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Small scale seed oil press?

Topic Type: 
Question

Just wondering if there are any plans or ideas out there for a small scale electric oil press, that would work with sunflower seed. I read a reference to one in this article: http://www.virgin.com/unite/business-innovation/farmers-geeks-hacking-agriculture, but can't find out what the actual press was. Thanks.

dorn's picture

Hi Sam - there are several that have been experimented in within the community but a tool wiki has yet to be created to document them. Your post is a good reminder to get it done! I have the expeller screws which I have been hoping to scan as a 3D model for folks to share and study, but i have not done it yet. The most common around here is are the small Anyang (AGICO) Chinese based presses and the German kernkraft. I have most of my experience with both the 1 ton/day and 6 ton per day chinese models pressing sunflower and canola - the models I have worked with came from http://www.ayimpex.com/Oil-Milling-Machinery/6YL-Series-Oil-Press.html . The Chinese ones are more of a hack because, although they work well, are really much nicer if they are disassembled, sand blasted, repainted and repowered for 220 or US three phase - which is worth doing when they start out at 1/4 or less of the price of the others. I think i got my first one for less than $1000 delivered to the US. You can see a nice comparison of European models in a review done by UVM of small scale presses. here: http://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/2014%20-%20Callahan%20et%20...

Happy to answer questions, and help with documentation!

Sam's picture

Great, thanks for the information, and it would also be amazing to see a tool wiki some day in the future.

baruch77's picture

When I was farming in Michigan one problem was that all soybeans were sent to Illinois because there was no plant to process them, unless you hired someone to raost them. In Maine soy production is small for the same reason. But with these soy locally grown can be processed creating both oil and soymeal for feed.