruits, Bunches, Nuts, Kernels, Sludge, Bagasse
Product Category: Chain, Bucket Elevator, Screw
Activity to be Mechanized/Automated:
- The palm fruits from the farms are brought in bulk from local farmers. These palm fruit bunches need to be processed to extract oil.
- The extraction process requires multiple systems to handle the materials in various stages of extraction.
- Materials will be moved horizontally, inclined, vertically, and may run both directions simultaneously.
- The plant input capacity for extraction is approximately 60 tons per hour.
The Palm Fruit Oil Extraction Conveying System is designed to efficiently handle and process palm fruits through various stages of oil extraction, ensuring minimal wastage and optimal yield. By integrating specialized equipment like heavy-duty chain conveyors, bucket elevators, and screw conveyors, the system addresses challenges such as material flow, surge loads, and contamination, while enhancing productivity, energy efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. This solution ensures seamless operation, even in existing plants, with high capacity and minimal downtime.
Challenges vs Solutions
| Challenges | Solutions |
|---|---|
|
The palm fruits and bunches behave differently at each stage of the extraction process. |
Heavy Duty Drag Slat Chain Conveyors: Dual strand heavy-duty chains with slats and pushers to convey material horizontally and inclined |
|
The oil is concentrated in specific parts of the fruit, and other parts must also be processed |
Bucket Elevators: Heavy-duty buckets with two strands of chains to move materials vertically to the next process. |
|
Contaminants from the farm may accompany the fruits and need to be extracted from the system |
Screw Conveyors: Used for general conveying, allowing material to mix and tumble, assisting in oil extraction. |
|
The bulk fruits create surge loads and jerks that must be accounted for in the design of the system. |
Inclined Bucket Elevators: Slower-speed positive discharge elevators for vertical transport of materials to top-floor processing. |
|
The site may not always be a greenfield, and integration with existing plants may pose challenges. |
Double Layered Drag Chain Conveyors: Can push both bottom and top layers simultaneously, facilitating multi-input and multi-output. |
|
Boiler Feed conveyors are needed for site electricity generation. |
Radler Bagasse Chain Conveyors: Used for feeding empty bunches and bagasse into the boiler. |
|
Efficient material discharge and flow management are crucial. |
Slide Gates and Accessories: Electro-hydraulic gates for material discharge and flow into subsequent processes. |
|
Loose materials like nuts and kernels need to be bagged. |
Bagging Systems: For packaging materials like nuts and kernels into 25kg and 50kg bags, integrated with a stitching machine. |
Results / Benefits:
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Cost Effective: Lowest cost of ownership with a minimum 2-year ROI.
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Increased Efficiency: Each piece of equipment is designed with a deep understanding of material flow and the oil extraction process. Efficiency is optimized by enhanced yield, with minimal room for errors.
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Energy Saving: IE 2+ motors with energy-efficient transmission systems.
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Low Capital Investment: Proven technology and components keep capital investment low.
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24x7x365 Running Capacity: Maintenance-friendly systems ensure minimal unplanned downtime.
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High Productivity: Basic technology ensures reliability and maximized capacity utilization for higher productivity.