PROCESSING STATION

SCREW PRESS

PART II

Ir. AMIN BUHARI MD ZAIN

SIME DARBY PLANTATION SDN BHD
 INTRODUCTION

• The screw press is one of the most

important tools in the process of extraction
crude palm oil from an oil palm fruits.
• It was first introduced into Malaysian Palm
Oil Industries in the early 1960 as batch
type hydraulic presses and continuous
screw type presses.
• For the new modern mills hydraulic press
has become redundant as the continuous
screw presses are more practical.
• Two screw press manufacturers Stork of
Amsterdam and Usine De Wecker of
Luxembourge were major screw press
supplier in the early days.
• These two organizations had worked very
closely with engineers employed in this
region to develop a very successful and
reliable machine for the industry
• In the middle of 1980’s locally improved
screw press from the local manufacturer
had gradually replace screw presses made
of Stork and Usine De Wecker.
• Today we have mainly chosen screw press
made from local manufacturer through
modified design of Usine De Wecker Press.
 BATCH TYPE HYDRAULIC
PRESS

• There are 3 different type of hydraulic press

– Hand Press
– Semi Automatic Press
– Fully Automatic Press
• Hand Press
– This press has a capacity of
about 0.3 tons/hr and
usually used by small time
operators.
– The cage with diameter of
350mm and height of
400mm is manually filled
with 40kg of digested fruits
and slid into position under
hollow ramp for pressing
with hand operated
hydraulic pump.
• Hand Press contd.
– The ram descends to
press the fruit and
returns under spring
action when hydraulic
pressure is released.
– High Oil Losses in
press fibre due to
relatively low pressing
pressure and more
particularly inadequate
digestion and low
fruit temperature
usually associated with
such arrangements.
• Semi Auto Hydraulic Press
– 3 tons/hr capacity press with
a 540mm diameter and
1346mm height perforated
cage.
– The single 250mm dia ram
acting from the bottom open
end of the cage is supplied
with hydraulic pressure of
5000 psi by the electrical
driven pump.
– The cake is subjected to a
pressure of 70kg/cm2
• Semi Auto Hydraulic
Press Contd.
– The cage is filled with digested
fruits from the digester with the
ram in a raised position inside
the cage. As the ram is lowered
filling is done in stages,
inserting one plate before adding
the next charge
– When the press cage is full, a
thick steel plate cover is locked
into position at the top and
hydraulic pressure is gradually
built up.
– After several minutes the
pressure is released, the top
cover removed and the deoiled
press cake is expelled by raising
ram
• Automatic Hydraulic Press
– This press has a rated capacity
of 5tons/hr
– The cage used is identical to
that used in semi-auto
hydraulic press
– This automatic press does not
require an operator
– Main hydraulic ramp travels
down from the top of cage.
– The top ramp also acts as a
sliding door at the digester
opening
• Automatic Hydraulic Press contd
– The ram quickly ascends to its starting
position once it has reached the lowest
point of its downward movement and
by that action it allows more digested
fruit to enter the press.
– At the bottom of the cage there is a
hydraulically operated cone.
– The bottom of the cage is almost closed
by the cone during the downward
stroke of the ram when the cake inside
is subjected to a pressure of 70kg/cm2
• Automatic Hydraulic
Press contd.

– Press cake is discharged when

the bottom cone moves
downward and the top ramp
continues its downward travel.
– The cycle is repeated
automatically and its takes 4
to 5 cycles for any particular
portion of fruit to pass through
press cage and be expelled as
cake.
– Both the hydraulic rams are
controlled by cam-operated
valves
 SCREW PRESS
• Screw Press are now commonly used in
most palm oil mills.
• It has either developed with one screw or
two screws in parallel.
• Twin screw units are the most popular sets
• All types available in the market are quite
identical except for minor differences.
• The working principles are the same.
 Screw Press Contd
• Digested fruits mash is fed via feed screw or
transfer chute to the press proper.
• The free oil, water and some solids are drained off
initially at the feed screw or transfer chute
• Oil then finally extracted out through perforated
press cage due to the increasing pressure exerted
by the main screws and the hydraulically operated
cones at the exit end of the press cage
 Advantages of Screw Press over
Hydraulic Press

• Higher throughput per unit press and

consequent saving in building cost
• Low capital for a given pressing capacity
• Less Labour required
• Less Power required for a given throughput
• Nut/Fibre separation much easier due to
much dryer cake and less oily
 Disadvantages

• Higher maintenance cost

• More nut breakage if the fruit milled is not
100% tenera. This arises from the fact that a
greater proportion of the fibrous solids
passes into crude oil than in the case of
hydraulic press so leaving less in the press
cake to cushion the nuts and prevent
breakage.
 Disadvantages contd.
• The production of a much more viscous crude oil
due to higher solids content. This oil requires
considerable dilution before settling in a larger
clarifier and greater sludge centrifuging capacity
• The oil loss in waste water is greater than that
obtained using the hydraulic press. Under
favorable circumstances, the lower oil loss in the
fibre from a screw press will compensate for the
extra loss in waste water
•
 Screw Press

• Three Makers of Screw Press

– STORK
– MONO SCREW PRESS
– USINE DE WECKER
 Stork Screw Press

• In this press twin screws are arranged on

the vertical centerline supported on straight
through drive shafts, which also support the
hydraulically controlled reaction cones.
• The digested mash is conveying to the press
using a variable drive feed screw attached
to the unit.
• Technical Features
– The main screws are fully supported by
external bearings through a continuous shaft
– The feed screw to feed the press with the
digester mash from the digester chute
– The press cage come in segments
– Incorporating automatic hydraulic cone control
via Kw meter set points
 Stork Screw Press
• Advantage claimed
– Appropriate drainage resulting in pre-
conditioned fruit mash entering the press
– The throughput of the press is more controlled
by means of feeder screw speed rather than by
means of main screw speed, which makes fast
throughput adjustment possible
– Fruit composition variations are compensented
resulting in positive charging of the press
– The feeder screw action to some extent
compensates for wear and tear of the main
screw and press cage sections
 Mono Screw Press

• This is another European made with single

screw design
• Technical features is almost similar to Stork
Screw Press except this unit only has single
screw in the perforated cage
 Usine De Wecker Screw Press

• This is a much more simple in design and

lighter in construction
– Twin screw are arranged on horizontal
centerline supported by overhung drive shafts.
The one end of main screw is held by worm
lengthening
– The press cage is single piece
– The position of double cone is controlled by
hydraulic pressure which is automatically kept
within preset limit
 Usine De Wecker
• The P9 model is rated about 9 tons/hour at screw
speed of 10 RPM.
• Driven by 25Hp geared motor output speed 260
RPM and driving V belt pulley 355mm
• Two driven pulleys provided
– 450 mm – provides input speed of 158 RPm which
corresponds to approximate throughput of 8 tons/hr
(power requirements – 16hp(22Amps)
– 355 mm - provides input speed of 200 RPm which
corresponds to approximate throughput of 10 tons/hr
(power requirements – 20hp(27-30Amps)
 Pressing Process
• It is a fact that the palm oil mills can only loss oil
and definitely not create palm oil.
• It also a place in the plantation organization where
losses can easily be quantified and recorded.
• To press the digester mash for 100% efficiency is
mechanically impossible.
• Therefore it is a challenge for the mill to achieve
high efficiency in pressing the press cake by
optimizing oil loss in fibre and nuts and yet
minimizing the amount of broken nuts.
• Historically pioneer like stork has done
fundamental studies to show that
composition of nuts/fibre ratio will effect
the press performance.
Stork Has Documented that

Nut/Mesocarp Ratio Type of Extraction

25/75 (Tenera) Screw Press

35/65 (Dura) Hydraulic Press

 Screw Press

• Factor Affecting Pressing Operations

– 1) Press Cake Composition
• If the nut content is high, cone pressure will be
transmitted through the nuts creating broken nuts
rather than squeezing the fibrous material for oil
extraction
• If there is shortage of nuts, the friction resistance
within the fibre prevents the pressure transmission
deep into the cake, resulting in oil not squeeze out at
certain sections of the fibre.
 Screw Press
• 2) Press Operation
– Insufficient feed, increase slippage and broken nuts
– Consistency of maintaining cone pressure
– Worn screws with low throughput also increase both oil
losses and broken nuts
– Low digester mash temperature reduces oil viscosity,
high oil loss.
– Poor upstream treatment of fruitlets resulting in trapped
oil cells, poor digestion and sterilization; insufficient
dehydration will cause fibre on nuts thus higher oil loss
at nuts
 Screw Press
• MPD input into the screw press can vary
from one hour to the next due to factors that
– Age of crop being accepted for milling at
anyone time
– Change of sterilisation cycle
– High Proportions of loose fruit
– Inclusion of trash/sand
– Over/Under digestion
– Over ripe fruit
 Screw Press

• Maintenance
– Press design is very simple and complete overhaul of
the major wear items can be completed within one day
(provided all spares are available)
– Maintenance cost between 30 – 50 cents/ton ffb
– Lifespan of screws between 600hrs – 1200hrs depend
to the trash inclusion in the fruits
– Lifespan of press cage between 600hrs – 1500hrs
– Clearance between new screw and new press cage is
not more than 5mm and should not be allowed to
exceed 12mm to minimize oil loss and nut breakage.
 P15 Screw Press
• BASIC SPECIFICATIONS
– Electric motor 37kw / 760rpm / 3 phase
– Worm Screw 305mm dia x 1200mm L, feed section pitch
270mm , Extraction section pitch 190 root 100mm dia
shaft
– Capacity 14 – 16 tons ffb per hour (32-40amps load)
– Screw speed 10.6 rpm (200mm dia pulley) 12
rpm(170mm dia pulley)
– Oil loss in fibre of less than 7% oil in NOS (dry basis)
– Broken nuts less than 7% on sample or 12% broken nuts
to total nuts
 Operation of The Screw Press
• Ensure that digester is not left full overnight
• Start digester arm when the digester is empty
• The digester steam jacket should always be on
steam
• Live steam should be added to bring mash
temprature to above 90 deg C
• Excessive drainage at bottom of digester should be
necessary (in most cases it is undesirable)
 Operation of Screw Press
• When the digester is over half full, it is in order to
start the screw press
• Start the press motor and open fully digester chute
• The hydraulically controlled cones should be
manually controlled until the press cake is of
satisfactory condition. This initial manual operation
is to prevent the passage of any oily cake into CBC
as well as to avoid jamming over dried cake in the
press.
• The automatic control to follow
 Screw Press Operations
• Operator should close the cone to start the
pressing process and open them to allow full cake
flow
• The cones should then be closed slowly to obtain
the required balance of dry fibre without too high
a broken nut content
– (Note: Broken nuts in themselves are not important
when the nut recovery system has a facility for their
recovery but crushed kernels are always to be avoided)
 Screw Press Operations
• It is necessary to have a supply of hot water
(say 95 deg C) opened as this water will
passes over the outside of the cage carrying
with the crude oil. The supply of water
should be in the order of 1800litres or
400gallons per hour for throughput 10 ton
per hour. The correct adjustment will have
to be made to correspond with the proper
operation of the clarification plant.
 Upkeep Screw Press
• It is a normal practices by the some mills to
rebuild their worm screw
• For new screw, first time rebuild only necessary on
the first flight of the screw
• Build up by welding to original thickness of
approximately 30 mm
• When the other flights have been worn by 6mm to
10mm, then its should be build up by welding on
both sides
• Before machining to the outside diameter of
305mm, the welds should be ground smooth as it
will reduce nut breakage and promote an even
wear.
 Upkeep Screw Press
• It is a good practice to have a spare cage and set of
screws.
• It is recommended that the two sets be
interchanged over every 600 hours. Few users find
it necessary to make more frequent change but
some prefer to extend the change to every 1000
hours.
• A set of screws and a cage with proper upkeep
will last for between 4000 to 6000 hours (that is to
say for 40,000 ton ffb to 60,000 ton ffb)
THANK YOU