As its name suggests, the sunflower oil extractor is used to extract oil from sunflower seeds, soybean, and rapeseed. It is basically a cylindrical vessel housing a rotor inside. The rotor has cells which house the extracted material inside. The cells, which are open on both sides, are filled with materials in a continuous process by the feed transporter located at the top of the extractor. The cells are in a constant slow movement which ensures each cell is filled sufficiently with materials before the next one slides beneath the feed transporter.

The materials are held securely inside the cell by slotted loop sieves located under each cell. The loop sieves are designed with V-shaped concentric rods. The gaps between each pair of rods increase downwards which helps to eliminate the blockage between the rods. The tapering construction of the rods further helps to create an easy outlet for miscela or solvent from the material.

Once the extracted material enters the gas-proof bin via a screw conveyor, the conveyor hermetically feeds it to the toaster which is run by an electronic control system. The solvent goes into the extractor in a counter-flow direction. The process ensures that liquid solvent percolates through the material and down the slotted bottoms of the extractor. The bottom part of the extractor is divided into segmented sections that collect miscela before feeding the solvent miscela to the pumps. The segmented divisions also serve to separate different concentrations of miscela and preventing it from mixing. Pumping in a counter-flow direction helps to increase the concentration of oil in the solvent.

The extractor is driven by an adjustable speed motor, a gear reducing device, and a chain that runs around the extractor’s motor. The speed at which the extractor runs is determined by the amount of materials fed into it.

The entire process relies on an electronic control system, also known as PLC, which synchronizes the feeding conveyor’s speed with the discharging conveyor’s speed and that of the oil extractor. Its automation system uses a combination of sensors, the PLC, and frequency converters. The entire system is programmed and controlled by a computerized system.

The extractor comes in individual disassembled parts that are assembled at the site.

It is fully automated to ensure efficient control and management of the flow of material in the entire process. It is a programmable and computerized system that synchronizes the flow of solids in the process via sensors, PLC, and high-tech frequency converters. The system is designed to the highest safety standards to ensure safety in all the high-risk processes involved in the production of seed and vegetable oils.

The key objectives of the extractor’s protection system are to control the loading screw extractor’s speed and that of the unloading auger. It also ensures that:

• There is uniform extraction of oil from the materials fed into the system

• There is a uniform amount of material within each cell

• There is permanent sealing of material